Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-11-20

few lines to the President; but remain your
old friend, in all attitudes, clear down to
Cape Horn.
MAJOR JACK DOWNING.
To JAMES X. Polk, PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, AND ALL ANNEXED
COUNTRIES.
Dear Sir:--l've done my best, according
to your directions, to get round Santa Anna,
but it is all no use He's as slippery as an
eel, and has as many lives as a cat. Trist
and together can't hold him, and Scott and
Taylor can't kill him off. We get fast hold
of him with our diplomatics, but he slips
through our fingers; and Scott and Taylor
cuts his head off in every town where they
catch him, but he always comes TO life in the
next town, and shows as many heads as il
he had never lost one. | had a long talk
with him in the city, and pinned him right
down to the bargain he made with you when
you let him into Vera Cruz, and asked him
why he didn't stick to it. He said he did
stick to il as far as circumstances rendered
it prudent.
But" says /, !" Gineral Santa Anna, that
aint the thing; bargains bargain, and if
a man has any honor he will stick 10 it,
Now" says l, "didn't you agree, if the
President would give orders to our Commo-
dore to let you into Vera Cruz, didn't you
agree to put your shoulder to the wheel and
help on this annexin business, so as to make
easy work of it? And now, ask you, as u
man of honor, have you done it %
circumstances alters cases, Major" says
Santa Anna. "When Mr.. Polk and had
that understanding, he thought he needed a
few more votes than he could muster in his
own country to bring him into the Presi-
dency another term. So we agreed, if
would turn over the votes of Mexico to him
to bring him in another term, he would af-
forwards turn over his part Of the votes in
North America to me, so as TO bring me in
next time. But | soon found it would be
throwing our labor away, for Mr.. Folks
part of the votes in this country was getting
to be so small that they wouldn't do much
good TO either of us. So concluded to hold
on to what had got, and stick to the Presi-
dency of Mexico"
"Then," saysi, you aint going to stick
to your bargain, are your"
Ono" says he, " circumstances alters
cases.
Then tried to scare him out of it. told
him our folks would whip the Mexicans all
into sboestrngs in little while. And it
made no odds whether he fit for annexin or
against it, we should go on jest the same,
and before another year was out Mr.. Polk
would be President of every foot of Mexico;
for we should get through annexin the whole
of it.
every well" says he, ego on; the Mexi-
cans like the business; they can stand il lon
ger than Mr.. Polk can; for Mr.. Polk will
have all the work TO do over again every
year as long as he lives, for there isn't d
place in Mexico that will stay annexed any
longer than jest while you are holding on to
it.o
So you see there's no doing any thing with
Santa Anna. What course il is best to take
now seems rather puzzler. Haven't time
to give you my views about it in this de-
spatch, but will try to soon. Give my love
to Mr.. Richie. meant TO write him too,
but shall have TO wait till next time.
Your faithful friend and
private ambassador,
MAJOR JACK DOWNING.