The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-08-10
WARRINGTON, Aug. I. ls4zl,

WAHiN'roN, Aug Z, ls47i
The Personeiie Of The American .army.
writer in the London Times, from Puebla in Mexi.
co, giving an account Of the of the American
forces into said city takes to expatiats largely
In expressing the of the Mexcans and his own
contempt at the general disappointment among the
yves Of Pueba, respecting the personeHe of the in
Vading army. He describes our troops ss eaIovs-
faced" ragged rckety and deformed evidently taken
from the starving Irish emgrans picked up here and
there, to n large extent
Now allowing great deal for the malice prepense of
this writer still, believe it will be admitted that the
Mexicans MADE more gaudy and imposing show at
Pao Alto and Resaca than did the plain blue Jackets
General Taylor-so also at Monterey; but it was at
buena Vista that the Mexican army its most bril-
liant exhibition The display of cleaning musksts and
brilliant green uniforms of the troops Of Santa Anna
were the theme OF general admiration, their move
ments into line were superb But still, the roughly
dressed poiuntos of the United States tho North
though the enemy were Ave to one, rolled them back
shattered decimsted, and panic stricken, into de-
sert Of Encarnacion
| 1t just between the American and British
troops during the revolution and the fact is that
Greene's men in the Caroinas, many OF them with no
other clothing than their knapsacks and a bunch OF
bling their skins into sores fought about the hardest of
any and we're the toughest customers that ever the
British encountered
The Greeks under Alexander were simply dressed
compared with the barbarc spendor of the Perssns
the Grancus But history tells that the show of Da
Macedonians II is cold Steel iron and lead that do
the work in battle, not gold lace and gewgaws 1t
the gorgeous display of the armies Of the Aztecs that
facilitated their destruction by the steel clad warriors Of
Cortes.
1t is thslove Of dress and display which has
ted the Mexican nation and people, much any
other weakness In their love of the shadow they
lost the substance Of greatness and strength Their
officers have learned to stand back rather than have
their faces their beautiful uniforms spoiled by the
smoke sabres aud shot, blood and dust of the fight IL
WAS the secret of the defeat Of Pompey in his last
morable contest with Cesar
The writer Of the Times did not look in The right
place for the superiority Of the American the Mex
lean troops He aught to have looked into the unqua
Ing eye Of the Yankee'-his firm step-his erect
riagehis small perhaps but hardy compact muscular
frame But all these signs might fall The great sups
riority Of the North Americans Is in the inside
superior hereditary Unborn couragethe superior intel
gencs self possession, and seadinessn short In the
superior predominance OF mind the mere animal
Whether you clohe such in rags or In silk and
gold lace, matters but little only suspect they will
fight better in Kentucky jeans than in your French
| or English broadcloths
The troops the United States not dressed for
holiday parade but for hard servce-not for showfor
battle, They well led and they fight WE'LL but 1t
does appear to be the fact that the ragged hun
CRY they become, the dangerous they in the
handling Your blue jackets and cloth caps equal
to any emergency; and the scu Of the British
Queens dragons would be found vulnerable the
heel of Achilles in set-to with the rough and ready
American volunteers. w.