Tri-weekly journal., 1847-10-07
THE LATE NEWS FROM MEXICO.

is by far the most important that has been re-
ceived from Mexico since the opening of the
war. We know. says the Picayune of the 20th
ult., chow severe were the battles of Coutre-
ras and Churubusco. An attentive perusal of
our Mexican papers convinces us that in the
battles that followed those, and preceded the
taking of the capital, the Mexicans made even
a still more obstinate resistance, and that the
city was not carried until our little army had
suffered loss unparalleled in any of the bat
ties Of this war. There is no doubt the Mexi-
cans were preparing for another conflict during
the whole tire that negotiations were pend
ing. On the day the Mexican commissioners
gave notice that the proposition Of our Gov
eminent for peace was inadmissible, circulars
were addressed to the clergy, exhorting them
to endeavor to obtain popular instruction,
and at the same time to the magistrates of the
States of Mexico and Puebla with the same OBJ
ject. Herrera, by whom the circulars were
signed, as the military commandant of Mexico
tells the people to arm themselves with any
and every description Of weapon within their
reach, and assures them that people deter
mined not to be conquered must ultimately
overcome their invaders, whom he enjoins up
on them to destroy .'by fire and sword"
Many will perhaps be disposed to censure
Gen. Scott for not following up the victories of
Coutreras and Churubusco by assaulting the
city Immediately. This. however, it is OBJ
vious, was not so easy task as the letters from
his camp, written after those battles, led us to
believe. Those letters left the impression that
there was no impediment to his mar oh, or that
no resistance could be Offered unless in the city
itself; but the fact that he fought from the NOR
ming of the 6th to the night of the 18th before
he effected an entrance is proof conclusive that
he had yet the hardest work before him. Be-
sides, in granting an armistice 1--WE say ''grant-
ing" because it is certain Gen. Scott was re-
quested by Santa Anna, through the British
Minister, to take the initiative in the matter)
there was possibility of negotiating peace,
and he had presented to him the alternatives
of either taking the city at once, without the
prospect of obtaining peace, (for the Mexican
; Government and Congress had declared its IL
tention of retiring at once several leagues from
the capital in the event of its being taken.) o.
to enter into an armistice, BY the terms o
which neither army was to be reinforced or thei
Notifications repaired or strengthened. Ant
, it may be well supposed that our troops aftel
the hardships they had undergone in thei
march from Chalco until they came in front o
the enemy's main works-a march of tire
days over broken and difficult country-an'
:, after their hard fighting on the 10Th and 20d
: of August in taking Coutreras and Churubusco
wanted rest, and possibly mis- not have beer
? in condition to attack at once the formidabl
= works between them and the city.
1t is not in the great loss our army has sui
: fered alone that this intelligence is important
Itshuts out all prospects of peace. Th
= Mexican commissioners, with Herrera, tn
peace advocate, at their head, declare that tn
moderate terms proposed by Mr.. Trist were en-
= tirely inadmissible, and their uItimatum wa
:. equally SO to us. We find that the Governor
of several of the States, at the very momen
c that negotiations were pending, were issuin
addresses to the people melting them to ris
against their invaders. Even as early as th
23d of August it is announced in the Diari
a. del Gobierno that seventy members Of Congress
of had declared their unwillingness to deliberat
St in the capital while the army ofthe enemy wa
,e threatening it, and they accordingly retired I
IN Toluca. Santa Anna, there is every reason
70 believe, is still in the field with force of Il
inconsiderable strength-and Paroles is said
~ be between Puebla and Jalapa with body
- six thousand men, We have nothing to loo
he for, therefore, but prosecution Of the war fl
re- an indefinite period.
on The positions of our two commanding gen
on rals-Taylor reduced to the feeblest defensi'
tv strength, and Scott cut down we know not
ter what extent, in an enemy's city Of two hu
bred thousand population-are such as TO d
mand the immediate attention of the Cover
ey ment Santa Anna is doubtless still stro
lu- enough to menace the valley Of the Rio Crane
the and there should be no delay in reinforce
ust Gen. Taylor With Gen. Scott the demand
AL more troops must be equally pressing. He
in not only in city containing hostile popu
ton of two hundred thousand, but has Sar
Anna in his immediate vicinity, and we ha