Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-10-16
WASHINGTON.
!. Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and
inseparable."
SATURDAY, OCTOBER le, ls47.

The intelligent Washington correspondent of the
Philadelphia Ledger has shown himself to be gene
rally well advised of the motives and purposes of the
Executive Departments, Notwithstanding that the
cognised organ, the Onion, mot willing we suppose
to brook any rival near the throne attempted shake
his credit. We accordingly look with interest to his
letters as the best, indeed almost only clue have
to Cabinet counses in these troubous and critical
times. At this moment, especially, when the plans
and purposes of our Government in relation to this
most unfortunate and exhaustng Mexican are
of so much moment to the country, we turn with
eagerness to whatever can throw light upon them.
Looking, therefore, TO the Ledger correspondence,
we find the annexed revelations to recent steps
and the present posture of affairs in the Cabinet
In his letter of the 9th instant the writer says:
"It is not unlikely that special messenger dispatched
to-day recall Mr. Tist The act is, doubt wise and
prudent one showing the Mexicans that, having held
the olive branch long, rely now'soey sword to
solve the intricate problem. Let Mexico know that she
longer plays for province or for river bounda
ry but that since she wills she must fight for national
existence while troops IN the mean WHILE quaered
in her very heart.
Our moderation is the panopy of martial men,
while the of cr=aoa is inscribed their banners
We marching to open comparative desert to the indus
OF unborn millions march the Wilderness
and bestow peace and comfort the population sunk to
the verge of babas and torn By civil factions since
their existence nation We march not to destroy, but
build ups though the stubboness Of adversary marks
the tramp of warriors with blood, that blood be
their head"
In his letter of the following day the writer con-
tinues his developments Of Cabinet affairs as follows
81 informed you, time ago, that there various
opinions in regard to the in which the ought
he prosecuted against Mexco how far and for what ultimate
purposes The result of the election in Maryland may
be without effect the deliberations Of the Cabinet and
those of Pennsylvania hand these also may be
suffered to pass before definite conclusion is
" The question which the greatest diversity of opinion
may prevail is probably the adoption of line of permanent
occupations and where that line strike The natural
supposon would be that it should be the line the 18TH
mus Of Tehuanepec, which would comprise all that de-
sired OF Mexico and which in her folly she resolved upon
fGsing The line from Vera Cruz to Mexico and thence
Acapulco indicated Of my late letters very
it but of course would submit any thing that goes
beyond"
90 The idea of tconqucring peace held out from the
mencemen wholly given up; but the terminus quo
of the may become ministerial question. The time is
precious circumstances pressng events pending within the
next hour the humiliation Of Mexico Independent nation
may be resolved upons'
Supposing all these statements to be substantially
true, what picture do they present of the dilemma
in which our rulers find themselves involved by the
very success of their mad invasion of Mexico
Our armies-thanks to their bravery-are success
full in every field, but our dispised enemy refuses
to submit and still shows fight driven from one
point, they rally upon another; beat them often
as we may, they will not stay beat and no end
can be seen to the proftless contest. Our warke
rulers relinqush, at last, the idea of conquering
a peace" yet know not what plan to substitute
for it, The talk about total subjugation, of blot
ting out the existence of nation, of the line of
Tehuantepec, and anon the confession of great
diversity Of Cabinet views, all show the vacil-
laons of weakness and the utter loss of the conri-
vers of the war what course to pursue what step
to take next. They at last find themselves in the
dilemma so APPLY illustrated by Senator BUTLER, in
his speech deprecating this war, in which he said
it would place our Government in the predicament
of man who had got wolf by the ears-not
knowing whether il would be best to hold on or to
let CO. In the end we shall find BEST as Senator
CALHOUN advised to let go, and put ourselves on
the defensive; in other words, as General TAYLOR
suggested, to withdraw troops, adopt line, and
defend it.