Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-01-11
NEW MEXICO.
A. L. Morrison in Defense of the Peo-
pie of the Territory.

SANTA FE, N. NJ, Dec. 9.-To the Edi-
tor of the Chicago Inter Ocean,
In commenting on the admission Of
new states in recent issue of your val
liable and thoroughly Republican journal
you dispose of New Mexicoby saying that
she ought not be admitted because the
great majority of her people are "Greas-
ers." I respectfully ask hearing on
behalf of the people among whom have
cast my lot and for whom l entertain
sentiments of high esteem.
I ask you in justice to them to grant
me patient hearing. First of all these
people are descendants of the earliest
European settlers of the continent, who
made their homes among these mountains
some thirty years after the discovery by
Columbus, and over 100 years before the
landing of the Puritans in Massachusetts
Bay. By (as is now genarally conceded)
a cruel and unjust war the Mexican re-
public was dismembered in the interest
of the slave power and nearly one-third
o our present area exclusive of Alaska
was torn from that power and incorpor-
ated into the American republic by the
treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, February 2,
1913. 1t should not be forgotten that at
the first territorialco convention held in New
Mexico few years after said treaty was
signed resolution was unanimously pass
ed declaring that slavery should never ex-
list within the boundaries of said territory.
This secured for these iberty-loving
people the hatred of the slave Democracy
and ought to have secured for them the
love and esteem of that party which
wiped the blighting stain of slavery
from our flag. Six or seven years after
the treaty a conspiracy was discovered
whose object was to restore New Mexico
to her allegiance to Mexico. Several of
the conspirators were indicted by a
grand jury composed largely Of New
Mexicans and one of them was convicted
of treason to the United States by jury
a majority of whom were New Mexicans.
He was changed accordingly Can any
other state or territory show a record
like that? Thirteen years after the said
treaty the civil war broke out and New
Mexico was invaded by Texas rebels.
Here was chance for these citizens,
every one of whom was born beneath a
foreign flag, to show their un-American
character, if such they had. But instead
of rising against our government, as
they might have done, several regiments
of troops volunteered to serve the United
States, and the battleAelds of Glorieta,
Valverde and Apache canon bear undying
testimony to their valor and fidelity to
the Union. The Texans after pene-
trating 300 miles into the territory were
driven pell nell beyond our borders
and never returned. Now we see the
same Texan reLels recognized as loyal
citizens, while the heroic New Mex
lean union soldiers who rallied
round our flag in the days of our
dire need are denounced as un-Ameri-
can and unworthy of citizenship. Is
this fair, is it honest, is it just? think
not. Now, as to the usual requirements.
BY the late census the population of New
Mexico was 153,O76, exclusive of Indians;
assessed valuation, $45,199,S47.91; public
schools, 533; teachers, $50; pupils enrolled,
24,767; daily attendance, 1928; taxes col