The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-24 00:00:00

THE SUN,

How tame, then, and inglorious will seem the record
of the victory so purchased ; how terrible, then, will
be the thought that thousands in a similar condition
were " left upon the field !" Much in like manner
is it with the records now before us ; how many will
think upon the 1,250,000 children " who have never
attended any day school," and mention the number,
perhaps, as a startling fact or a striking truth, just
as they would talk of so many thousand acres, or of a
similar amount of taxes. Let them but descend to par-
ticulars, and endeavour, if possible, to think what a
life they must lead who are so " totally ig-
norant of the merest rudiments of knowledge."
What a blank must be their minds! how desolate
their hearts I Not desolate, alas, but full of vicious
propensities. It is unnecessary, however, now to
dwell upon a picture so gloomy ; a reformation has
commenced, and however small and apparently trivial
it may be, we nevertheless hail it thankfully.
There is one plea, be it observed, among the many
myriads in favour of education, which is certainly
most impressive and most forcible. It is the thought
of the future—a thought which in important matters
is too often wanting. In trifles it is otherwise. Who-
ever planted a seed without thinking of the flower,
or an acorn without foreseeing the oak-tree ? Who-
ever lays the first stone without some thought of the
edifice ; or the first plank without anticipating the
ship ? Happy, were there a similar calculation
in all circumstances ! Let us look onwards,
therefore,—let us imagine a hundred years to have
elapsed; the grass to have grown over our heads,
a new generation to be occupying our places. Let
us think of this ; let us—
" See a bright race our spacious courts adorn,
See future sons and daughters yet unborn,
On every side in crowding ranks they rise,
Demanding life, impatient for the skies."
The chief elements of human nature have been per-
haps always much the same, in different countries,
yet what amazing changes may be effected in the temper
and conduct of an individual, and in the general cha-
racter of a nation ! Let us but continue to contem-
' plate the subject, let us but comprehend the reality,
and how awful does the responsibility not appear 1
We lament the errors and sorrows of the
present day, errors perhaps too great for reparation,
sorrows two deep for remedy ; but let us not, while
lamenting the past, and, perhaps, grieving for the pre-
sent, forget that the future, in a great measure, is in
our hands. " The youth of a nation are the trustees
of posterity," said the eloquent author of Coningsby ;
let us confide to these trustees the precious deposit of
a religious and liberal education; let us store their
minds with ennobling truths, and their hearts with
Christian sentiments, to be by them transmitted to
that future generation which we shall never behold,
but which shall thus have cause to remember us with
gratitude and benedictions.

The news from America, just received by the ship
Rainbow, which sailed from New York on the 3d
instant, is important and interesting. The papers
furnish us with more detailed accounts of the belli-
gerent operations under the auspices of the American
Generals SCOTT and TAYLOR. The former had landed

12,000 men within three miles of Vera Cruz,
and succeeded in completely investing the
city and castle. This result was accom-
plished without any difficulty worthy of no-
tice. A few skirmishes took place between the
opponents, and nothing more. Of these, however,
the Americans give us a most inflated version, selon
leur regle. They anticipated a speedy surrender on
the part of the besieged, than which nothing is more
likely, seeing that from the first the Mexicans have
made it no part of their policy to offer any stout re-
sistance to the capture of Vera Cruz. We have
copies of General TAYLOR'S dispatches, three in
number, dated the 24th and 25th February and the
Ist March respectively. The first was written at
Buena Vista, the second at Saltillo, and the last at
Agua Nueva. From these we have the General's
own account of his engagements with the forces under I
SANTA ANNA. He estimated his own loss at not less
than 700 men, which he describes as " very severe."
It appears that SANTA ANNA left Agua Nueva on the
27th of February, in the direction of San Luis Po-
tosi. General TAYLOR had decided upon resuming
his head- quarters at Monterey, evidently with the
apprehension that his line of communication to the
rear remains exposed to interruption. He admits that
he has already suffered some distressing casualties from
the arrangements which the Mexicans had made to in-
tercept his retreat, in case they had forced the strong
line he had occupied in front of Buena Vista, where
the greatest amount of slaughter occurred. It is
evident that when the Mexicans were repelled in their
attack, on the 23d of February, great as might have
been their loss, their rout could have been nothing
like the account given of it by the Americans, as
contained in the former advices brought by the Hi-
bernia; since, in General TAYLOR'S own dispatch
from Saltillo, he admitted the possibility of the at-
tack upon him being renewed, which he stated he
was prepared to receive, should the " main
Mexican force" venture to make it. Moreover,

the respective armies had, at that time, just
effected an arrangement for an exchange of pri-
soners, which is an additional reason for excepting to
the exaggerated representation which was made of
the total discomfiture of the Mexican troops. It re-
sults from the intelligence under review, that General
TAYLOR'S position is still beset with difficulty. With
respect to Vera Cruz, nothing will be gained by its
acquisition, seeing that the climate of itself would
decimate the Americans, far more effectively than
the hostile use of the implements of war. Indeed,
so much is this dreaded, that General SCOTT, after he
shall have obtained possession of the citadel, will, it
is believed, immediately consign it to destruction.
A reconnoitering squadron will then, it is thought,
be appointed to prevent the Mexicans from again
availing themselves of Vera Cruz during the con-
tinuance of the war.

The accounts from Ireland are still in the highest
degree gloomy and unfavourable. Pestilence is
raging throughout the land, and cutting off its vic-
tims, who, weakened by the destitution and the in-
sufficiency of wholesome food during the winter and
spring, have little strength left to enable them to re-
sist its ravages. Many in a more comfortable situa-
tion of life, who have had ample supplies of food at
all times, have also perished under the fierce attacks
of the prevailing malady. No class is spared, the
highest and the lowest are alike sufferers—magis-
trates, clergymen of every sect or denomination,
landed proprietors, and farmers, are in turn afflicted, j
as well as the half-starved labourer. Typhus broods
over the entire land, and whole families are swept
away under its fatal influence. Indeed it could scarcely
he hoped that something of the kind would not take
place from the neglect of the ordinary rites of sepul-
ture that has too frequently occurred. Bodies
have been suffered to remain unburied for days and
weeks; coffins have been dispensed with, and many
huddled into one common grave, with scarcely a
covering of sods. In Westport we read that no less
than fifteen corpses were cast into a hole in a sandpit
without a sufficiency of earth to cover them. Equally
harrowing accounts are received from other parts of
the country.
While such things are tolerated or permitted, how
can it be supposed that the public health can be
preserved ? The atmosphere is tainted, and malaria
engendered on every side. Surely it is time that
boards of health should be established in every dis-
trict, and means taken to counteract, as far as prac-
ticable, the fearful scourge. The necessity of State
interference respecting the sanatory condition of the
people has now been fully recognised. An impor-
tant measure is at this moment before the Legisla-
ture, by which the most efficient means will be
adopted to preserve that greatest blessing, health,
and to do away with the causes by which it may be
impaired or deteriorated. If such a measure is im-
peratively demanded in this more favoured country ;
if a general feeling in its favour is prevalent,
surely a tenfold necessity exists for some energetic
steps being taken on behalf of unhappy, plague-
stricken Ireland, which has been reduced to the con-
dition of a pest-house. It may be impossible at once
to subdue the disease, but every exertion should be
used to arrest its progress, and to abate its
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