The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-31 00:00:00

' Ter, blic, find federation have been my
liberty, the'
cause I am going to defend, not to forget.
cause ; this
To this my I 10w.,t, m 7 blood is to be devoted.
' of the enemy is inscribed, "To
o
Upon the iia11,967.‘
II • ' order that our country may
.
Conquer or L 'le, =a - ea:ise, of our race may
be indepencler,t, that Ow
to this fatal inscrip
triumph, it is nt ‘c i
essary to onos6 sary that our arms
tion F i
orce and L berty; tZS neces..
should thrust fortl i the enemy from os ur territory, and
‘lem upon the
that our institution s should restrain te. .
frontier. Destined to a permanent n.valry, it is
necessary, in order to Atruggle with them, that we
.
.s i
become great and strong- by that power whichFui7
the universe--the power of democracy and 6%."'". i
zation.

In accepting I. owes I have sworn to defend 0i.73
Independence and our Institutions. The oath is
sacred. The nation can confide in my loyalty and
my honour. But these are not sufficient to save us;
the situation is difficult, Midl should not have con-
sented to accept the Government, had I not hoped to
be able to unite all our efforts against the common
enemy. Independence demands the co-operation of
all Mexicans, the sacrifice of all animosities, the
exercise of every virtue, the exertion of all our
energies.
Let the nation rise up united ; let it enter upon
the struggle with the vigorous enthusiasm of the
days of Independence ; and then the Vandals who
have threatened us shall repent of their rash iniquity.
Victory will crown our exertions, and we shall
speedily have nationality assured, a name worthy of
respect, a permanent existence secured. If, in the
hour of danger and sacrifice, we imitate only the
lofty virtues and the indomitable valour of our fathers,
Mexico will be saved.

PEDRO MARIA ANAYA.

Meixco, 3d of April, 1847.
Santa Anna himself issued the following address
before proceeding to take the command of the army
against Scott :
_ _

Address submitted to the Supreme Congress by his
Excellency the President of the United States of

Mexico. -
" Excellent Sirs—Absent from my country, the
first tidings of the reverses of our country in the war
with the United States of America reached me, and
I at once felt a strong desire to return to the Re-
public to comply with the duties which were due by
me, as a Mexican and as a soldier. The errors of an
ill-omened Administration caused its fall; the revo-
lution which caused it turned its eyes towards the
exile, opened to him the door of his native soil, and
implored his assistance. That voice reached my re-
treat—it made my heart exult, as I only belong to
my native country. I hastened my departure ; I re-
sponded to the call that had been made upon me, and
I kissed the shores of Mexico with the enthusiasm
of a devoted son who returns to the embrace of his
mother.

"On my landing at Vera Cruz, I addressed my
fellow-citizens, stating to them the conduct I intended
to pursue. I assured them that the object of my re-
turn was not to seek power; that I merely wished to
combat internal foes ; and that, free from ambition, I
did not return to live. in ease and pleasure, but to
submit to all the rigours of war. My actions have
borne out my assertions. I refused the Presidency,
which was repeatedly offered to me. Without losing
a moment I marched to San Luis to prepare every-
thing for the conflict which was about to take place,
and whichl expected would humiliate the pride of the
invaders.
"In that city I established my headquarters. I
worked without rest in order to unite the elements
necessary for the prosecution of the war, bifc this de-
manded time ; everything was to be done, everything
was to be created, and even the most trifling wants
were opposed by every possible obstacle. Notwith-
standing, the months which I passed at San Luis were
not lost. I raised as by enchantment a brilliant and
numerous army, such as had not been seen since the
days of our glorious independence. The troops
were instructed and manoeuvred daily ; a plan of the

campaign was projected, showing every probability of
our ultimate triumph ; the soldiers were inspired with
a spirit of enthusiasm which, far from fearing the
moment of danger, were anxious for the encounter
with the enemy, sure to teach him to respect and
fear us. If under these circumstances we could have

relied upon the necessary supplies, the advantages of
our position were such as to give us a certainty of
success, but I am sorry to confess it, we were in
want of the first necessaries of life. Willingly would
I avoid blaming the Government of the time being,
on whom must fall the responsibility of the past, did
not imperious necessity oblige me to touch upon so
delicate a subject.
" The situation in which I was placed was ex-
tremely critical. It was rendered indispensable that
the army which I commanded should meet the enemy,
and the complete destitution under which I suffered
offered insuperable difficulties. It is notorious to the
nation what means I used to obtain some money,
and the extraordinary efforts to which I was forced
to have recourse, in order to save from starvation and
nakedness the brave men who obeyed my command.
It is a flattering consideration to my heart that at
this critical moment I had to pledge my fortune and
that of my family. But what matters the loss of
either if the nation was rescued by its use ? These
considerations induced me to go to battle, which I
will not call a sacrifice, as I know no sacrifice when

my country is concerned, but merely to prove that I
am always prepared to expose in its defence what-
ever belongs to me—my quiet, my health, and my
earthly possessions.

