Americans, so
far as wealth is considered. They were so envied by the wealthy men at
the capital of the republic. These provinces of Mexico were the Indies
where troublesome opponents were to be sent by government, to suck,
like leeches, the public treasury, and thus obtain their fill
to repletion. When the United States came into possession of the
territory of New Mexico, affairs were somewhat tempered to the state
of reason and justice; but, a people who had so long been kept down,
could not at once appreciate the value of the changes; consequently,
they have been slow in elevating their heads to the proper standard
of men. The legislature of New Mexico, as it has been recognized
under the constitution of the United States, resembles other forms of
territorial governments. This statement is true in theory, but not in
practice; for it is impossible to collect an uneducated people,
unused to self government, and allow them to steer their own bark as
law-makers, without observing that they make many openings for serious
mistakes to creep in, which are and should be severely criticised.
The pioneer laws, as they came from the first New Mexican legislature,
were faulty in the extreme. They seemed to point out wickedness as
a punishment for wickedness. If we desired to afford our readers a
laugh, we should permit them to read many of these laws. The simple
perusal of them would cause merriment equal to the most laughable
comedy. Had it not been for the few white men, who, from time to time,
have found their way into the legislature of New Mexico, the whole
body would long since have lost themselves in the depth of learning
which their untutored minds had undertaken to engraft upon their
statute books. The members of this body, for a long time, turned their
attention more to the emoluments which naturally accrued from their
position, than to endeavors to steady the helm of government for
the good of their country. In order to save their pay, they studied
economy, which caused them to make a beggarly appearance, and, in
the eyes of the white men, they were often contemptibly mean. Greatly
predominating in numbers, the Mexicans of course had no difficulty in
ruling the country; and they naturally preferred their own countrymen
in filling the law-making department of their government. The
consequence was, that they thus obtained a crowd of legislators who
could hardly read. By the aid of a few schools, an enlightened press,
an