359
PAPERS OF i\'.lm.ABEAU Buo~APAnTE T,,uL\R
All the forreignors favored the cause of Monclorn, except one Dr Pope who was a surgeon in the army of Saltillo- GPnl Sermrn I think, preteu<led to interpo$e his mediation to settle the dispute between contending towns, He recei\·ed from the Cit_v of Saltillo a sum of money, merely to defray his expenses to 1'Ionclorn, In .:\fonclova he recei\·ed an other sum somewhat larger, He played a double part with the cities, And instead of returning from :Monclorn to Saltillo he proceedecl immediately to :Monterey, where the main body of his army was, It was not the policy of the Gen) to interfere in the domestic quarrel of the state until he could ascertain which party would support the measures of Central party in :Mexico--: His conduct in this matter brot upon the curse f ?] of both cities Before Genl Cos was appointed to the command, in this State there had been a co11stitutional election holden, & Viesca was elected Govr who was the uncompromising enemy to the Central party-His weight added to that of ~lonclova, made that party rather formidable to the people of Saltillo, and these tho not Centralists at heart, were compelled to throw themseh-es into· the arms of the centralist party for protection or to submit to the Govr. at Monclova Now was a fayorable opportunity given to Gen) Cos to interfere in the quarrel, & he immediately siezed upon it- Viesca's election was de- clared null & the war commenced There is a vast difference between the Cities of Saltillo and l\IoncloYa, both are situate in vallies-surrounded on all sides by high & rugged mountains :Monclova is in a second Yallv or a low small vally in the middle of one more extensive, the streets are narrow & Jirty, the houses very indifferent, and every thing you see tells of poverty & want, the country arround tho rich & furtile & susceptable of irrigation cannot to be said to be in any state of profitable cultiYation, they rais beans peas & a little corn & peper in abundance, The only thing to be sure here is an old paseo (public walk) which was once no doubt beautiful, but is now neglected and partly grown up) It is about 600 yds in length, has rows of beautiful trees, and 3 little streams running parallell with them there are a number of seats of stone some neatly carved, There were once several fine statues but the most of them are broken and all very much effaced, There were two fountains but they are no"\\'. distroyed, This shows that the people have degenerated. A few Leagues from Monclova at the town of San Buena Ventura, a good deal of cotton is raised,. the staple is of a superior quality. Saltillo presents to the eye of the tra\·eller a scene of life & gayety and wealth & <lissippation. The town is situated on a high & beau- tiful table land, the streets are well paved, the houses high, well built of the sort of stone, and many exhibit neatness and taste, It has sev- eral fine churches, the principal one is not surpassed by any except those of the richest & most magnificent, It has aqueducts running thro eYer_r part of the town, and in the principal square is a beautiful fountain with an eagle perched on top, The people are generally extravagant & dissipated, are nearly all rc.hbe rs, We proceed on to San Luis Potoci 300 miles dist from Saltillo, This City has experienced as many Yicisitude~ of fortune us any other
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