Washington telegraph., 1847-12-29

any must be made 10 feel IL pressure mefe than
they have done At lis commencement, il was
deemed proper to eundue, il Ia spirit Of foIbeat'
ance aud lIberaliiy. With this end IN view early
measures were adopted to euueilta,e, as far as =
state Of war would permit, the mass OF the MeA.
lean population, aud the war was wgged not
agaist the peucciul inhabitants Of MeSieo, but
against their iailhless Government, which had
commenced h0silles
To femoye from their minds false impressions,
to which their interested rulers had attfally at
tempted 10 make, TINT the war On our p-fl WIS a
war OF eanqucst-thal il was var against their
religion and against their churches, which were
10 be DESTROYED aud oyeHhrowni aud that rights Of
persons aud private property would be Yialaied-
TO remove those ialse Impressions. our command
eIs ia the field weta directed sefnpulously 10 re-
sprei their religion, their churches and their
church phopfHy, winch were IN no manner to be
violated They wefe directed also to respect the
rights Of prisaus and property Of all who should
mol take up arms against m.
Assurances 10 this effect were gTen 10 tie Mex
leans by Maj Gen. Taylor, ia pr.cama.ian ls'
sued Ia puEsuanee Of Instructions from the seefc'
iary of War, in the month Of June lei6, aud
again BY MAJ Gen, scott, who acted nPan biz
own convictions Of the propfiely Of ,suiur II, ia
lhs spirit Of librfaliiy aud eouei aun, aud wili
view to prevent the body Of the Mexican papala.
ton from taking ap arms againsl Us, was the war
conducted on 5uf part. Prov SONS and other sup.
plies, furnished 10 our armies BY Mexican eiitsns,
were paid iar al lail aud liberal prices agreed upon
by the PARTIES Amer the lapse Of tcw months
Il became apparent thai these assafanees aud this
mild Treatment, had faiIed TO produce the desired
eiire,up1n the MeSieaa population While tie war
has been conducted upon our part, according 10
thr most humane and liberal principles observed
by civilized nalious; il was wased ia iaf diiicr.
eni spirit on the p4ft Of Mcsiea. Not aphfacin.
ting our fofbe lfaner, the Ncxi1an people, general
~, became hostile 10 the United Stales. aud
asalcd themselves u tie Opportunity to eammli
the mosi savage eNeezsfs upon aaf troops Lazy
numbers Of the population took up arms and, en-
gagng in guerrilla warfare, robbed and murder
ed ~ the mos, cruel manarr, individual soldiers or
small pa.ties whom aeeident or other causes had
separated from the main body Of our army
Bands Of gleFflllas aal Fuharfz Infested tbs fuads,
hlTassed our trains, an whenever q " "a IN their
poSrr eat off our supplies.
The hekicans have thus shown them
selves 10 b. wholly Incapable Of appfeeia
ting our iafb'aran aud lillefaliy, II was
deemed proper 10 change the manner OF
conducting lhu var, making them lael ils
pressure according In the usae"s observed
under similar circumstances in all other
civilized nations.
Accordingly, as early as the 2ld oi Sep
iembrr 1916, instructions were gwen by the
Secretary OF waf, ta Maj Gen. raylur To
draw supplies lot our am} ifom the eaemy,
paying iof them, aud to require cunlfiba.
tions Iof lis support. In thai way, he was
satisfied, he could get abundant supple.
for his forces. In directing the executions
ui these instructions much was neeessari
ly 'elt 10 the commanding officer, who was
best acquainted wih the circumstances by
which he was surrounded, the wants OIL lhn
army, and the praelicabilily Of enforcing
tho measure.
Gen. Taylor, on the 26lh Of October,
lslj, replied from Monterey that il would
have been impossible hitherto aud is so
now, II sustain the army by foreel co1tri.
buttons lor supplies. For the reasons as.
signed by HIM he did not adopt the policy
Of bis instructions, but DECLARED his rcad
ness 10 do so, should the army, in It's future
operations, reach portion OF the country
which may be made to supply the troops
with advantage. lie continued to pay Tor
the articles ol supply which were drawn
from the enemy's country.
Similar instructions were made 10 Mai.
Gen. Scott On the 81 Of April, 1917; who
replied from Jilapa on the 2Olh OF May,
lsi7, that, il it be eSpedient that the ar.
my is 10 support itself by forced contribu.
lions, levied upon the country, we may run
and eKaspcralc the inhabitants aud slarye
ourselves. The same direction was given
10 him that had been 10 Gen. Taylor. In
this respect, Gen Scott, tor the reasons as.
signed by him, still continued TO pay for At.
ticles OF supply ior the army which were
drawn from the ENEMY.
After the army had reached the heart Of
The most wealthy portions OF Mexico, il
was supposed that the obstacles, which had
before that time prevented, would not he
such as to render impracticablc the levy Of
forced contributions for lis support. On
the LIST Of September aud On the OH Of DC
tober, lsi7, the order was repeated in drs.
patches addressed by the Secretary Of War
10 Gen. Scott; ard his attention was again
called To the Importance OF making the enc
my bear the burden of tho war by rrquir-
ing them to furnish the means oi support.
ing our army; and he was directed to adopt
this policy, unless by doing so there was
danserol depriving the amy of the noces.
sary supplies. Copies oilbese dispatches
were iorwardrdto Gen. Iay lor for hi. gov.
ernment.
On the 3lsl Of March last caused an
order 10 be issued 10 our Military and naval
commanders to levy and collect a nliiar,
upon all vessels and merchan
disc which might enter any of the ports Of
Mexico in our military ocupation, and to
apply such contribution towards defraying
the expenses Of the war. By virtue Of the