Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-15
GENERAL GRAM ON MEXICO.

General Grants longest speech was made
the other night at a meeting of capitalists
and railroad men in New York to discuss
the future of Mexican commerce. The
General showed that he had gwen the sub.
jeet considerable study. He expressed the
opinion that Mexico had really made
greater advances in civilization than have
been supposed, and that bright future IS
in store for her. He believes that very
great additions to her producing capacity
may be made by building railroads through
the interior, but that it is useless for cor
porations to expect subsidies from the
Mexican Government, the revenues of the
republic being too small to allow of any
such assistance. The railroads which may
be built will, he believes, prove highly re-
munerstive in a few years, by developing
the now almost untouched resources of the
country. He thinks the United States
can by judicious extension of the avenues
OF communication not only control the
supply of Mexico with imports, but raise
her exports ten or twenty fold. He
regards the Mexican people as peaceable,
industrious, virtuous and tractable, and
attributes the anarchic condition of the
country until very recently, to the results
of foreign interference and ecclesiastical
greed combined. It will doubtless appear
to those who are at all acquainted with
Mexican politics, government and social
life, that General Grant has painted the
situation in colors somewhat brighter than
the facts warrant. 1t can hardly be al
legged that there is no longer anything to
apprehend from political complications, for
example, yet this is very important point
when it is proposed to make large invest
ments in the country. The first step to-
ward the development of Mexican re-
sources must be the establishment of law
and order under conditions giving assur-
anoe of their permanency. 1t is the absence
of such conditions hitherto which has pre-
vented American capitalists from under
taking extensive projects III that country.
There has never been any doubt as to the
abundance of its resources, and the aues-
ton of their development has always been
one of political security. 1t remains the
vital consideration. If indeed Mexico can
be regarded as having reached stable po-
litical state, there is nothing to hinder the
work of internal Improvement, nor need
our capitalists be deferred by the hopeless
ness of procuring subsidies from the Gov
eminent. OF course it is desirable that all
talk of annexation should be abandoned,
for such suggestions can only irritate and
ALLEVIATE the Mexican people, and since
they are alike injudicious and foolish they
ought to be dropped. A much more profit
able conquest of Mexico than arms could
ever effect may be brought about by CON-
nercial relations, and it is the railroad
builders who now constitute the vanguard
of civilization. Without railroads there
is no progress nowadays. With railroads
there is no region so desert but it may be
msde to repay labor and investment. OF
old, nations extended their power by
armies of occupation. To-day, score Of
capitalists and experienced railroad build
ara meet over their wine in New York
restaurant, and there the preliminaries are
arranged for enterprises which will cause
the shedding of no blood, but which. will
hiring more wealth to the nation than the
most successful war ever waged, and at the
same time bestow civilization and advance
psnt on the communities through which
the new lines of transportation are to be
carried.