New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-05-19

civl contract. 4 pfacticaf encourage
msnt to immigrants is contained in the
following provisions:
Persons born within the State and those
born Of Mexican fathers either within or
without the State, are to be regarded as
SOnorians- Foreigners naturalized &C
cordings to the laws are also entitled to
the same righS, unless they may choose to
reserve their allegiance to some other
government The duties of native and
natGmlized citizens having been enumer-
ated, it is added: EsAliens who have not
acquired right Of citizenship will enjoy
the protection whjeh the constitution has
guaranteed. They will be required to
contribute to the public expenses to re-
spect and obey the authorities, obey the
laws and tribunals Of the government
These aliens are protected by deslara-
ton that there shall be 10 forced loans,
and by the treaty stipulations of their
respective governments.
The system of representation is based
on the numbers of the State, and con-
forms in other particulars to the spirit of
our institutions.
We can do no more in this article than
refer to the constitution of Sonora as af-
fording all the protection to colonists
which they could possibly reqnire. When
contrasted with that which wes melted out
to the Meier prisoners, and to'Austin and
his Texas colony, the reader will perceive
the immense advance in this respect. The
inducement to immigration is very great.
While Sonora has been under the control
of the Spaniards for more than three hun
bred years its population is very sparse.
With territory larger than that of any
State east of the Mississippi river, it has
but 100, 958inhabitants, or about one and
two-thirds to the square mile. This slow
rate of increase has been due in great part
to the incursions of the Apache and
Camanche Indians, which can not be re-
PEELED by numerous military stations es-
tablished by the government The want
of public roads likewise embarrasses inter
course. The true cause, however, of this
depression consists in the frequent po-
litical revolutions which have affected the
great mass of the Mexican nation.
We can not extract more from the ex-
cellent and accurate source of these state
ments' than q general reference to the
extrao rdinary mineral values of Sonora.
It is called without question the richest
metalliferous portion of Mexican terrific
ry." It has developed but an insignif-
cant part of this wealth. There are LA
mines in operation and $50 which have
been abandoned and which will be re-
sumed or, as we say, entered for work.
There is among these one placer of virgin
silver and twenty of dust and grain gold.
We have the authority of the reverend
Jesuit missionaries that there were found
enormous masses of silver and large
pieces of gold at depth of one, two or
three yards below the surface of the
ground. We might add the fabulous
stories of the lost mines of Aurora, which
produced pure silver, but enough is known
to satisfy the public mind that if Sonora
were under American management, the
United States could resume and maintain
silver specie payment and redeem
every national obligation in this precious
metal. The climate of Sonora cores
ponds, perhaps, with that of Mississippi
and Louisiana, and though the tropical
staples of sugar and coffee are not enume-
rated among its products, the return OF
wheat is quoted at sixty-fold. Enough
has been, therefore, said to show that il
the American people will emigrate to
Sonora, acquire lands and mines under
the liberal policy of that government, and
with the guarantee of their own-if Con
gress will give to the South the Texas Pa.
cific railroad as q means of reaching
that country-there will be no need o.
6libustering to occupy Sonora. The de.
velopment must be reflected back upor
the United States and especially upor
: New Orleans and other Gulf ports.
: We have written this article that the
attention of our fellow-citizsns may bt
called to the inducements afforded BY
this adjacent State, and to remind then
that companies of colonization, rathei
than armed forces, are alone necessary t.
secure its commercial annexation to tn,
7 United States.
+"COmpendia de la Geografa del Estado Son
ora, by General Jose Maria Perez Hernandez.