The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-19 00:00:00

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AMERICAN AFFAIRS.-
NEW YORK, MARcu 31.—Although it is a. 'early two
years before the Presidential election takes plac e,yet the
campaign has fairly opened. The Charleston (South
Carolina) Courier has commenced a defence of Air_ Cal-
houn, and assails in no measured terms the Washi.nsiton
Union and its editor. The South Carolina paper
charges Mr. Ritchie with abandoning the true into ,rests
of the south, and with succumbing to northern inert
with northern notions and feelings on the question o
slavery.
Mr. Calhoun is calling (in a speech recently made)
upon southern statesmen to organise and unite on the
existing topic of slavery, which he conceives vital to the
slave-holding population. On this ground he thinks the
Presidential question should be fought. In the speech
referred to he denounces a "caucus," or convention, hell
for the purpose of nominating. a candidate for the office
of President. Whatever may be said of Mr. Culhoun's
views on other subjects, his remarks in relation to party
couveutions merit calm and serious deliberation. They
never fail to exhibit a scene of low intrigue, and some-
nines the most profligate and audacioes corruption. I
regret
to add, these charges are not exclusively confined
to ne political party.
The Union, Mr. Pelk's mouthpiece, replies to this
assault with great bitterness. lie insists upon a con-
vention to designate the candidate of the party, and is
prepared to expel as an unbeliever an-i a heretic the
man who does not sustain and bupp,,rt the usages of the
particular. It is very generally
u
believed that Mr. Calhoun is determined
party,der aawnoddtahaisdusafe in
ton be a candidate for the Presidency at the next election.
If he consents to go into the convention, he will bo
bound by its proceedings,
are given to him, h
ve and noeand his matter
friends will what pledges
or assurances
Mr. Calhoun understands.
Hneevitottieodwds down.
This
cheated.
M
Mr.
astirct)hneg
chaoapdeisd
aatne dorexthpeecptaatliacones.
that ens Bentona bee nsteelretentiends
the view of promoting that darling object he
struggled so stoutly to obtain the command of the
army. There are, however, so many obstaclesin the
way of Mr. Benton's ascending the throne, that I con-
sider the attempt as visionary, and unworthy notice.
The aspirants in his own party are numerous, while the
feud between Beaton and Calhoun is violent and uncom-
promising.
The Whig party have made no movement as yet indi-
cating whom they would prefer as their candidate for the
office of President; but there is no doubt a very large
majority of the Whigs would prefer Henry Clay. if he
could be induced to permit his friends to use his
name for that office, which is very doubtful. K
Clay seeks retirement, and while he enjoys the society
of his family and his friends, he delights in rural pur-
suits, and the cultivation of a superb farm of which he
is the proprietor and the occupant, having settled on it
some thirty years or more, when the surrounding
country was a wilderness.
In a few days (the 12th of April) Mr. Clay will
be seventy years old. He possesses a robust consti-
tution, and is in most excellent health. His friends
in this city are making the necessary arrangements for
a large and splendid feAival in honour of his birthday.
There is no doubt it will be well attended, and probably,
by some of our most distinguished statesmen from adja-
cent states. As he advances in the number of his years,
the respect and esteem of his countrymen appear to
grow stronger, while the asperity of party is daily be-
coming more subdued, losing its bitterness, so far as it
applies to him.
We have recently experienced a tremendous gale of
wind along our seaboard. As far as we have heard,
the disasters have been numerous, and we have reason to
apprehend that the loss of both life and property will
prove great. _

The exciting topics in this city are the Irish suffer-
ings and the Mexican war, but especially the latter.
On Friday last the Government ship the Jamestown,
Captain Forbes, cleared at the Boston Custom-house for
Cork, and sailed on Saturday. She is loaded with sup-
plies for the relief of the Irish sufferers by famine.
About the 20th of the present month we had rumours
of a great battle having been fought between Santa
Anna and General Taylor, but no details. Rumours,
however, were rife that the Mexicans had been repulsed
with the loss of 4,000 or 5,000 men, and that General
Taylor had sustained a loss of from 1,100 to 1,700 men.
On the 23d the National Intelligencer published a call
from Colonel Curtis, of Ohio, on the Governor of Loui-
siana for 10,000 volunteers, to be dispatched to the seat
of war with as little delay as possible. This requisition
bears date, " Camargo, March 2, 1847." and states
that all c"minunication has for several days been cut
off between Camargo and the army above" (General
Taylor's army).
From the 23d of March to the present day we have
had nothing hut the most contradictory reports and ru-
mours, without one line that can be considered official,
or that can be relied on.
On the 26th of March the Intelligencer received, via
New Orleans, advices from Mexico to the 27th of Fe-
bruary; they annonnce a revolution in the city of
Mexico. Gomt7. Farias has been denounced, and Salas
chosen in his stead. Santa Anna, according to the ac-
cc-nuts, retains his power and influence. The Intclli-
gcncer publishes a letter from New Orleans, from which
the following is extracted:—
" We have two days later frown Brazos, but nothing
later from the army—nothing further, from the enemy
being near to Matutnoras, which is considered safe."
• • • . . We have to report, via Tampico, of a
battle, and that Santa Anna was repulsed. The report
is without any just foundation. Every one is on tiptoe
fur further ativices. God send they may be favourable."
If you should receive a dozen letters, you will pro-
bah:y receive a doz n different rumours and 0R61,1,m,5e
111-1- - AIM". 11811,1.6, 1111,11 great a;
on both side-% The Mexicans, however, are much the
greatest sufferers. In my opinion, their force nas at
least double, perhaps three times the number of Gene-
ral Taylor, who has probably retreated to Monterey,which lie is perfectly able to hold until he receives rein-
forcements.

