The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-01

J face. It remains to this hour essentially tht
same unceared, uncul:ivated, pestilentia
district as on the day Nunez dc Balboa took
J formal possession Of it In the name OF the
Spanish people. We more particularly allude
to the Isthmus Of Panama, for the climate Of
Nicaragua ~ mild and the district healthy
/ The forests of the Isthmus of Panama are
still thick, impenetrable iungles Of huge
trees and matted underwood, swarming
with venomous reptiles and savage
beasts; the rugged and impossible roads, or
rather tracks, are insecure and barbarOus,
and the descendants of Europeans settled
there scarcely less slothful than the abort
ginal Indian over whom they affect control
and superiority.
/ The province Of Darien was the first part of
the American continent upon which the Span
| iards established themselves. In 1910 Nunez
de Balboa built the town OF Santa Maria on
the coast of the Darien gulf, OF which no yes
tige now remains. Shortly afterward he
discovered the close proximity Of the Pacific
when he removed the infant settlement to
| Panama-then considerable Indian village,
locally celebrated for the pearl fisheries Of it's
bay and the abundance of fish to be found
there. To this latter circumstance it owes It's
designation, Panama signifying "much fish"
| Porto Bello, on the Atlantic, which possesses,
fl f d d. Ht2aP tH5ifatfffafFe magnificent harbor,
Inhabited principally by negroes, haIf-caste
and few others of Spanish descent, whom
| cupidty tempts to reside there.
| Chagres another of the Atlantic settle
ments, is miserable village; here the popu-
lation, with the exception OF the custom
house authorities, are black or colored. All
the Spanish settlements with the exception Of
| Panama are merely the decayed and decay
! ing encampmentS OF @ race OF men who
sought those regions, not for the purpose OF
developing the vast and enduring riches of
the soil by clearing it of its encumbering
vegetation-not to render their immense min
erai wealth accessible and available by perma-
nent improvements Of the means OF internal
communication, but to hastily rake together
by any means, however violent and nefarious,
sufficient Of the precious metals to purchase
for themselves life of luxury and indolence
in the Old World, which they "mauvais su-
Jets" had left from necessity and with regret.
The race of Iberian conduerors eagerly set
tied down In the America of gold and silver
mines, turning disdainfully aside from the
northern sections which offered wealth only
In exchange for sturdy labor. Those terri
tories they were finally content should be
possessed by the Anglo-Saxon, and time has
abundantIy shown who made the wiser choice.
In 1924 Pope Alexander vi, the father of the
Borgias-Lucretia and Cn5ar-issued a bull
solemnly conferring the Americas on the
King of Spain and his SUCCESSORS, but this
4 ~, NV alI "a adv
spirits Of the period, defying Spain, and even
the thunders Of Rome. The arrogant preten-
sions Of Spain were also resisted by England,
though feebly and inefficiently The seas
swarmed with pirates and the land with des-
peradoes England, by treaty with Spain,
agreed to discountenance her buccaneering
subjects in the American seas. This treaty
was little respected by Spain, but at last
rigidly enforced by Great Britain.
The scottish Darien Expedition.
About the close of the seventeenth century,
when the peace Of RysWick, where the ceie-
brated treaty was concluded between Eng
land, France, Spain and Holland, signed in
1897, enabled the government Of Spain to put
forth all her strength in the defense OF her
South American possessions when calm en-
sued in those ATTITUDES. 1t was at this time
that the saddest episode in the history OF the
much-coveted isthmus occurred, namely: the
projection and failure of the memorable
Scottish Darien expedition Mr.. Patterson
the founder OF the Bank of England, Scotch
gentleman OF remarkably speculative and
enterprtsing turn of mind, conceived the
idea OF securing the door OF the seas, by es-
tabli5hing a powerful half military colony
near Porto Bello. Mr.. Patterson's scheme
was coldly received by the English govern
ment; however, he obtained able support IL
Scotland and company was Incorporated.
This was no sooner done than Juror seized
the usually cautious Scotch people. The
brilliant prospects held out by Patterson III
duced a large application for shares. Ihe
prize to be obtained, according to the pro-
/ iector's statement, was no less than the eX
elusive possession of the door OF the seas anc
the key of the universe, which, with any reas'
enable management, would enable the pro
jeetors to give laws to both oceans and 70 De-