Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-05-15
WASHINGTON.
SATURDAY, APRIL Is, ls47.
PROSPECTS OF THE WAR.

considering how and through what channel we re-
ceive them, could not fail, in the absence of any
other information on the subject, to excite in our
mind great uneasiness, if not alarm, at the present
prospects Of the war. From that correspondents
letter OF May we extract the following:
'There is now rare chance for our chvalry to
rise IN mass to meet, in war ad naternecionena,
the masses of the Aztecs. The Administration
: has no hope but in carrying on prolonged war,
: and aoar of races. Ii is already advertised in
: the Administration paper that such must be and
will be the character of the herea(er-if
Mexico now refuse peace on oar terms.
I'LL the volunteers--wthout the exception of
company or platoon--will leave the army at the
end Of their term of service. II would not be
surprising even if some ofhe commanders should
become disguised with the service, and refuse to
: carry out any instructions which may be at war
with humanity and common sense"
What is the particular fact or facts, if there be
any, upon which the very grave hypothesis in the
last sentence Of this extract is founded we are not
apprized. But we are enabled, from information
incur possession in addition that contained in
the subjoined Letter from Clergyman now with
the Army, to confirm the fact of the probably GER
tain return home of all the Volunteers Immediately
upon the successive expiratons of their terms of
service. Great apprehension is expressed by pri-
vate letters from New Orleans and elsewhere near
the army mot from officers or privates of the army
persons connected with it) that it will be diff
cult to supply the place Of the regiments to be thus
disbanded. Says one Letter: "The army proper
'cannot be recruited to its full compliments and
the day of volunteering is rapidly coming to an
END: it is no longer considered fine summers
: frolic through garden Of Eden, with gold and
silver images all along the road, and the golden
- Halls Of Montezuma in the distance it has
come down to sober realities--to rough roads and
: narrow defiles; the knife and the lasso; bacon
and corn bread pebble stones or drifting sands
: for bed, and the sky for roof, with hard
knocks, and plenty of them"
Another Letter speaks of the movement of the
Army towards the city Of Mexico, thus:
81 dread the result to our army of an advance
on the capital, even Notwithstanding the recent
victory. do not mean as to any actual open re-
sistance; for in all fighting we shall drive them
before us but the certain effect of the constant
wear and tear, from disease, battle, guerrias
hardships, and exposure, which the army has to
encounter: that, if SANTA ANNA knew the best
policy, it would be to let us advance without OPP
position, 10 and into the capital, and let the army
waste away there, the best-informed men say
: it would do, like ball of snow in July, whilst
: the Mexicans confined their operations to cutting
: of or harassng conveys, curailing our supplies,
picking up stragglers, and obliging us to keep
compact and in large bodies, without the ability to
send out even foragng party. When in the
city Of Mexico, we could not keep open the COM
muncations with Vera Cruz, or receive supplies
or reinforcements, except by large detachments
which could fight their way ; and if posts are
garrisoned at intervals on the route, they must all
be with force that resist a heavy attack, or
they would be carried in detail In the march
that Gen. ScoTT has now undertaken, he must 90
in close and compact columns, as the Mexican
cavalry will hover round them like Cossacks,
driving in their foragng parties and small detach-
ments, and wasting their strength and resources
by this petty warfare. AT present, however, it is,
/ believe, understood that he will not 60 beyond
Jalapa."
Another Letter that we have seen (from New
Orleans) gives the following information Of the pro-
posed movement by General TAYLoR's command
across the desert to San Luis Potosi:
General TAYLOR is determined Though OPP
posed to the plan) to advance from his present
position. Two thousand iron-bound lS-gaon
kegs now making for him here, and many OF
them have gone forward, intended for carrying
water across the desert between San Luis and
Saltillo: mule, with pack-saddle, will carry
two of them, one sung on each side. A thou
sand horses are also being bought for him, with
other large supplies. But, the expense! Whew y
1t is impossible, we shotfd think, to peruse, I'M
moved, the following speculations upon the late
success of our arms, from the pen Of one Though
not military many whose opinions entitled 10
high respect and confidence
1.-THE affair Of Cero Gordo appears to have
: been brilliant one but our loss is severe-more
than the whole country Of Mexico, in my opinion,
is worth. Recollect what kind of lives they are
which we lose in this contest We mourn over
the fall of General, Colonel, or Major of our
army; and yet two-hirds Of the men lost in the
late battle fully equal in talent, education,
wealth, standing, and general usefulness to their
'Colonels and Majors. Their loss to the respec-
table portion of society, and to the country, are
equally great. Such are the lives that sacri-
feed by thousands in this war of our Presidents
making. And for what What object and what
result Do you recollect the expression of the
British General Ross in the last war, when he
was speaking of the volunteer force, consisting of
the best young men of Baltimore, that were to
be brought into action with what he called his
ragamufins! He said that it was playing
guineas against halfpence. We are playing the
same game now Our loss in battle, however is
nothing in comparison to loss by disease and by
the system of guerilla war; of the extent of neither
hos, he, r. Al