Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-10-03
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.
New ORLEANS, SEPTEMBER II, L


known whether Mexico has declined our offer and is
unwilling TO receive Minister from the United States
or not. II is said here that the Princeton, which
arrived few days since at Pensacola, brought the
reply of the Mexican Government to our PROPOSE
tion and all the private letters received here from
Vera Cruz and the city of Mexico unite in saying
that our offer has been politely declined the rea-
son assigned is, that the Executive Government do
not feel authorized to act, and that it rests with the
/ Supreme Congress, which does not meet until De-
cember. t
When Mr.. Polk, upon his own responsibility,
brought on this war, wrote you that neither the
Administration nor thepeople were of the job
they had undertaken. The former have found out
the secret some time since, and the people are find
ing il out very rapidly, and, before many weeks or
months have elapsed, will have their eyes very iu-
ly opened the subject; probably there is no man
in the country 50 heartily sick of the war, or more
sincerely DESTROYS to get rid of it than Mr.. Polk
and never was an Administration placed in such a
j false position as he is at present When he COM
menced it he thought he could swallow up Mexico
| at single mouthful that, SO soon as she heard of
the $4,000 volunteers and all the regular army, she
would cave in at once, and sue for peace any
terms instead of which, after we have spent mil
military force on her frontiers, ready to advance
from different points into her territory, and covered
| her coasts with our feets-whilst the cloud of war
has thus gathered and ready to burst upon her.
we offer to treat and 10 send Minister for the pur-
pose. She very coolly says, III so many words, to
US, :" we are very sorry you tired fthe
war we very comfortable ourselves; il has thus
| 8 far done us no injury, created any extra ex-
/ pense, and beg leave to decline receiving any Min
-.
she cannot be struck in vital place; the natural
obstacles of the country and the total absence or
limited nature Of the supplies will prevent large
army from penetrating to the capital, near to it,
and the plan of doing so from the Rio Grande is
peculiarly absurd, even if it were to succeed the
distance is double what il is from the seacoast.
Gen. TAYLOR will no doubt reach Monterey and
will find city of non-combatans, and the object of
the campaign no further advanced than at Mata-
moros. We may take some of their seaports, but
that is of no material consequence, as Mexico has
but little commerce, and none thai is Of any advan
tage to her, it is all done by foreigners, and in
foreign ships and as to taking possession of her
frontier towns or provinces, II Is very acceptable
to the inhabitants, as our army, by their immense
expenditure, is enrching the country by consuming
every thing they furnish, and paying four
/ prices for every article As TO the manner in
which the thus far has been conducted, utter
i
ed all the arrangements connected with il here at
home and has consequently had corresponding
effect the condition and movements OF the army;
and in nothing has there been grosser more pable
errors than regards the means of transportation,
and volume might be filled with details. At this
moment our levee is incumbered with wagons in
tended for Gen. Taylor's army lying day after day,
with all their fixtures, exposed to sun which raises
the thermometer to 1902 and mules bought in the
/ Wao,a nd hero py.
pense, being shipped by vessels which receive
1000 to $4,000 freight for the run down 10 the
Brasos Santiago, carrying 100 to $50 mules each !;
many of which perish on the voyage from want of
proper care, and the usual risks of sea voyage,
and one half Of those landed will die from not be-
| ing accmated One of these transports recently
embarked 1877 mules here and landed %, the re-
mander died or were thrown overheard in gale
and all this is done when far better, more servcea-
bic and acclimated mules can be bought there at
$25 each. All this, however, is but mere item in
comparison with other arrangements and particular
ly with the arrangements connected with the inland
expeditions TO Santa Fe &c.
| The following anecdote, among other things shows
what were the views and expectations of the Gov
eminent To the present field officer of the
army, now with Gen. TAYLOR, told me, when pass
| ing through here, that he was in Washington last
spring when the first news arrived of hostlies and
i
he was conversing with prominent member of
Congress, the chairman of an important committee,
which brought him in constant and confidential
communication with the Government, Of which he
was ardent political supporter, and this officer
was stating his views to the most effectual plan
for prosecuting the war against Mexico and, after
he got through doing so, added that if this plan
was followed he thought the war might be brought
to close by January next. "Jd,udryr said
the chairman in reply, and with much astonish-
ment " why, sir, if we cannot close this war by
Juiy, the sooner we buy off Mexico the BETTER
/" Well, SIR" said the officer, if such are your ex-
pectations, the you begin to get the money
ready TO buy her off the better"
/ You will have seen from the public papers the
dreadful ravages that the worm is making on the
have never placed much faith in the annual cry OF
short CROP but this year there is no doubt " the
wolf has really come, least so far as this district
4 of country and Alabama are concerned, and will
make most material reduction in the receipts olc
ton at New Orleans and Mobile Another very UNI
favorable circumstance is the backwardness Of the
crop, which is three TO four weeks behind last sea-
son. AT this date last year we had received 35, 900
bales of new cotton here and up to this day we
have thus FAR received only $500. The crop in
the Atlantic States learn is very good, and with
out injury.
The long continued wet weather had most iuu-
rousy affected the cane but since six or eight DAYS
the weather has been remarkably fine, and will have
a most beneficial effect towards repairing previous
injury In business we are Of course very dull at