General Scott, before the date of this letter, has pro-
bably attacked and captured the city of Vera Cruz and
the Castle of St. Juan d'lilloa. This opinion is univer-
sally entertained by the best-informed men in this place.
Between the friends of General Scott and General Tay-
lor there is some unkind feeling, in consequence of Scott
withdrawing from Taylor his most efficient troops. All
parties unite in condemning the President and Ida Ca-
binet for leaving Taylor in a defoneeless state.
Times. A GENEVESE TRAVELLER.

EXECUTION OF CATHERINE
FOS TER FOR POISONING HER HUSBAND
THREE WEEKS AFTER MARRIAGE.—HER
CONFESSION.
BURY ST. EDMUNDS, SATURDAY.—The wretched con-
vict, Catherine Foster, condemned to death by the Chief
Baron Pollock at the late Suffolk Assizes, for the murder
of her husband three weeks atter marriage, by poisoning
a dumpling with arsenic, expiated her dreadful offence
this morning on the scaffold adjacent to the county gaol
in this town.
Those persons who have perused the evidence adduced
at the trial have doubtless been at a loss to conceive the
motive that could have induced her to destroy her hus-
band, whom she had apparently loved from a child, and
now that her life has been justly forfeited to the law, and
her confession is published to the world, it will be found
that it contains nothing that can be construed into a
motive, and the reasons, therefore, which tempted her to
commit the murder must remain enveloped in mystery.
Earnest were the solicitations of those whose duty it was
to attend her after her condemnation that she should
di% ulge the whole of the facts connected with the crime
for whice she was about to suffer; hut although she made
a frank avowal of her guilt, she studiously avoided allud-
ing to any circumstance which might It ad to the motive
for which she perpetrated the horrid deed.
Thu following is a copy of her comfession:—
" Bury Gaol, April 12, 1947.
"To the Governor,—First of all I must confess th .1 I
am guilty, and very guilty of this awful crime, and well
deserve the death that I am condemned to die; and as
I am soon to stand before my Heavenly Judge,
Iwish to speak
poisonspeaktt the shop of Mr. 11. Ely,
truth. I am sorry to say I
bought
chemist, Sudbury, three days before I mixed it in the
dumpling which I gave to my husband. It was served
to me by a young man in the shop. Mr. Ely was not
present ; had he been present he would have known me,
as I had been frequently at his shop on errands for my
mistress when I was at service. The act was entirely
my own. No person persuaded me to it, and my mother
had no knowledge or suspicion of it. I had no cause for
complaint against my husband. He was always good
and kind to me, but I never had any affection for him,
and wished to go back to service. Ido not wish to live,
for I never could be happy in this world, and I hope,
through the merits and blood of my Saviour, and a sin-
cere repentance of this and all my sins, to obtain for-
giveness of God, and to be received into Heaven. I die
at peace with all, having no complaint to make of any
witness that appeared against me on my trial, and full of
remorse far the crime which brings me to this premature
death. I wish to express my grateful thanks to the Rev.
W. West, the chaplain of the giatolv;
i‘tihre REe.vr.eMrfo.rOttthleyi•,
heir
my parish minister ;
I have received
hope and consolation from their in-
great attention to m_yaleitderntialel inttre.st, 'and) for' the spiri-
tualons and admonitions, I should wish Mr. Eyre to
sattendtruc ti
me in my last moments, and earnestly request
nCht y'ek
rr Te
, finnEa
Igovernor.ll llelsl leave
FOSTER.
N,e
that ho will do so.
(Signed)
onWTitnheusriseadayb):-heJ.tollok:;
mother ; and on FirrihdoayniatsheVecsotn:dernned soef r hineorn aged
mother; and on Friday the condetnixed sermon was
preached by the Rev. Mr. Eyre, from the 32d chapter of
Numbers, and 23d verse.
This morning the clovvd assembled to witness the exe-
cution was very great ; at nine o'clock the number of
persons could not have been less than 10,000. A few
minutes before nine o'clock, the High Sheriff and Under
Sheriff having arrived. proceeded with the ether autho-
rities to the cell in which she was confined, when she
walked with a firm step anu unsupported to the drop,
where she stood unmoved. The preliminary arrange-
ments having been completed, the signal was given, and
the drop fell. The body, after hanging the usual period,
was cut cl,wn and interred within the walls of the prison.
rhe last execution of a female in this town was 47 years
ago, for setting fire to her master's house.

CHILD Dnorrtsc.—On Saturday information was
circulated that on Thursday evening a fine female infant,
apparently about a month old, was picked up near the cellar
door of No. 6, Raymond's-buildings, Gray's Inn. There
had, however, evidently been no intention to destroy it, for
it was well wrapped up in a calico gown, foldcd in several
~hawls, flannel, Sm., and there was soma sugar in its mouth.
lt had on a nightcap marked H." Tito poor little thing
has been ever since in the care of the zardsner's wife, 124 E"
Authorities of Gray's Inn have offered U. re7r2.7.11 fur the
cowry of the persons who deposited it wipre it W‘Zi