The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-11-12
Santa Annals Pass.
Correspondence ofMe Baltimore Patriot.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 271846


The New Orleans Tropic and the United
States Gazette are discussing the grave and
important question involved in the free pass
OF Saata Anna and Almonte, the present Gen.
eralismo of the Mexican army and the Presi-
dent of the Mexican Republic, through the
American blockade into the port Of Vera
Cruz. And well may those, and all other
patriotic Journals, discuss a matter of such
great import, and expose, if possible, the true
facts IN the case. The matter cannot be too
seriously reflected upon by the whole Ameri-
can people.
Santa Anna was an exile, residing at Ha-
vana. He had been banished from his coun-
try because he was a tyrant, and had tramp
led the constitution Of his country under his
feet. lie had impoverished the Mexican ma
ton, but so managed his operations as to make
himself the master and owner of untold rich
es. His conduct towards the Texans richly
entitled him to halter, land which would have
graced his neck in 1886 but for the unac-
countab'e leniency of Gen. Sam. Houston
All Texas abhorred him, and all the United
States ought to have done so. No man who
cherished the least respect for those brave
Texans who were slaughtered at the battle of
the Alamo and at Goliad, or lost their lives
IN the Mier expedition, could ever for mo-
ment trust or put confidence in the treacher-
Gus Santa Anna. How, then, came he to
nave nave a free pass through our squadron into
Vera Cruz?
Who counselled it Was it Senator Hous-
ton! He has had the credit Of planning and
advising the whole procedure. II it was his
work-if he prevailed upon Mr. Polk to en-
ter into an intrigue with Santa Anna, where
by the latter could take command of the Mex
lean army, and make his friend and our bitter
enemy, Almonte, the President of that Re.
public, then let the world place to his account
the credit OF infamy Of such advice. If it
was not done through his advice, then let his
SKIRTS be free from the imputation.
But the act was done. Santa Anna, AL
monte and other distinguished Mexican Off
GERS were granted free pass through our
blockade into the port Of Vera Cruz,and now
Fhey are at the head of the Mexican Republic
and It's army, are raising a new force of thir-
t. thousand troops to march upon our army,
anu are declaring vengeance against the u
nited States
WHO aided them in getting into the high
places they now occupy. and from which thew
issue such laundering pronunciamentos a.
gainst our army and our people Who did
the deed? BY achoSc order were they allowed
to pass into the port of Vera Cruz This is
ne question, and it must be answered
L have been reading various accounts of
the dreadful mortality of our troops on the
hlo Grande. 1t is shocking to think of. I
hnd In the Alabama journal of the 2lst inst.
q letter from one Of the volunteers of that
state, dated " Camargo, September 29th" in
Whlch the writer says: From actual calcu-
latlon, more than one thousand men have died
upon the banks Of the Rio del Norte, to say
nothng OF the immense numbers that have
Deem discharged and sent home in lingering
condition, many Of whom will undoubtedly
never recover. The Alabama regiment alone
las LOST one hundred men, which is one in
ten, and all this, too, in about three weeks.
think these unfortunate men should be held
III as patriotic and kind remembrance by their
countrymen at home as if they had falen in
battle, which would on many accounts have
been far preferable" " Most of
our regiments are cut down now from three
TO five hundred men, when all started with
more than nine hundred" Speaking of the
battle OF Monterey, the writer of the letter
says: Tennessee and Mississippi are covered
"ith wounds and covered with glory. The
tennessee regiment is literally cut up, having
lost over one hundred and thirty men in the
charge, and having only about three or four
hundred at the commencement"
STILL tURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE
GALE IN TIE WEST INDIES. The hurri-
cane commenced about twelve o'clock on the
10th, and was at its height at nine o'clock on
the llth. The captain of brig, whose name
we did not learn, died on the 13th from
wounds received during the gale.
During the hurricane the city was danger
Gus, from large sheets Of lead and tile pots
blown down from the tops of houses; these
lay about in every direction, and were in
many instances carried by the wind to a great
distance. The air was filled with dense
clouds of spoon drift" or salt spray, which it
was impossible to face. This spray was car
rled for half league into the country and del
uge9 the houses, entering every crevice and
flooding the streets. The surf and spray was
seen to dash high over the lanterns Of the
Lighthouse on the Moro Castle.
The wharves presented the most disastrous
pectacle-ships, barks, brigs and schooners,
some crowded on top ofothers, three tier deep.
sunk, wrecked, dismasted, or totally crushed
to pieces, with the owners, captains and sail
ors gazing upon the scene of destruction
Some vessels known to be in the harborprevi- |
GUS to the gale, have disappeared, and their
fate lett to conjecture. As nothing could be |
seen furIongs length, owing to the showers
of spray and drift which filed the air, and as
the wind blew nearly into the harbor, they
could not have gone out, but the sad spectacle |
of masts spars yards, and pieces of wrecks
which strewed che harbor, proved that they
must have drfted into each other and sunk or
gone to pieces. The numerous men of war
were driven ashore and dismasted
1t is not known how many lives we're lost
but bodies were seen floating in the harbor in
the different dresses Of 9eaEen il the naval
and merchant service