" Having finally assembled all the troops with
provisions for twelve days, I started from San Luis
to meet the enemy at the head of valiant troops, in
search of death or victory, and in the midst of most
frightful misery, which failed to dishearten them or
shake their discipline. Their conduct in the battle of
Angostura was such as might be expected from them
—their valour and patriotism are entitled to the
highest consideration, and above all praise. The
daring of the soldiers during the combat can only
compare with their endurance while crossing the de-
sert, with their resignation under the want of food
and raiment, and with their patience when suffering
by the wounds of ball and knife, inflicted by the
Americans. without any medical attendance. If it
be true, as has been asserted by Napoleon, that the
first quality of soldiers is to support fatigue and
privations, and that valour is only the second quality,
then the Mexican army has proved in the memorable
expedition in the month of February that it is not
deficient in either.

" Although for the reasons which I gave in my
official dispatch, I could not pursue the enemy. I
had concentrated my forces in such places as offered
some prospect of subsisting the troops, in the hope
that the moment would shortly arrive when we could
consummate our triumph. Such were my intentions,
which I could have carried into effect had it not been
for the news which I received of two important
events :—First, the danger with which Vera Cruz
was threatened ; and, secondly, the revolution which
had broken out in the capital, and which obliged me
to change my plans. The first showed me the neces-
sity of sending assistance to Vera Cruz, one of the
keys of the Republic, as its garrison having nothing
to sustain it but their heroism, could not hold out any
length of time ' • the second, informing me of a pro-
nunciamento by which, to the scandal of the world,
Mexicans were going to destroy each other, when
the foreign enemy was threatening their independ-
ence from all sides, forced me to fly to the rescue to
re-establish public order and tranquillity. To meet
these two evils, of eqeal importance, it became neces-
sary to return with the army to San Luis, whence
I ordered a respectable division to proceed to Vera
Cruz, while I proceeded in person to put a stop to
civil war. Men being irritated, the passions being
excited and warm from the shedding of blood, there
were few means to choose in consolidating a peace—
there was but one, for me to take charge of the
supreme power, occupying that seat to which the
confidence of the representatives of the people might
call me, and to which a respectable majority of the
Congress did since appoint me. To have vacillated
under such circumstances would have been a crime.
On this account I yielded to necessity, and assuming
the reins of Government, I succeeded, by tbis costly
sacrifice, to put a stop to the fratricidal contest which
was dividing us.
But, consistent with my principles, the submission
which I made in taking charge of the first station of
the Republic ceases as soon as the exigency which
called it forth has passed. Order being re-established,
internal peace having been conquered, my
.filling the
eminent station of President would be a violation of
the most solemn and sincere promises I ever made. In
the face of the nation and of the whole world, I have
stated that I am determined to fight the usurpers
of our soil as long as there is the print of their foot
left on our sacred soil. My sentiments, in confor-
mity in every respect with my pledges, separate me
from the Government, and call me to the army, and
in obedience to both I have determined to march this
week to Vera Cruz to take charge of the military
operations, under the belief that the decree of the
Government giving me the command of the army
still in force, but if it should have expired I suppli-
cate cate most earnestly that it may be renewed.
Theh -
o f e
whichn se fervour , a."
; tehvi es
I
andste of Vera C
which
Ilove Cruz,
intense
y
tinhcep lace state
of my nativity, is invaded by the forces of
the foreigner ; its sufferings cannot be indifferent to me,
because as a Mexican I feel the misfortunes of every
State, and doubly of that
State where I first saw the
light. The Supreme
Congress must be convinced
that by every title it is necessary that I should march
in order that the Republic mayy
see me redeam
pledges, and that the army, whose faithful and -inse-
parable companion I am in all its privations and dan-
gers, and that finally my country may receive a new
proof that I am always willing to sacrifice myself to
their service.
Before concluding, I think it my duty to state
clearly and openly my opinion respecting the war
which we are maintaining. To no man is it given to