Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-03-13
LATEST FROM THE SOUTH.
New ORLEANS, MARCH |, lS47

NEW ORLEANS, MARCH /, lS47.
Messrs. GALES a. SEAToN:
DEAR SIRs: Gen. BUTLER arrived here yesterday
Among the leading items of news is the reported
evacuation of Vera Cruz by order of Santa Anna.
AS regards the city, should think this very proba-
BILE, as the garrison could not defend it against Gen
ScoTT and the troops of which that garrison is
posed will be gilmore service with Santa Anna par
tcularly II he contemplates an attack on General
Scott, as it is probable he does.
Gentlemen who have conversed with Gen. BUT
LER say that he freely expresses his opinion to
the proper, indeed only mode of conducting the
war, and which comedies with the views of Mr..
CALHouN-to take and ortiiy by posts line of ter
ritory. and either capture blockade their ports,
without any attempt to penetrate into the interior.
The line to be taken, he thinks, should be the one
whatever it may be) which the Government in
tends to insist on the permanent boundary be-
tween the two countries, and he says $4,000 men
would be sufficient to hold and protect it from the
Gulf to the Pacific. .
Gen. BUTLER justly says that admitting we adj
vanced into the country with every success that
could be expected, and even captured the city of
Mexico, 1t would not have any material effect on
the enemy, nor place us any nearer TO peace than
we now are, and we should never command
any more territory than what we actually covered
with our bayonets, and would be constantly sur
rounded by a hostile population, and the Mexcans
would have nothing to do but to avoid fighting and
let our army waste away, as it rapidly would do,
by fatigue, sickness, and constant guerrilla war.
He seems to think it probable that Santa Anna
has mCved with his whole force to Vera Cruz, and
with view of giving Gen. Scott grand fight;
though he says, it would be impolitic for him to
do so under any circumstances, but that his plan
should be to let army advance into the interior
without Iisking general battle, but merely to ha-
rass them, and cut off straggers or detachments.
Any serious repulse to an advancing army would
be fatal TO them under the circumstances.
The Administration have got themselves and the
| country into most awkward predcament as to
this wal, so blindly and rashly undertaken; for
| as recently observed in the Senate, we have the
wolf By the ears and it is equally dangerous to hold
on or to lat him GO. There is no doubt of the fact
that, SCORER or later, we will have to come to the
plan of hiding on to what we have, and the pre-
vailing opinion with the army is. that we should
give up The idea of penetrating into the country.
The views and intentions, however, of the Ad-
minisration are different, and they are actually at
this moment calculating on an advance of General
TAYLOR fpm Saltillo, and their will final
y result il some serious misfortune that will rouse
| the indignation of our whole country.
All the sfhcers from Mexico speak in high terms
of the Mexican cavalry, and admit they are fully
equal to our mounted volunteers, man for man, and
greatly outnumber our forces of that description.
| do not believe we shall have any decisive in
telligence from Vera Cruz till towards the close Of
this month as the residue of Gen. Worlh's troops
will not leave the Brasos before the 9th 9Th in
stant and the whole force cannot be collected a
Lobos and Tampico before the l5th and if they
were to sal on that day. it would DC at least the
goth bebre they would probably reach Vera Cruz
Those who pretend TO know best say that the
castle can only be taken by bombardment; and
that, if he garrison is properly supplied it will be
very difficult to take it at all, and at any rate will
require long time to do So
| 1t is difficult, from the conflicting opinions, to
form any correct idea the subject but shall not
be surprised if it should be an easy conquest