The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-06-08
Awful Effect In England OF the Capture of
Vera Cruz and San Juan de ULua.

[trom the London Times, May IOl
We have seldom had ccasion to record operation
of revolving to every feeling of humanity and
justice than the bombardment and capture Of the city
and castle Of Vera Cruz by the American forces In
itself indeed the conquest Of the strongest fortified po
stion the Mexican coast is the most important
plot of the campaign and probably the most consdera
BILE enterprise attempted by the troops of the Uni
ted States But when call to mind the unprnciped
aggression in which the originated and the pur-
poses for which 1t has been carried the signal
these achievements the sinister Is the light
they Cast on tho policy Of the American government
The ustre Of the of the United States is furnished
by the namy OF such contest against unofending
and impotent enemy and the horrors OF which can
only be atoned for by noble and heroic
very in this boon BY the de-
testable policy which sent forth the armv and
by the miserable weakness Of those against whom its
prowess directed The American dispatches relate
with air ofunconscous simplicity of the afro
cous and barbarous acts committed in modern times by
the forces Of a civilized nation. The mode adopted by
Gen Scott in conducting the siege characteristics Of
the fierce and destructive spirit Of volunteer and
practsed army No attempt Is made to disguise the fact
Of San Juan dc uha to surrender the destruction Of
the city OF Vera Cruz. Nearly 900 projecties
thrown into this devoted town during the three days
and half that the bombsrdment lasted One half Of
the buildings said to be destroyed In fact the at
tack appears to have been exclusively directed
the city. in preference to the castle, for General
scott states that the heavy pieces of ordinances
which he relied for the reduction Of the principal
forts not landed when the city invested; and
that he surprised to find that the capaton Of the
town and Of tho citde simultaneous The thing it.
self extraordinary and contrary to all the usages
nee. ssty that could have believed IL Oh any low
authority than that Of the officer in command As
for the Castle Of st Juan do Uua 1t s one Of those
places into which hostile force would find 1t difficult
make its way II there not garrison to open the
gates of it, and governor to sign capitalization 1t evil
IDENTIFY surrendered to mere intimidation corruption
possibly to the desire saving the city from total
Inhalation. The application OF the foreign Consuls on
the 2ith OF March truce to enable themselves and
the subjects Of the European powers together With Mex
can and children to leave the city, refused
BY General Scott. Probably when those gentlemen
thntrp nj tan NJ
the siege they did not anticipate that the city to be
the principal mark OF the American batter.s they
might have consulted their own safety by retiring
70 those strong Qualifications Of the Cattle against
which the enemys artillery was not directed, or
which, Mt least. 1t made no serious impression
The whole operation lasted twenty days from the dis
embarkaon OF the troops tbs 9th ~ March, TO the
evacuation Of the city aud castle by tho MexicaDs
the a9th The negotiation surrender began on the
26,h During the 10 days Of actv. Institutes there
1--we days of voeut nOrthers those hurricanes of
the coast OF 'exco which .hcctuaiy interrupt all COM
munication by and mast have placed the squadron
In considerable peril For two days and nights the wind
was vioent and the drifting sand damaging that
IL almost mpossibs TO clear the trenches
the batteries tst IN spite OF all ths.e untowsrd Cur
cunstauces informed that In the OF the
whole series OF Operations, including inc landing OF
000 aud the storm OF shot aud shell from the
OF the town aud OF Juan de Ulus the combined
forces Of the United states 1T but IL men killed in
all 90 killed and wounded On the side Of the Mexicxns
loss OF life and property reported to have been
frigbtfu and that nhappy country seems to be prey
to the accumulated horrors Of anarchy and war, IL
tic pase In the city Of Mexico itself all order and law
at end The governmental extinct the army de-
fated aud dissolved II nation could suddenly sx pire
this would be the supreme hour Of the Mexican people,
as u.s. the horrors nncted the aboriginal
the country by their spanish couqucrors been
faithfully ecDged upon the at-ct descendants Of those
conquerors by race Of anmated by equal passions
and armed with equal superiority Tue standard Of the
Spanish race in Mexico has been tramped brutay
and crccy the ensgns Of the ngcnu and unortu
nate people which preceded them IN the occupation Of
that magnificent region. he compassion which these
calamities naturally excite Ia minds is indeed con-
sideraby mitigated by the irresistible contempt the
world must entertain for peope which has shown Itself
TO be- thoroughly incapable VI the rst duties Of exs
tence Of government and VI self defence On both sides
the spectacle have before eyes the opprobrum
Of the we live in aud iudeIibc dgacc to the PEG.
pie 81 the New World, who professed to have planted
their institutions higher basis than the lust OF
boodshed and aggrandizcmcnt which have often de-
vastated the elder continent The sangunary spolaton
which inces the armies OF the United states A. degra
ding to mankind the poltroonery Of their victims for
cannot call them antagonists and whilst we should
blush to applaud the military triumphs Of the United
states we hardly deign to pity the wofu dscom-
future Of emascuated people Il is however ~ GER
tain the lessons Of history and OF Providence