Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-08-13
Correspondence Of the Journal Of Commerce.
TIE WAR-HOW LONG WILL IT LAST.

Correspondence Of The Journal Of Commerce.
THE wAR-HOW LONG WILL IT LAST
WASHINGTON. July 25.
At the moment when the War Bill passed, IN
May, 1916. democratic Senator remarked that
the war would Be a very short one-that il would
not last longer lhans month. Mr.. Calhoun re-
plied-"i, will last three years and cost US hun
dred millions"
/ have reason TO know Mr.. Calhoun's opinion
is sunchanged-thal he considers the war as mere
" begun, and the heightened train Of It's evils as
having been scarcely yet manifested.
The views Of the Administration and It's friends
have undergone a great change. in consequence
Of the obstinate refusal oilhe Mexicans to make
peace. The several members Of the Adminislra.
ton do not like, it is said, TO speak Of the sub
ject. They have been as ignorant as any man
in the whole country, and still are so as TO all
that respects the chances of the termination Of
the war. During the late and continued cry Of
"peace, peacc"-lhe members of the Admins
tralion did not unite in the effort to deludc the
public. They we're at u loss what to think Of
the prospect ofpeacc, and were more inclined to
ask the opinions OF Others, than to give any Of
their own, on the subject.
They deem peace as hopeless now, and will,
Of course, look about to find some person on
whom to lay the blame ola failure to procure il.
/ They have seized upon Gen. Scott-hls dilato.
riness in marching on the city of Mexico, and
his delay in sending forward Mr.. Buchanan's let
ter. That Mr.. B. S letter, written on tho 9th OF
/ April was not transmitted TO the Mexican Gov
ernment on the 18th Of the same month, is the
only fault that the "Unon" proposes 10 find with
Gen. Scott. This is the only distinct charge,
although lntmatlons are strongly made that
/ General Scott has refused to move without an
adequate force, and has written several more sill
/ ly letters.
While the Union alleges that peace would have
been made, if Gen. Scott had done his duty in
forwarding the dispatches a month before he re-
ceived them--that is, "immodately after the bat
tie Of Cerro Gordo"-some other apologists for
the Administration impute the whole blame to
Mr.. Trist. learn that the Secretary of State
exempts Mr.. Tnst from censure, and blames
Gen. Scott for not having forwarded the propo-
sails for peace, while Mexico was stunned by the
defeat at Cero Gordo.
The fact is that all this is an aienhought on
the part of the Government, and of those who,
for some reason or other, chose to assure the
public, upon alleged authority, that Mr.. Trst
would make, or rather had actually y made, trea-
~ of peace, and that the treaty, as ratified by
Mexico, would be here in 20 days.
! Mr.. Tris's mission had no reference to the
battle of Cerro Gordo. No more fighting was
expected after the fall of Vera Cruz and the Cas-
tie. The intelligence of the surrender of the
Castle was received here on the 10Th of April,
and the President believed this to be a suitable
occasion TO renew overtures Of peace. 1t was
known that Santa Annals force al Buena Visa
had been destroyed and dispersed, aud it was not
anticipated that he would so soon after offer any
resistance to Gen. Scott Besides, Santa Anna,
who was in the capital, celebrating his escape
from the battle Of Buena Vista, was not deemed
so formidable and unappeasablc an enemy. The
time had come when it was supposed he would
from policy, fulfil his promises; and the time had
certainly arrived when the temptation Of the
three millions was more likely to be potent with
him than at any former time. The defeat o
Santa Anna at Buona Visa and the fall Of Vera
Cruz were the occasions of the overtures OF
peace. 1t did not occur TO our administration
when the proposition Of the 18th of April was
agreed upon, that another licking would beal
Santa Anna three days aller, aud still less did
they believe that another total route would les.
sen his disposition for peace, or increase his
means for carrying on the war. Yet now we are
.gravely told by the official organ, that five had
Ionly offered peace to the Mexican government
before this terrible Santa Anna had got back tc
the city Of Mexico from the heights of Cerro Cor.
do, we could have procured i'll! Never was
there anything so preposcrous.
AiterSanra Anna had lost one army at Buena
Vista, he was supposed to be willing 10 make
peace. But after he had lost another at Cerrc
Gordo, he was determined to prolong the war
The more rational conclusion is, from all thai
has taken place in Mexico, that there has never
been any fair prospect OF peace since the war be-
gan; that Santa Anna is more poweress to make
peace if he would; that he has been our bes
friend in Mexico, having betrayed army after
army and stronghold after stronghold into oul
hands; that the censure thrown on Gen. Scot
is but lame excuse for not giving him mean.
and men; aud that the allegation that if iris
had been a little earlier or Iacr, he would have
caught the Mexican government in humor lol
peace, is intended only 10 cover the reckless
assertion that peace had already been OF was
about TO be made