SMUGGLING. 319 
No one who has resided any length of time in Mexico, either connected 
or unconnected with commerce, can fail to have heard of the extent to 
which smuggling has been and still is carried on in the Republic. This 
infamous system, alike destructive of private morals and public integrity, 
has become a regular business in portions of the country, and, after hav- 
ing been, to a great extent, suppressed on the Eastern coast, has for several 
years occupied the attention of numbers on the West. Mr. McClure* 
calculated that the Republic possesses " a frontier of five thousand miles, 
including the sinuosities, windings, and turnings of bays, gulfs and rivers 
on the Pacific ; three thousand miles on the United States of America and 
Texas ; and above two thousand five hundred on the Gulf of Mexico ; 
making, in all, ten thousand five hundred miles of frontier to guard 
against illicit trade, without an individual on the one thousand two hundredth 
yart of the space to give notice of any depredations that may happen." 
Now, although the estimate of this philanthropist may appear rather 
^■anciful, when we remember, that wherever there are smugglers to intro- 
c^uce it is probable that there are individuals to receive, and consequently 
.hat the Government might be protected ; still it is undeniable that the ter-' 
ritory is vast, the population sparse, and the corruption of government 
agents has been as shameful as it was notorious. Facts came to my 
Knowledge, while a resident in Mexico, which proved, beyond question, 
this immoral tampering, and went far to implicate men of rank and capa- 
city in the country. I forbear to detail these occurrences here, but I have 
the documents, in writing, under the attestation of an individual who was 
approached by one of the vile instruments in the deed of shame, and I 
feel perfectly satisfied of their unexaggerated accuracy. I do not men- 
tion this circumstance, for the purpose of reflecting on the existing Gov- 
ernment ; but simply to direct the attention of such Mexicans as may read 
these letters, to a frightful evil, the extirpation of which will at once in- 
crease the financial resources of the country and improve the morals of 
their people. It may be urged, perhaps, that it is impossible to correct 
this maladministration ; and, I confess, there appears to be much force in 
the remarks which I subjoin, from the author I have just quoted. At page 
292, of his " Opinions," Mr. McClure observes : 
" In the comparatively limited frontiers, a;nd crowded population of the 
European monarchies, with their hundreds of thousands of soldiers and 
officers of the customs, it has been found impossible to prevent smuggling, 
with all its attendant crimes and corruptions. What hopes, then, can a 
small population scattered over so extensive a surface, have, that a reve- 
nue will be collected, even if it were probable in the present state of 
morals to find honest collectors ! It would be contrary to all former 
experience and analogy, to expect anything else, in this country, than a 
gradual diminution of the revenue, in the ratio of the organization of smug- 
gling. All additional guards or officers of the customs, would certainly 
•Vide McCIure'g "Opinions." 
