The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1847-01-30

the offi,isl organ. and copied into varions other
newspapers. | have This moment received an
answer (,o my despatch announcing the sarren
der of Monterey, and the circumstance ATTENDING
the same.) from the Secretary nf War, stating
that a. IL was regretted by the President that i,
was not deemed advisable To- insist tho terms |
had proposed in my first communication To- the
Mexican commander. in regard to giving M the
cl'y.-addiug that - the circumstances which
dictated, M doubt justified the change" Al.
'h"neh the terms of capitalization NAV he consid
cred To" liberal on nnr part by the President and
ms advisers. as well as by many others at a dis
lance, particularly ,hnse who d" understand
The p"Sit'"n which we occupied, OTHERWISE they
might come To different cnnclmsinn in regard tn
the matier.9 yet on due reflection I see no,hnu
~: induce me Ia regret the course | pursued.
The proposition on the part of General Ampndia
which had much tn do in determining nv course
! IN the matter. was based an the ground that our
! Government had proposed To his To settle the ey
| is'ino difficulties by iations, (Which knew
was the ease. without knowing the result. } which
was then under consideration by the proper an
ih"riiies, and which he, (Gen. Ampudia) had no
doubt would result favorably. as the whole of his
people were in Ia vor 0f peace IF sn I considered
the further rffus"n Of blond moi only unnecessary
hui improper. Their frce also considerably
larger than ours. and frnm the size and position of
| the place, we-couid not completely invest IT, So
that the greater portion of their Troops if mt the
whole. had they been disposrd to do so, could anv
| night, have abandoned the city. at once entered
| The m"nn'an passes, and effected their retteat-
do what we Gould. Had we hpen nut To the al
| Tentative o taking the place by storm, (Which
there Is no doubt should have succeeded in
d"ng.) we should. in all probability have lbs,
hfty "r one hundred men killed. besides the
wounded-which wished to avoid as there an
peared Ia be prospect of peace. even ii dis,an,
| me. ! aso wished To avoid The destruction of
women and children. which must have been ve,v
great. had the si"rming process heen resnrred to-
b. sides. they had very large and s,rono G,rtif
eaton. short distance from the city, which If
carried with The hayonet. must have been taken
al great sacrifice at life and. with uur limited
train nf heavy hatering artillery it would have
required twenty or twenty five days to take il nv
REGULAR approaches
That they surrendered place nearly as sronu
as Quebec. we'll fortified under the dirpction of
skill al engnpers-their works garnishpd with
i"riy two pieces of artillery, abundanly supplied
win ammunition. garrisonrd by 1000 regular and
2UuO irregular ironps, in addition to sumo ihpu.
sand citizens capable of (and no doubt actually)
bearing arms and aiding in it's defence-lo an On
posing force of half their number scantlly sun
piled with provisions, and with a light Train of
arlillery-is Among the unaccuunable occurrences
Of the times.
am decidedly opposed tn carrying the war
heynnd Saillu in this direction. " hch place has
been entirely abandoned by the Mexican f,rces
ali ot whom have been concentrated ut San Luis
Pntosi; and shall lose time in taking p,sses
sim at the former as The cessation of bos
iiuies referred 10 expires-w hch I have notified
The Mexiran authorities will hr the case on the
10Th instant, by direction of The President of the
United States
1t We are Gin the language of Mr.. Polk and
Grneral Scnii) under the necessity of cououer
ing peace" and that by taking The capitol OF the
rouniry-we must 90 Ia Vera Cruz. lake thai
place. and then march on the city of M+x,c,
10 do S" IN any niher direction consider out of
he question. Bat. admitting that we conanar q
peace by 80 dung-say. al the end Of the nexl
twelve munths-wlll the amount of blood and
treasure, which must be expended in doing so. he
compensated by the same | think moi, especi
ally Ut the country we subdua is In be uiven nm
and Imagine there nut few ndi yiduals in
our country who think Of annexing Mexico To The
Unlied States
do not intend TO carry on nv operations (,s
previously stately beyond SaIlilu-deeminp i,
next Ia impr elIcaDe To do so II then becunes
question as tn what is best To he done IL seems
Ia me The most judlcious cnnrse To he pursued nm
our part would he to take possession al once nj
the line we w"nld accppi by neuotiatiun extend
ing from the Gulf of Mexico Ia The Pacific and
occupy the same, or keep hat we already have
POSSESSION OF and that, with Tampico " hIrh I
hope TO take IN the course at the next month u,
as soon as can get the means of transportation
Will give all tn this side Of the Sierra Made
aud. as suon as "ccupy SalulIp will include six
or seven states ar provinces. thus holding Tamp-
CO. Victoria, Monterey, Stlrn, MloncInva, CHI
h"ahua, (Which | presume General Wool has
Possession Ut by this tIne,) Santa Fp and the
| Caiif"rn'as.-and say to Mrxico, " Dive us from
| the Country !-'hrowlng IN her the res ,onSih
! ~ and expense Of carrying on offensive war; al
me same time closely bl"ckAding all her pnrrs
on the Pacific and the Gulf A Course of this
KIND, 1t persrvered in for short time would son
BRING her TO her pruper senses and Compel her Il,
sue for peace--proyided there is n government in
the country sufficiently stable for us Ia ,rea, with
which. fear, will hardly he the case for many
years la come. Without large reInEncemFnIs of
volunteers from the United Sraies-say len mr.
fifteen lhuuSand Chose previously sent out having
already been greatly reduced by sickness and
other casualties. )-I do not believe il would he
advisable tn march beyond SaliIllo, which is more
! 'han 2')0 mlirs beyond our drprrs IN thu. Rio
Grande--a very long line on which To keen M
supplies over land route in COUNTRY like
Ihs.) tor large furce, and certain To be attended
WIN an expense which VIII he ffghIlu To con
template when closely luoked inrn.
From SdliIlo To San LUIS Piosi the next
place of Importance on the road 10 the city Of
Mexlc0, is three hundred milps-one buoJrad
aud forty badly wateTed, where no snpplss of apv
kind could be procured FIR men or nurses have
informed tie War ID pirtmpnt that 2O 1000 eff
Gent men w"ud he necessary To ensure success If
We move in that place., city containing
poru'a i'm If 10000, where The enemy could
bring together and sustain, besides the riiizqns.
an army of 5O.O)O) force which, apprehend
VIII hardly he collected by us with the train
necessary To feed it,, as well az to transport vari
"ns other supplies, particularly ordnance and
munitions Of war.
In regard to the armistice, which would have
expired by Limitation in few days, we lost 10th
ing by IT., as we could not move even nov, had