The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-03-15
THE SOUTHWEST AND IT'S SILVER
PRODUCTIONS.

III Is sometimes said that the South
west is to be the seat of great empire :
yet few persons have more than faint
idea of the vast territory, and great
wealth in silver and gold, embraced in
that division of the United States.
To get right idea of the importance
OF that region as factor in the deyelop-
ment of this nation, il is necessary TO
condcnse its history of that land, stretch
ing over period of thousand wears.
into paragraph or two.
When Cortez and his soldiers from
Spain conquered Mexico, in 1921, thcv
found there civilized race, having a
literature and historical records dating
back to the year 700. The conquerino
Spaniards found abundance of treasures.
including gold and silver plate deli.
cately and beautifully wrought by the
skill of the native races, the Toltecs
and the Aztecs. And not satisfied with
the vast plunder they were able to OBJ
tain, the Spaniards sought to learn the
location of the mines that had produced
such wealth. The mines were at length
found, but the slow operations of years
whereby the silver ore was dug ont of
these mines were not i'm harmony with
the avarlce that filled the breasts of the
conquerors, SO they and their successors
pushed far TO the north, even to that
land now known as Colorado, and i'm
their incursions they conquered cities.
and plundered their inhabitants: and
when millions of dollars worth of gold.
silver and jewels had been sent to
Spain, they seriously set about working
the silver mines. AS early as 1922 thev
gave to the country they had subiugated
the name of New Spain; and sought TO
establish European civilization. Subdi-
visions were made, and the province of
IeXas was erected as early rs 1890.
During three hundred years the Span
iards by viceroys ruled the Mcxicans,
but the latter, in 1921, threw off the
Spanish yoke.
The boundary line between the Uni
ted States and New Spain, as il was
called, as early as 1922, was not settled
till the accomplishment of the treaty be-
tween Spain and the United States, in
1919. And though commissioners were
twice appointed for that purpose, the
line was never surveyed; and it is more
than likely it will yet have to be done.
us 1t is by no means clear where the
source OF the Arkansas River is in Col
orado; and rs the southern portion of
that state is now in bed of wealth,
the settlement of many old Spanish and
Mexican grants of land will depend
upon the proper boundary between
Old Mexico and the United States. The
limits of the explorations of the early
Spanish and French pioneers were sub
jects for long debates in the settlement
of boundary lines. The United states
had purchased Louisiana, and claimed
all the territory that had been visited
by DE Soto and other French explorers
who had come down the Mississippi
Valley from Canada, and penetrated
Texas. The boundary line of 1919, as
agreed upon, was as follows:
"The boundary line between the United States
ana mexico shall begin at the mouth of the Sabine
river on the Gulf of Mexico, continuing north
along the western bank OF that river to The SD de-
gree of latitude; thence by line due north TO the
uegree oi latitude where II strikes the Red River;
theh iollowing the course of the Red River (Rio
Roxol westward TO the degree of longitude 100
west irom London. and % from Washington; then
r Iins t,e d" saiu heu hver and running thence
following the southern bank OF the Arkansas 10
IT'S source IN latitude q degrees north and thence
ny tnat parallel of latitude to the South Sea 0he
Pacific ocean, The whole being as laid down
IN Melsh's Map Of the United States, corrected 10
Jan. L. islS: But II the source of the Arkansas
RIVER shall be found to fall north or south OF lafi
tude ~. then the line Shall run from the said
source, due south or north, as the ease NAV he,
M II meets the said parallel of latitude i3 and
'hence along said parallel to the South SEA-"
In 1928, after Mexico became indie
pendent, a new treaty was formed be-
tween that power and the United States,
and the boundary line set forth, and ii
was agreed to have the line surveyed,
but that matter was never attended to.
So much has been said in order that
one may get a notion, as far as possible
by outlines, how much territory the
United States has acquired from New
Spain, or Mexico. But the mere men,
ton of lines does not convey TO the
mind clear idea of this vast tract OF
country now in mention. Texas. which
Mexico claimed till 1S48, is as large as
France. But to bring the comparison
close home, Texas is large enough to
contain all the New England States four
times over. But let us see how much
the United States has gained from Mex
leo, as shown by enumerating the areas
in square miles of the six states and fer.
ritories once under Spanish ovnersbin