The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-21
For the Union.
CHAPPORAL.

| In the "American" OF Tuesday last, published IN
Baltimore We find paragraph credited to the Phll.
adelphla United States Gazette, and headed with
this word, "Chapporal." IL is described as a nr,r
t0Ord, and processes to explain its meaning which
we are told means thlcket composed Of the "mus-
quit bush matted pit zines We are then informed fur
Their, that the country between the Nueces and the
Rio Grande Is $50 miles wide, and is without grass
| or fresh water.
There is much error, the effect Of ignorance or
misrepresentation, which we hnd from day 10 day
m our newspapers in regard to Texas, Mexico,
Mexlcans, and the seat of war; $50 called, that one
IN the least acquainted with the people and the local
| ties, reads such publications with amazement that
persons will write totally ignorant Of what they
write about, or 80 impudenuy misrepresent what
lapse of ten days will serve to contradict. The
critical and dangerous situation of army Is de-
scrbed in Jeremisds from day to day in the opposi-
ton newspapers, and the guibility of some OF the
independent presses has been practsed upon to join
Ia the cry, for the purpose of camonng against the
| administration and abusing the President The
author of the present communication processes TO
know something of the people and the country re-
ferred to, one Of any observation may be supposed
| 10 do who had been actually engaged in the rang
ing service Of Texas for more than four years and
he says that all alarm for Gen. Taylors safety may
be Dismissed hat his numerical strength without
the reinforcement of single man is sufficient %
drive Arista and Ampudia across the RIO Grande,
Or to cut them up whenever he chooses to make the
ettempt and if himself attacked, Ia matter very
doubtful,) the enemy will be repealed with
effort. Let this prediction be borne in mind, and
mark It's verify as the next accounts from the army
arrive. IL was prudent in Gen. Taylor TO call for
reIniorcemens, because, the blow having been given,
and the blood Of our people shed on own
territory, retaliation should be exacted for the
Insult and the wrong; and that retaliation should he
something more than merely to drive these semi
barbarians from soil. They should be pursued
beyond the Rio Grande and taught to feel that the
day has gone by when Mexlcans may rob and muir
der the people of the United States with impuniiy.
The massacres Of the Alamo, the Mission, and Fan
ming and the defamation Of the Mier prisoners is yet
to be atoned for and every well regulated patriotic
mind hopes that the time has arrived for liquidsting
the heavy debt Of blood and plumber accumulated
| against Mexico.
| The Great Frederic regarded it as one Of the most
dangerous Of military errors TO Inderrate your
enemy and every one will admit the sound sense OF
the rule. II is right, therefore, TO provide far
practicable for "makng assurance doubly sure" in
all our operations against Mexico and il the war is
carried within its territory, TO do so with force in
number and supplies that would enable us to march
to the capital Unnecessary. For this purpose IS 900
men will be amply sufficient and although it might
seem wId insane, TO deliver an opinion that IS 900
may traverse a distance OF 900 TO ] 100 miles
through an enemy's country numbering a popula-
ton OF 8, 900, 900, yet when you to the fact,
that the people at large feel interest in the gov.
to the different estates Of the great propretors, in
Hungary and Russia, and subjected to absolute
very Us the villens OF the feudal ages is
no loss to estimate the small interest felt by such
population for the defence of the country. Hence
have that in every great crisis Of that govern
nent, even after the defeat and capture of Santa
Ana in Texas, when every passion APP
pedled TO, and every motive urged, in behalf Of
the country, and their imprisoned idol, not single
company Of volunteers could be raised. So much for
their patriotism How is it as regards their effcien
| cy when under arms? They of The worst speciss
of militia, with this difference: that, in addition to
the absence of all military knowledge the part Of
the officers, the men-,he rank and ile-are unac-
customed to the OF firearms. Ii is the policy of
the present government in the days of the regal
| government, to disarm the whole population. Not
| a man in Mexico, except the military, il permitted
| to keep gun! and you may find thousands, hum
dreds Of thousands in Mexico, Of more than middle
age, who had gun in their hands. Hence in
all their civil wars you few killed in battles
where there are engaged ten thousand men. Along
With the ignorance of the of firearms, is the
| want of confidence in him in whose hands il is
placed; and you account fr the panic and dsper.
sion that forever ensues brisk charge made against
any body Of Mexican troops. My life on il that
General Taylor defeats and dis;,erses the whole
| Mexican force now embodied against him, If they
dare to attack him, or If he should decide to attack
them.
One word about the ehapperai which led to this
communication. 1t is, the paragraph declares, a
nsc ,rord. There is one word as old the Spanish
language which nearly resembles it, ehaparral,
which means literally "a plantation Of evergreen
oaks" or thicket of evergreen trees. A thicket,
| in Spanish, is, foreaa boque-nlonie espeso. True
| il s that the Mexicans call all the thickets in the
vicinity of the Rio Grande "chaparral," luna cha
parral;" but these thckets are not composed OF
''musquit bushes matted with vines" There are no
vines to be found in the country between the river
| - i Il = -, ,,h
OF the water-course called sometimes Colorado Chico,
| or Little Colorado, and sometimes Sal Colorado.
The writer is in equal error as to dstance for, in
stead of one hundred and fifty miles, there is no
point between the Nueces and the Rio Grande where
the distance is greater than eighty miles, and gene
rally less; from San Parlcio to Comargo, it is less;
from the Nueces to Laredo it is less; from the Nue.
ces to the Preside, it ia less And the is still
greater where the writer describes the country
destitute Of fresh water and grass; on the contrary,
there the finest pastures of the musquit grass that
were ever behed and fresh water in abundance, ex-
cept the Matamoras road after you pass the ran
cho of San Gertrudis.
In subsequent communication will endeavor
to exhibit the in regard to what is said to be
the true boundary Of Tsras not only according to the
| opinion of the Spanish government whilst Mexico
| was under Spanish dominion, but the opinion Of
Mexico itself since obtained independence indi
Gated in its colonization contracts and other public
documents as DEGREES of Congress, proclamations,
&c &c, without adverng to the claim by conquest
set up on the part of Texas, and maintained up to
the period Of annexaionso as to silence all cavi-
ling with regard to the claims of Tamaulpas, Goa
hula or chihuahua, to the territory east Of the Rio
Grande, and ives, of the Nueces, il it be possible to
silence faction by appeal to fact.
A WESTERN RANGER.
n5-The preceding communication is written in
the masculine style Of the Western Ranger, and pre-
sens some interesting views Of the theatre of war.
He is confident in the chivalry and the success of
General Taylor and his gallant corps. We sympa-
thze in his hopes and his confidence. The Next
cans win soon feel to their cost that they have
reused the lion. Let them beware of his fangs.-
UNION.
For the Union.
WYE LA BAGATELLEl
GREAT ATTRACTION! Desperate risairy"
Under which king Bezonian"