Democratic banner., 1847-03-08

sacrifice CT lie: ani witt nnr limited tra.u
jof heavy OF hatt"riHg artillery, IT would
have required twenty or tpcntv-G,c days
to take II by regular approaches.
That they should have surrendered =
place nearly as strong IS Qaebec, we'll fer
titled under tie direction Of sLilful cnci.
neers-tisIr works garniShcd with forty
two pieces of artillery, abundanlly supplied
with ammunition, garrisonea bv 100 rrgn.
lar and 1000 irregular troops, in addition
to Some thousand citizens capable of, and
no doubt actually, bearing arms, and aid
ing in its defence-to an opposing force of
half their number s~cantily supplied with
provisions and with a light train of artillery
is among the u~naccountable occurrences
of the times.
am decidedly opposed to carrying the
war beyond Saltillo in this direction, which
place has been entirely abandoned by the
Mexican forces. all of whom have been
concentrated at San Louis Potosi; and |
shall lose no time in taking possession of
the former, as soon as the cessation Of hos
~tilities referred to cxpires-which l have
notified the Mexican authorities will be the
case Oh the l3t'! Instant, by direction of the
President of t"e United States.
If we are in the language of Mr.. Polk
and General Scott under the necessity Of
"conqueringa peace" and that by taking
the %caoitol of the country, we must 60 to
Vera Cruz, take that place and then march
on the city of Mexico. To do so in any
other direction, I consider out of the ques-
ton. But, admitting THAT we conquer "A
peace by doing so-say, at tic end # the
next twelve months-will Ike amount If
blood and treasure, which mus be expended
in doing so, be compensated hy the same.'
| think t-espe cially if tie country we
subdue is to be given NJ: and ! imagine
there are but few individuals in our coun-
try who think Of annexing Mexico to the
United States.
do not intend 10 carry on iny operations
as previously statedl hcvnnd SaltilIo.-
decming it next to i:Epractica5ic to d. So.
1t then becomes a question as TO wia' :
best to be done. !; serms II M. Tie res;
judicious course to n" pn.>.rt on oar p2rt,
would be TO take possession at once. of IL
line We would accept by urgo'ia'.nn cvt~ud
ing from the Gull of Mexico to the Pacific.
and occupy the same, or keep what We a.!
ready have possession of; and that, wit
Tampico, (wl:ich ! hope to take i'll IT,
course Of the next month, or as soon as
can get the means Of transportation. } Wi
give us all on this side of tie Sierra Madre,|
and as soon as | occupy Saltillo will in
clude six or seven States or provinces, thus
holding Tampico, Victora, Monterey, Sal
tillo, Monclova, Chihuahua, (Which l pre-
General Wool has possession Of by
this time, } Santa Fe and the Californias,-
and say to Mexico, "Drive us from the
country" Throwing on her the response
bility and expense of carrying on offensive
war,-at the same time closely b~lockading
all her ports on the Pacific and the Gulf.
A course of this kind, if persevered in for
a short time, would soon bring her to her
proper senses, and compel her to sue for
peace,-provided there is a government in
the country sufficiently stable for us to
treat with, which, l fear, will hardly be the
case for many years to come. Without
large reinforcements of voluntee rs from the
United States-say, ten o. fifteen thousand,
{ those previously sent out having already
been greatly reduced by sickness and other
casualties } l do not believe it would be ad-
visable to march beyond Saltillo, which is
more than 200 miles beyond IL dePOts on
the Rio Grande,-a very long line on which
to keep up supplies lover a land route in 9
country like this for a large force, and Ger
tain to be attended with all expense which
will be frightfult to contemplate, when close
ly looked into.
From Saltillo to San Luis Potosi, the mex