Office of the Historian
[Translation.]

Mr. Romero to Mr. Seward

Mexican Legation to the United States, Washington, October 20, 1865.

Mr. Secretary: In addition to the intelligence I communicated to you in my note of 5th instant, relative to the plan adopted by French agents in Mexico for the purpose of uniting in that republic the discontented citizens of the United States who are not disposed to acknowledge the authority of this government, nor accept the consequences of the late civil war, I have now the honor to send you various extracts from the “Times,” a paper published in English in the city of Mexico, in which you will see a list of prominent persons from the United States of the south, lately in insurrection against the federal government, and are now in the city of Mexico, and other details that are not without interest.

It seems also that the ex-archduke of Austria, Fernando Maximilian, now titular emperor of Mexico, already throwing aside all dissimulation, has made public his real plans, by appointing as agents of colonization Mr. Sterling Price, of Missouri, Mr. Isham Harris, of Tennessee, Mr. John Perkins, of Louisiana, and Mr. Wm. F. Hardeman and Mr. Roberts, of Texas.

Messrs. Price and Perkins have gone to the Gulf side, and Messrs. Hardeman and Roberts to the Pacific, in discharge of their trusts.

[Page 523]

It seems Mr. M. F. Maury, ex-lieutenant in the navy of the United States, and afterwards agent in Europe for the insurgent States, is the person who directs this movement for emigration on foot. For this purpose he has been declared a subject of the usurper, and as it seems from the communication addressed to him on the 23d September aforesaid, of which I send copy, in which is granted to him the right to hold the offices reserved to the natural-born in the national territory, he has been appointed in addition, by the usurper, honorary councillor of state.

These facts indicate clearly what are the objects and the tendencies of the agents in Mexico, and I doubt not the government of the United States will attribute to them the importance they deserve.

I avail of this opportunity to renew to you, Mr. Secretary, the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.

M. ROMERO.

Hon. William H. Seward, &c., &c., &c.

[Enclosure No. 1.—From the Mexico Times, September 23.]

COLONIZATION OF PUBLIC LANDS.

It is our pleasing task to state that the following gentlemen have been appointed agents of colonization by the imperial government: Señors Sterling Price, late of Missouri; Isham Harris, late of Tennessee; John Perkins, late of Louisiana; W. T. Hardeman and Roberts, late of Texas.

Señors Price, Harris, and Perkins left this city on the 19th instant for Cordova and the region of country bordering on the “tierracaliente.”Señors Hardeman and Roberts left on the 20th instant for Tepic and the country bordering on the Pacific. Their duties are to examine the lands offered for colonization purposes, and to make their report to the proper authorities as soon as practicable. We look forward with the greatest interest to the report of these agents. They are men of the highest respectability. Their statements can be implicitly relied on. We beg our friends who have come to Mexico with the intention of seeking homes to wait with patience for the result of the labors of these gentlemen. We assure them that the government will act in the most liberal manner, and that in a very short time they will be amply repaid for the delays and privations to which many are at present subjected.

As Abraham said to Lot, the “whole land is before you where to choose,” therefore be not impatient; God in his providence has so arranged it that you all will have good and comfortable homes in the dominions of the best of emperors. In a few weeks the report of the agents of colonization will be received, and good lands in healthy districts will be appropriated to every one who wishes to become a citizen of Mexico.

[Enclosure No. 2.—From the Mexico Times, September 30.]

American arrivals in Mexico.

