Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-06-22
THE ENQUIRER.
RICH MOND, VA.
Monday Morning. June 81, ls47.
THE PRESIDENT AND SANTA ANNA

lie Oi Sduta AEnd, anu 10 snow inat, as Gene
raj, his career has been marked by nothing bu
cowardice, unmiilary conduct and defeat. W.
further commended that il Mexico had empowered
The President to select General to lead her Ii
battle, he could no, have chosen one who, will
the resources at his disposal, would have me
such inglorious defeats from our gallant an(
skilful officers and troops The Wing thinks vi
have moderated The ability as we'll as bravery 0
the Mexican Ex-Prcsidenl, and quotes the OPT
MON Of Colonel Baker Of Illinois, who has re
turned home aud is reported 10 have said 'lha
Santa Anna is a great man, and that no othe
Mexican could control The population OF tina
country, raise armies and inspire them with cour
age TO fsht,he N. Americans, equal 10 himsclf.'
Sand such, (says the National Intelligencer
so far as il has been expressed, appears TO be lhs
opinion Of all our people who have been il
Mexico"
These opinions, certainly, oughtno; 10 outweigh
the stubborn facts with which the country is ia
miliar. Santa Anna, we admit, is a man o
talents and ready pen; his beautiful and glowing
pronuneicmentos are worthy Of the days Of Ro
every occasion, with marked hypocrisy ant
cowardice fasifed his heroic woids. Bat that hi
has not The qualities to excite a popular cnhu
sasm, or The skill or courage TO lead armies OF
the field, his ceaseess defeats ard pus;llanimou.
flights have thoroughly convincedus.
We, too, can quote the weehiy opinions O.
others in defence Of our position. We find The
following article in the New Orleans CONNER.
cial Times:
"GEN. MlNoN.-This officer, whom Santa An
no denounced for a want Of skill and courage al
Buena Vista, has published in the Repnbicano a
refutalion of the charge brought against him -
He declares that the assertion by Santa, OF the
want Of provisions and wafer in The army, is n
falsehood. He states that lie himself had cattle
TO tie number oil 600 head, besides maize and
tour, OF which he apprsed Santa Anna. He
further asserts that the latteI's retreat was unjus-
tihable; that the manner Of il was still more So
moving off in The darkness OF the night, and leav-
ing hundreds 0! his poor wounded soldiers 10 their
fate on the held-more like fugitive hiding from
his enemy, than general retiring 10 recruit his
forces. II was TO prevent these facts from being
made public, that he, Gen. Miaon, was persecut.
ed, imprisoned and denied communication with
IA Anna ariN shrink into Yigmy 6y.and IN. from
The inflated Dimensions he gore himself as he Ma
poieoa, Of the Vest"
A writer in the Union, who has been in Mex.
leo, presents The following strong and interesting
facts and sound views in regard 10 the return OF
Santa Anna TO Mexico. The extract is long,
but it is marked with a calm and patriotic spirit,
,rh. - :, MI nj,
servaion satisfy us Of The correctness Of the views
we have formed of the character and ability Of
Santa Anna: and until we see reason TO change
our opinion, we shall continue 10 believe that the
ra,nr. Of Son,e A.ne L~- ben ts-e6' - -
counlIys cause, instead OF tatai and i1easona-
bic movement, as the Wings allege:
Hoping and believing iha. my connrymen,
whatever their alliance OF party, can as patriots
look upon national measures independent OF the
one sided views presented by partisan presses, |
venture to lay before them few facts and obser-
vations In relation TO prominent incident in The
Mexican war. alude to the consent Of The 60
vernmenl 10 the admission OF Gen. Santa Anna
into Mexico There is no ACT for which the Pre-
sdent has been more censured and ridiculed; yet
there is none in The conduct OF the war which
could have shown more correct estimate OF
Mexican character, or Of the military character
OF Gen. Santa Anna himself. The results have
in many respects, il not in ALL justified that esti.
mate.
To those whose lot has been cast in Mexico, il
is often amusing, and sometimes painful, 10 wit
ness among our own people the false reasoninss,
based upon false impressions applied 10 the
Mexican population, institutions and officers
Il is natural We reason from those Of our own
country 10 theirs; and it is difficult for citizen
of this Union 10 imagine, or 10 understand when
laid before him, the degradation OF Mexico; and
in making up a Mexican hero, he would never
lake into account The vices which are essential 10
the character. None have pIohled so much BY
these difficulties Of judgment as Gen. Santa An
M, who has, with US, been svalui,ously endowed
with the character Of a gallant, il not that OF
chivalric, chief; whereas, nj home, he is known
as chief from his pre-emincnce in The national
vices, and for years the Inconsistency Of his cou-
rage has been The subject Of pupuar talk. From
the battle Of Talome at which he was defeated,
Ct think in 1922 down 10 The present time, he
has never even among bis own people, gained a
ba,lle, excepting when he has been enabled TO
purchase part Of the opposing army. Going
before more recent events, we know The result Of
San Jacinto and we know his conduct when cap
lured there we also know the late of The last
battle of his contest with Paroles, after which he
fed his country. Then why is lie military
chief? Because, as such lie is a leader Of a
horde Of bandili, which, receiving no pay from
government, having no revenue, is necessarily
thrown upon robbery for the means OF support
BY such OF the Mexican pc op.e as are net in some
way connected with The military lie is de;csted
and is, perhaps, the only politician who, in the
event Of a decided overthrow al home, runs The
risk OF losing his life. Nothing could exceed the
enthusiasm OF hate by which he was forced TO ~
his country at the lime OF his late exile. Happen.
ing The time 10 be in one OF the remote provinces
saw people running 10 each others houses with
congratulations al his overthrow, and eXulling in
the hope that he would yel be caught and shot
They repeated doggrel rhymes, in which The tone.
legged scoundrew was his most nattering epilheI.
Now whom did The admission OF Santa Anna cx.
pei from the country? General Paroles. lie
fed, no, from the Mexican people, but from
Santa Anna, whom he knew better than did the
unfortunate officer over whose name write. A
more gallant spirit than tina! Of Paroles never
existed. He is too brave a man TO be long a
Mexican leader. Plungirs into The hottest Of The
fishl himself, he gives his followers no excuse for
retrea,irg. Ills small person is now covered
with the scars of desperate wounds, and of one Of
his arms but fragment remains. Single-handed,
he has had the energy and courage to quell The
mu.ny Of Mexican garrison. His vile, equal
ly brave with himself has been by his side in
some OF his most desperate fights. Although ii
is not probable ,hat,he general result would have
been changed fighting Me1icans with Paroles, OF
even his wife al their head, would have been a
very different thing 10 fighting them under that
"very best General whom The President had The
iwplscRETroS 10 give Them. II is pretty certain
Paroles never would have Sc, The example OF
flight at Buena Vista or Cerro Gordo Nothing
but revolution, dissension and defeat, has follow.
ed The advent of General Santa Anna.
Although the acts of the administration, as
those of all human beings, may be assaied Tor err
roneous Judgment doubts of the integrity OF mo-
live or the clearness of judgment which prompts
the censure mus, arise in the minds Of all inde-
pendent citizens, when they see suggested, as a
motive Of policy, want OF patriotism among The
chief officers OF The republic. To this allegation
every honest mans heart Involuntary gives The
lie. No citizen, appealing TO his own bosom, can
believe that the President Of The United States and
the members OF his cabine, desire the defeat and
disgrace of their country. On The contrary he
must feel that, as citizens and men, they are
..,.,L i ste