Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-05-27
1TYB SANTA ANNA THEAs0N. sFs
CHARACTER AED- DESIGNS.


urcay, and ere constrained TO invite our CIT
zens 10 thoughtful consideration Of IT'S devei
op,renfs. We extract IL from the regeis
Washington correspondence OF that journal:
Victory round on every side and not croI
OF comfort. Peace 10 apparently as far Oh a
ever. We shah. for want OF power TO 'rea
with. be obliged 10 keep possession OF good
Nv portion IL the conquered territory. and 4
fortify and bold all the strong places 10 GU
hands.
with the defeat Of Santa Anna. my hop,
OF peace is considerably diminished, Tor how
ever strongly the opposition press may hav.
rallied against what what il was pleased TO cal
"tbe passpor, granted to tina, chief" certain II i
hat oar bes, hopes Of peace rested on him. and
that nothing but the impossibIlity OF sustaining
himself in Mexico, has thus far baffied his ef-
forts 10 make the Congress agree TO the propo
siiion vi our government 10 send commission
Z ers.
THE tone of his warlike dispatches was
from the commencement forced upon by the
circumstances in which he was placed, and
perfectly understood here by the President and
his Cabinet. Santa Annals only hope OF sue
cess consisted in frs; satisfying the national va
nifty of his countrymen, or awaiting himself oil
some lucky accident, TO turn, for moment,
the fortunes of war, and 10 improve that mo-
ment for concluding peace. He came very
near such chance at Buena Vista, but the
battle of Csrro Gordo has put an end TO his
prospects, and with them, TO our calculation OF
peace from that quarter"
1t is our first duty TO inquire the source OF
these terrible developments of most fearful
and disgraceful Treason for unless this be the
mere Authorizations Of lunacy, or the idle slam
ders of print wholly out Of the pale Of credit,
there is that in il which demands attention.
We assert that il is of source worthy OF
grave consideration, one Immediately connec-
ted with this administration. The correspon.
dent of the Ledger is known to be property
Of this administration--an ultra Locofoco. Ii
! is known that lie is in the confidence OF the
Government, especially Of the State Depart
ment, and that he has repeatedly been made,
in advance Of the press, the organ of Its d.
judgements 10 the public. We cannot, there
! fore, and we do not doubt, that in the above
communication he has given faithfully the
views of the administration.
And this belief is rendered the more conf
dent by knowledge, that the President. in his
annual message admitted the existance Of an in
trigue with Santa Anna. He did this--enough
of itself TO cover the government and the coun-
try with shame, and 10 rouse every honest
heart in our confines to mutiny and rage; but
he did more-he recognized still continued
connection, and promised, even then, that San
ia Anna would yet procure us peace. Let
this be remembered in conjunction with the
other facts.
To effect this purpose, it was necessary that
Santa Anna should be upheld in Mexico
The alliance demanded that the two Presidents
should sustain each other. To give sclat to
the Mexican mscreant, and to enable him to
carry out Folks designs, victory was neces-
sary. Read the above letter, and say what
were Folks purposes:
"The tone of hs"-Santa Anna's--"war.
like dispatches was, from the first, forced him
by the circumstance. in which he was placed,
AND PERFECTLY UNDERSTOOD
HERE BY THE PRESIDENT AND
HIS CABINET" "AND CERTAIN 1T
lis THAT OUR BEST HOPES OF
PEACE RESTED UPON HIM." "He
came reru near such chance at Buena Tista,
but the battle Of Ccrro Gordo has put an end to
hi. prospects, and, WITH THEM, TO OUR
CALCULATION Of peace. from that q,arier."
Such is the language of the administration.
We will .lot pause to characterize policy SO
dark, so reasonable but will proceed 10 prove,
by facts, that the plan of the administration
was, as here indicated, to give victory to
Santa Anna, in order that he might, to use
the words of the writer quoted above, "turn
the fortunes OF war and improve that moment
for concluding peace"
| At time when il was known, when it was
communicated by Gen. Taylor TO the admin
! stration, that Santa Anna was gathering
large force, at San Luis Potosi. of from 80 to
10000 men, the government withdrew from
him, without notice or explanation, the main
part of his force, including nearly all his regu-
lars and his best officers. He was left in
state of apparent helplessness; and that, too,
in the face Of an army four times his number.
What was the object of this? An attack up
on Vera Cruz. But why was not Santa An
na al Vera Cruz? Why did he leave the
door Of Mexico open, and prefer TO attack
detached force IN an extreme section oil the re-
public ? And when SO unexpectedly repelled
-("he came very near such chance al Bue-
ma VISTA" saws the administration writer quo
ted above why did be make what his coun-
rymen believe TO have been but feint at Ger
! 70 Gordo
/ Whether or not, authority, this letter singu-
| larly chords with the facts. 1t explains the
withdrawal of Gen. Taylor's force, the orders
gwen 10 HltI 10 ItlIe dilOtu OdHtd Ailud
a triumph over every post this side Of Monte
rey bathing the country in the blood Of the
gallant American volunteers who occupied it,
Il acknowledges, in the most distnc, manner,
that the intrigue with Santa Anna has been
continued to the present time. IL expresses
with horrible frankress, regret that Taylor
and his little host were no! sacrificed at Buena
Vista.
The charge Of a reasonable conspiracy be-
tween the Presidents of the two countries, is
recognized IN both. The Mexicans believe
that Santa Anna is traitor in the pay Of Mr..
Polk, and seek his life. The treason, If it en-
lists, is equal on the part Of both the contract
ing parties. II is crime which the country
can never, BY false clemency. pardon. He
who stamps brand upon the brow OF the Re-
public, by such crime, is worse felon than
any in her dungeons.
"Our best hopes Of peace rested on him"
Santa Anna. There was then no trust in the
patriotism OF the country, in the valor Of our
army, orin the 6rmness of our government
"Nothing bu, the impossibility Of sustaining
himself in Mexico has thus far haffled the ef-
forts to make the Congress agree to the propo-
stion Of our government" The whole war
has then been game played between two
dark political gamblers, who. understanding
their mutual policy, have played into each
otharS, h,odS Ard uhat nf ,ha tho,,.rde