Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-11-06

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lowed to pass quie'ly, peaoeably, and lovingly
through the American feet, and land IN Mexico I
to take command Of her forcesl While this in
rigue was going on, Gen. Taylor was beyond
doubt advised by the Government Of what the
President expected, and he was, of course, not
at all hurried in his movements.
In the mean while, about three weeks since,
the President became fully aware that his in /
uigue with Santa Anna had failed of the expect |
ed results. He accordingly started up, in great
surprise-an internal exclamation "Perfdious
Mexicansl Warl War" The result of this
determination of Mr.. Polk and his advisers was
orders to Gen. Taylor TO hasten his operations,
and march boldly forward.
But about the time this change was made at
Washington the army had reached Monterey,
and the bloody battle there was fought and won.
The commander, Gen. Taylor, knew nothing of
this change, and Of course thought that the ar
mistce he had made was the best step towards
peace. While his messenger is carrying the
news ofthe battle Of Monterey to Washington,
the Presidents messenger is carrying him fresh
orders to advance into Mexico, and hasten ac-
tive operations. These messengers probably
crossed one another.
In the mean while the Union continues to
say that the war is TO be carried on more active
! ly, and the advance into Mexico continued. If
/ this be the case, the volunteers not yet called
into service must be ordered to Mexico, and
very much larger supply Of substance provid-
l ed.
As TO the Armistice, its terms cannot be vio-
lated with honor. The words are, no advance
shall be made within "eight weeks or until the
orders or instructions" Of the respective Gov.
ernments are received. Now, this does not re-
fer to the orders then on the Day to Taylor, but
to those he should receive from the President
after the latter had received his Dispatches
Five or six weeks must therefore elapse, after
the battle of Monterey, before any advance
could be made by the army.
This is the present state Of things.
4 In order to give the reader clear idea Of the
chief danger to the American army, and the
= main obstruction in the way Of their march to
Mexico by their present route, we copy the fol-
! lowing extract from the Cincinnati Daily Chro-
f nicle, whose editor mr. Mansfeld) was former.
7 ly, if we mistake not, an officer of the United
9 States army:-Nat. Int.
] "We assume that Gen. Taylor Is at Monterey.
S lfthere has been a battle we have no doubt he
9 has been victorious. We have none of the
! doubts which appear to be felt in some quarters
0 about the dangers and difficulties Of the army
. The army is able to take care ofiself, so far as
: battles are concerned. That is not the difficulty.
The difficulty is the length of the line Of opera
tiOnS, and every step into that difficulty. The
reader who has never thought Of military matters
will easily perceive the truth ofthese facts:
~. An army must be supplied with provisions
from lis rear. In the present instance there is
no prospect of getting provisions from the Mexl-
cans. The country through which Gen. Tay-
lor is to move is thnIy populated and poor.
The supplies Of the army must be derived from
New Orleans. The line of supply is, therefore,
an immense one.
'2. A train Of baggage wagons may be cut off
by very small party Of men. A guerilla war.
fare adopted by the Mexicans would be the most
elleclua one.
; "3. 1t follows from this that Gen. Taylor
cannot safely leave any part of his line Of supply
beyond the Rio Grande uncovered. 1t is not q
case in which a Spartan band are simply to cur
their way through an enemy's line. tits a case
in which a large part Of the army must be con-
tinualIy engaged in getting supplies and defend.
ing them. Every post and every town General
Taylor conquers, then, must be defended by
troops left behind. At every step he advances
then, his army is diminished and the difficulties
of supplies increased.
with this general view Of the case, let us
see what sort of a journey, in distance and coun.
try, lies before Gen. Taylor.
From Satillo, SOUTH to Mexico, there is a
t road, but it is the only continuous road passing
in that direction. The distances on that road
as follows: