The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-05-08
The Horrors of War.

The Horrors of War.
1t has been said that Gen. Scott granted to
the women and children of Vera Cruz chance
to escape before the bombardmcnt upon the
place was commenced. This was not the
fact, ard the consequence was several hundred
were slain. Had Scott done so he would
doubtless have been ccnsured by the President
and locofoco Congress, as Taylor was for
granting an armistice TO the Mcxicans at
Monterey, which he did in order to save the
lives of women and children. The Portland
Advertiser has the following upon the subject:
Ella fact any one will see, by recurring to
Gen. SCOTS own dispatches, that he made no
such offer of safety for the .McIican women
and children. The direct contrary appears.
He summoned the city to surrender, when he
brought his guns into position, and by the
summons he announced, as usual, that by the
absolute surrender of the town, the lives the
inhabitants might be spared; otherwise, ali
must take their chance. The summons, of
course, was addressed to the military COM
mandcr-not to the TOmcR and chiidren. AT
the same timc-or bcfore-he announced to
the foreign consuls, that "neutrals" with their
families and effects, might leave the city, but
no others. Afterwards, when the lombard
ment and slaughter had been going on for a
day or two, the consuls, sent n flag praying
for n time to allow them and their families, to-
gCthcr 'cih the Mexican women and children,
then to leave the city. The general refused
rem hiding them, that seasonnble opportu-
nifty had haforp hnpn oiv van 70 bc &c
ncutr0Is, but not pretending that he had made
any such offer to the unhappy Mexican moth.
crs and their children.
The fact is plain, and there is no use in try.
ing to disguise 1.-THE opportunity of throw.
ing some thousands of bombshells into the
Mexican houses and churches, amongst the
shudderng and shrieking women and children
was the primary means employed by Gen
Scott to compel the surrender of the city,
He made his calculations upon that state of
things for that result. And so it turned out
The carnage went on, up to certain point
and then the town surrendered.
There is nothing new or unusual in this
Gen. Scott did nothing but what has been
done thousand times before. The killing of
women and children il only one of the Satan.
ic necessities Of war. 1t is done in all wars
savage or civili2cd-only that the warfare of
modern-c Observation-Disclosures Christian ma
tons kills rather more women and children
than any other kind, since the less perfect
methods of warfare practised by fceblcr nations
and tribes is not so able to make cfiectual as
sault upon fortified places, within which wo
men and children find shelter. Even Gen
Taylor-whose humanity all seem to admit
was subject-or came near being subect-tC
the same hideous necessity at Monterey. AZ
ter two days hard fighting there. the governor
of the place sent him flag requesting thai
the inhabitants might be allowed to leave the
town. Gen. Taylor was obliged to refuse -
The thing could not be done. The policy of
war forbade it, The women and children
must be kept within the walls, as means o
compelling the surrender Thanks to the
blunderheads ofthe War Department, the ar
my at Monterey had but one mortar and M
battering guns. But all will remember tn,
eXultjng terms, in which Gen. Worth descr rib
ed the working of that one mortar, after they
had brought it near enough to reach the plaza
where the frantic population were crowded to
gethcr on that fearful night before the surren
der. Gen. Taylor had reason afterwards t.
congratulate himself and the governmental
he did, no doubt with sincere feeling-that h
had secured the capitulation ofthe place, with
out the merciless consequences that must hav
fallen upon the non-combatants, by tn
storming of the city. lie granted an armistic
and favorable terms of aptulation, rather thar
go to that dire extremity. The officials a
Washington repulsed and cancelled his arms
ticc, and appeared to chafe with disappoint
ment, that they had lost the feast ofblood, oil
which now they have their fill, within tn,
shattered walls of Vera Cruz"
MORE Lynch LAW. The st. Louis Era OF
the 18th says:-Wo are informed this morn