The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-06-01

Mcxico-The Army and Navy.
Noaccurate estimate can be made of the standing
army of Mexico. In $780, it consisted Of about 40 900
men-commanded by fourteen Generals of div-
sion, and twenty-three Of brigade. The Mexi-
cans can now probably bring an available force
of $4,000 into the field. large proportion Of this
force consists of Indians, impressed from the
mountains These Indians generally make lazy,
indolen, and inefficient troops, and cannot be
lied upon in pitched battle. They are useful
only in skirmishing. The nucleus of the army
consists of veteran troops, hardened by toll and
exposure in camps, and by constant military prac-
tee
But, perhaps, the most formidable portion of the
Mexican army are the rancheros-the Arabs of
Mexico. These rancheros wild, wandering
race, half Indian, half Spanish, who live almost
entirely ia the saddle, and who, by their wander
ing, uncertain mode of life, constantly exposed to
hardship and privation, acquire great hardness
and muscularity of frame, and capabllity of
enduring almost incredible fatigue. What time
they do not end in the saddle is spent in miser-
able huts, scattered about in the chaparral. They
are employed in time of peace in hunting the buff
falo and wild horse. Their principal means of
support is derived from the flesh of the buffalo,
and the sale of its hide. They catch and bring
them to the earth with the asso, which they use
also in warfare. BY means of this instrument,
IT is said, they often break the most compact
column of infantry, passing the instrument with
great dexterity, the heads of the foremost
soldiers, dragging them out Of the ranks and thus
forming gap for the entrance of their horses.
In time of war, they are armed with lsng spear,
ornamented with strip of red bunting, or fan
ne together with the long Spanish knife,
and pistols without number. Their dress consists
of leggings of buffalo hide, sandals of the same
material, and coarse blanket, with hole in the
centre, to admit the head to be thrust through.
This falls over the shoulders, and is tied with
girdle. broad leafed coarse straw hat completes
their costume. Their horses are as wild and
hardy as their riders Their evolutions in the field
or on the prairie, are executed with inconcevable
rapidly One scanty meal day serves them the
year round, and they can endure hunger for a
long time. They will venture into any danger in
pursuit of plunder; but Notwithstanding their
great bodily strength and hardness, and their ex-
pert horsemanship, they cannot be made effective
in pitched battle, in consequence of the entire
absence of discipline that prevails amongst them.
The regular force of the Mexican army is COM
Us
heavy armed infantry; light and heavy armed
cavalry; battalion of sappers, and an engineer
corps.
Among the most prominent Of the Mexican
Generals are, Santa Anna, now in Punishment
at Havana; Almonte, now, probably, prescribed,
Qatey appointed as Minister to Spain;) Bravo,
who is in command at Vera Cruz; Arista, in COM
mand of the army on the Rio Grande; Ampudia,
second in command under him; Paroles, the Pre-
sident, now on his march to the seat of war; De
la Vega, prisoner at New Orleans; Meiia, who
is in active service; Valencia, of whose wherea-
bouts we are at present in ignorance; and Here
ra, the old man lately deposed by Paredes OF
these we shall give detailed account in a future
article.
In the recent conflicts between our troops and
the Mexicans, the latter showed a bravery and
determination that entirely refltes the statements
OF most OF the travellers in that country who have
represented the natives cowardly and inert in
the last degree, and as incapable of standing be-
fore European or American force. The bravery,
skill, and discipline of our forces has been stri-
kingly apparent in the late actions of Palo Alto.
and Resaca de la Palma; but had the Mexicans
been the towards they have been generally repre-
troops for five hours, even with their great nu-
merical superiority. Among the Generals, Bra
70, Arista, Paredes, Mejia, and others, are brave
and experienced officers.
The navy of Mexico consisted, in 1910, Of 3
steam-frigates, 2 brigs, schooners, and 2 gun
boats This force has since been considerably
increased, but it is AT best very inefficient. the
forte oil the Mexicans evidently not lying in that
arm of the service. This is owing, mainly. TO the
fact that they have been generally at peace with
foreign nations, whilst they were constantly en-
brolled in civil wars ut home and their commerce
has always been SO limited as not to require the
maintenance of large naval force establishment
FRAUDS on THE REvENUE.-Infonnatio has
lately come TO our knowledge that shows plainly
the frauds committed on our revenue, and the in
justice done the Southern sugar-raising country,
to an extent that calls aloud for rigid and exact
investigation by the Secretary of the Treasury
Although the duty on foreign sugar is two and a
halt cents per pound, the planters of Louisiana
md II impossible to compete with the planters
OF the West Indies. Notwithstanding the differ
ence in favor of the American sugar. the New
York market is glutted with West India .uc,r
that is sold at less price than what il can he nro.
duced for at the South. The wav in which
il is managed is this. The West India plant
ers manufacture for this market immense
quantities of molasses, which is subject 10
duty of only five cents per gallon. Some Of
the planters, indeed, convert the products OF
their estates into this article exclusively, find
ing 1t easy in this way to elude the tariff,
and undersell the planters of the South. Each
gallon OF this molasses, or concentrated syrup, as
u Is called, can, within few hours after its re-
cePt IN New York, be converted into eight or nine
pounds oil excellent sugar by the sugar refincrs-
This concentrated cane juice leaves the West In
dies under certificate OF the IT, s. Consul. that
the article is nothing but molasscs, or the drain
ings of sugar-which is not the case, for many of
the planters do not manufacture single hogshead
of sugar in the course of a year bur dauo.a Ill.