New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-05-23
Which way. Iamesf

Now that we have been plunged into war, and
the Executive has proclaimed deternination-in
the spirit. If no; in the let.er-to "reve. in the
halls Of the Montezumas," may We be allowed 10
inquire by what route our army is to be conducted
thither7
We have opposed this unholy war from the De-
ginning. Our weak voice has not been beard.
now too late to stay bloodshed it may NOT Dc LOO
late TO prevent carnage.
Troops are concentrating at Aatamoros, Win tne
ayowed Intention of invading Mexico ana Pene-
,rs,ipg to its capital city. In few weeks ao'ooV
Americans will bivouac on the Rio Grande. Who
:. the author of these movements? The President
of course. Does he understand the geography OF
Mexico IL he aware that but one road leads from
Ma,araoros 10 Mexico that tina: road is thousand
miles in length tha. it is crossed BY thousand
tarrancas, some Of which hardly practicable TO
the surefooted male that thousand carbines in
the hands Of desperate men viii be eveled to dispute
every inch Of the way? And finally, that on this
journey-perilous even TO the peaceful and well
equipped neutrality-suspicious. enough could not be
found 10 save hundred men from starvation 7
How then is army of thirty or forty or fifty thou
sand men to reach the city Of Mexico by way OF
Maiannoros7 Jew weeks since, and it was a very
common thing to hear the declaration, that 10000
Americans could march trirmphantly from one end
of Mexico TO the other. Lately we have become
less sanguine--5O,0 cO have been called oui-and 1t
is even doubtful matter. whether 10000 may ac-
complish the desires CT our Executive:
They will not should they invade Mexico by
vay of Matamoros Why, one C,erro on this route
which must be climbed I,he range San Amonomicsl
il barely practicable for mules-is is ascended by
eight short and desperate windngs-a narrow
path---from which the traveller LOOKS beneath with
fearful dizziness, hundreds and hundreds OF feet
through empty space. None bu, mule,eers can travel
these fearful geLorados without feelings of terror
Imagine 10000 soldiers winding up such de-
clivi,y as this is hardly practicable were there
no enemy TO oppose their ascent. What then; can
our $4,000 volunteers reach Mexico by this route
Yes they may-pinioned az prisoners, and instead
of revealing in the halls of the Montezumas" wear
ing the Jewels of the Mexican hierarchy, they
may stand chance of wearing more ponderous
"jewery'' in the palace. prison Of the Acordsda
But suppose Mexico is invaded by way Of Tam
pico-this route is equally difficult with the Mata'
moros road, and joins the latter at the town OF
Salielie.
Vera Cruz. then. is the only other road which Is
practicable from the terra caliente to the table lands
of Mexico This road can be travelled by four
wheeled carriages. and is in fact travelled BY regular
Yankee" stages manufactured in the town of
Troy.
But what would be the chances of an invading
army? There is one pass between Jalapa and
Perote-the Barranca Secca, which might be de-
Tended by FIVE hundred resoute men against twenty
times their number Who knows that this pass
may not become modern Thermopyle
Let our Government then take heed. We have
never yet tried our strength beyond our own boun-
daries that we have not been defeated7 A good
cause ony-the cause of freedom-can nerve the
heart and the arm Of the freeman Without this
both are feeble-both may be paralyzed.