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Names. When arrived. Residence.
Sterling Price August 9, 1865 Missouri
J. B. Magruder August 5, 1865 Virginia
Isham G. Harris August 9, 1865 Tennessee
E. Clark September 3, 1865 Texas
Trusten Polk August 9, 1865 Missouri
Jo. O. Shelby September 3, 1865 Do
H. W. Allen July 28, 1865 Louisiana
H. Denis do Do
W. A. Broadwell September 7, 1865 Do
M. F. Maury June 1, 1865 Virginia
J. Perkins August 9, 1865 Louisiana
Heber Price do Missouri
H. M. Duncan do Do
J. P. Tucker do Do
W. T. Hardeman August 20, 1865 Texas
H. P. Bee August 20, 1865 Texas.
M. W. Sims July 22, 1865 Do.
George Young August 20, 1865 Missouri.
R. J. Laurence August 29, 1865 Do.
C. G. Jones do Do.
J. N. Edwards do Do.
D. C. Cage August 9, 1865 Louisiana.
W. Yowell September 3, 1865 Missouri.
George Hall do Do.
F. M. Kephart do Do.
R. A. Collins do Do.
Y. H. Blackwell do Do.
J. Terry. do Do.
J. Moreland do Do.
T. Boswell. do Do.
W. J. McArthur August 20, 1865 Do.
J. C. Wood do Do.
Ras. Woods August 25, 1865 Do.
M. M. Langborne do Do.
F. T. Mitchell and family July, 1865 Do.
Señor Wood and wife do Do.
D. W. Bouldin August 20, 1865 Do.
S. Hunkel August 9, 1865 Do.
J. Beard do Do.
W. Skidmore do Do.
H. Thomas do Do.
C. M. Wilcox July 16, 1865 Tennessee.
R. Joseph. September 3, 1865 Missouri.
T. Weston September 3, 1865 Louisiana.
H. B. Acton September 3, 1865 Missouri.
J. Donahoe do California.
I. Reed. In San Luis Potosi Virginia.
T. J. Divine In Monterey Texas.
J. Brown September 3, 1865 North Carolina.
Señor Conrow In Monterey Missouri.
Señor O’Bannon In San Luis Potosi South Carolina.
Señor Kiminel August 9, 1865 Missouri.
D. Leadbetter do Alabama.
S. Gregory do Louisiana.
Señor Thompson do Texas.
H. T. Chiles and family September 11, 1865 Missouri.
M. L. Kritser do Do.
J. S. Kritser do Do.
T. Whalen do California.
J. M. Meador do Missouri.
T. Collins. do Do.
W. Fell do Do.
B. F. Jones do Do.
J. B. Kirtley September 3, 1865 Do.
J. D. Conner do Do.
G. M. Winship do Do.
J. Ward do Do.
E. Lilly do Texas.
N. T. Fincher September 11, 1865 Do.
H. McNamee September 3, 1865 California.
R. J. Flynn do Louisiana.
R. H. S. Thompson August 6, 1865 Do.
Señior Bartlett do Mississippi.
G. Mitchell August 9, 1865 Missouri.
J. N. Lane do Do.
B. H. Lyon August 20, 1865 Kentucky.
J. J. Gaenslen do Virginia.
T. C. Hindman September 10, 1865 Arkansas.
J. H. Brown and family September 12, 1865 Texas.
J. Brown. Do Do.
P. M. Brown do Do.
H. C. Cook do. Do.
Richard Taylor August 25, 1865 Kentucky.
O. M. Watkins August 8, 1865 Louisiana.
T. C. Reynolds do. Missouri.
A. Ridley do California.
E. Kirby Smith July 17, in Cuba Florida.
J. N. Martin July 25, in Cuba Missouri.
E. G. Walker do Do.
T. O. Moore July 25, in Havana Louisiana.
W. Preston July 25, in Canada Kentucky.
Señor Roberts August 25, 1865 Texas.
Alfred Mordecai July 18, 1865 North Carolina.
Frank Moore July —, 1865 Alabama.
A. W. Terrell July 17, 1865 Texas.
George Flourney do Do.
Señor Lougnemare do Do.

MORE SOLDIERS FROM FRANCE.

Troops are arriving in our city daily direct from France. On yesterday a battalion of Turcos marched through the streets, exciting the admiration of all. They are a fine body of men, well drilled, and inured to every hardship and to all climates. We noticed they were commanded by native officers.

[Enclosure No. 3.—From the Mexico Times, September 30.]

GENERAL PRICE’S EXILE.—HIS EMPLOYMENT AS AN EMIGRANT LAND COMMISSIONER.

The Noticioso, of Vera Cruz, extracts the following from the New York papers:

The Brownsville correspondent of the New York Herald writes that from a conversation that took place between him and a confederate officer he learned that General Price, of Missouri, had taken service under Maximilian, who authorized the general to recruit a cavalry force of thirty thousand men from the late confederate army. He also learned that several other prominent rebels had received kind favors from the emperor, whose intentions are to collect a force of at least one hundred thousand rebels in less than one year in order to face General Sheridan on the Rio Grande.—La Sociedad.

[Enclosure No. 4.—From the Mexico Times, September 30.]

IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRANTS INVITED.

Open wide the doors to immigration. Encourage by the most liberal policy good citizens from Europe and the United States to come and settle upon the wild and uncultivated lands, and soon there will be seen an industrious and thrifty population, who will fully appreciate their new homes, and be ready at all times to defend them against domestic or foreign foes.

Mexico, September 30, 1865.

His Majesty the emperor, being desirous of giving a signal proof of his estimation of the distinguished merit and eminent qualifications which adorn Don Mathew Fontaine Maury, and acceding to his application, has been pleased to concede to him papers of naturalization as a Mexican, with all the enjoyments and privileges which appertain to Mexican subjects, including the right of holding the public positions and employments reserved to those born on the territory of the empire.

The chief of the bureau of accountability in charge of the chancellorship,

IGNACIO M. DE CASTILLO.