Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-03-26

X
ter Of General ODonoju to the Spanish
+ Secretary of War, of which we promised
to give translation. 1t is very inter-
i estng paper. But there are others not
less so, of which also we shall endeayor
to give our readers an account -.
MAJ. Intel.
Official Report from his Excellency General
O.Donoiu to H. E. the Minister Of War.
"My letters ofthe Slst ofJuly and 18th
current, which had the honor of adj
dressing to Y. E. must have excited the
compassion of II. NJ. for the state in
which l found this kingdom on arriving
at Vera Cruz. My situation there was
the most difficult that ever public func-
tionary was exposed to, the most critical
and the most desperate: neither in mill
tary force, in which was deficient; in
public opinion, which was decided and
pronounced against me; or in time, for
every thing was done, could ! find clue
for exlricating myself from this labyrinth,
which fate had conducted me into
/ After cnumerating much personal dis
tress and embarrassment, the General
. proceeds t4
In all the provinces Of New Spain, in
dependence had been proclaimed all
the cities had thrown open their gates,
either by force or capltulation, to the de-
tenders of liberty. There was an army
4 Of $4,000 men, OF all arms, organized
and discip lined, an armedpeople, amongst
whom liberal ideas had been most pow
erfully propaganda, and who recollected
The weakness (Which they qualify by
other names other previous governors,
directed by men OF character and talents,
and chief at the head ofthe army, who
| knew how to excite them to enthusiasm,
who had gained their confidence and at
fcctions; who had always led them TO
victory, aud who had in his favor all the
Vaccinations which usually surround he.
roes: the European troops were desert
ing by bands, seeking and fading en-
ployment with the enemy, the officers
/ doing the same--in this, following the
example which had been set them by
their chiefs; Vera Cruz, Acapulco, and
Pirate remained, but the latter had en-
gagged to capi,ulate when the capital
should do SO, aud the former without
Notifications capable fresisting a siege j,
Iwithout a sufficient garrison, with thou
/ sands of partizaus Of Independence with
in her walls, and the interests of the
neighborhood in opposition. Mexico
still remained 10 US; but in what state !!
i The Vice Roy dcposed by his own troops,
who by that act had forfeited every claim
! to coincidence, their number not exceed
ling, 1880 Europeans, with about asma-
| ny more natives, Including regulars, pro-
viacials, and city guards; myself besieg-
ed from the moment put my foot on
.tsnore, without correspondence with the
interior, without provisions, without mo-
iney; the provinces in that state Of dis
+, order and impoverishment which is ma
turally consequent to an intestine war oil
! this character; : the hands required by
agriculture and the arts called off to bear
arms, and with them to cause dis
astcr and devastation; commerce para
8 lyzed; the treasures of Europe amount
ing to many millions of dollars detained,
some in Mexico, others in different parts
of the kingdom, and all without the pos
4 sibility of arriving into the possession OF
their proprietors, thus running the for
: tunes Of thousands Of opnlent families OF
this and that contipent---a ruin which
! would be felt by Spain for ages In such
! a situation, and without instructions from
the government applicable TO the case, ]
resolved to re-embark and return to the
peninsula. But it distressed me to think
Of abandoning TWO great nations thus to
|. their fate, and revoked in my mind in
! cess s,tlya thousand ideas, without being
!, able to fix upon any ono. That Of ncgo-
tiation appeared to be the only one prac-
ticabie. Bat with what hope could I
Halter myself Of obtaining any thing adj
outrageous to my country? Who is ig-
} norant that a Degociator without force is
| in the prcdicaMenso Of agreeing to what is
! proposed to him, rather than Of propos-
! ling what may bc-the advantage Of the ma
Etion he represents? Nevertheless, l de-
tcrmined to ny this extreme, and in eff
j feet prepared the public mind for it by
my proclamation Of the Sd Of August,
J, which threw QUITO do what it COULD
). Itwas not seen with displeasure, though
4 bitterly criticised by some writer's and,
as soon as it appeared to me 70 havesuf-
liciently circulated, Isent to the supreme
I, chief Of the imperial army two ,nessen-
/ gers with letter, in which Iassured
him Of the liberal ideas OF the govern