Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1847-12-23
q From the National fntelligencer.
SECOND, DEsPATcHEs
FROM MAJOR DOWNING.
Headquarters. Merico, ne,o addition 10 The
United STATES, October 25. IS47.

Mr.. Gales & SEAToN:-My deaf old ftiends,
GineraI Scott and find a good deal Of bo,hee
about ge.ing our dispatches through to Vert
Cruz, of else you'd hear from me oftener.
do think the President is too backward about
clearing out this road from here to Vera Cruz
and keeping j, open, and Introducing the i'm
proyemen,s into the country that we stand so
much IN need Of here. He and Mr.. Richie
pretends to have constitutional sciuples about
it, and says the constitution don't allow OF in
,ernai Improvements, and MIR. Richie says the
resolutions Of '49 is dead agiu it too; and be-
sides, Mr.. Richie says these internal improve
men,s is Federal doctrine, and he'd always
60 apin 'em for lha, If no,hin else. Blu, 'ls
sifange TO me that The Presiden, hasn't never
found out yet that where there's will there's
way, constitution or constitution. All he's
go, to do is 10 call all these roads found here
ia Mexico " military roads" aud then he'd have
the constitution on his side for every body
knows the constitution allows him ID make mil.
iary roads know the President i. very del.
ca,e about ffinging dn the constitution, so
don, blame him SO much for holding Back about
the internal Improvements here in Mexico;
though don, think ,hefs's any other part Of
the United States where they are needed more.
But there's no need Of splitting hairs about the
roads military roads is nj internal improve
ments, and he's right 10 make military foads'
a. much as he pleases. And as them is ies.
the kind OF road, we want here; and shall wanr
for fifty years, (for armies will have, to kssp
marching about The country for Fifty years Be.
fore they II be able TO tame these Mexicab,
and iorn 'em into Americans,) il Is confoundetl
strange to me that the President is SO behiiid
hand about this business. What's the use sc
our going on and annexn away down south
here, if he dom. back US up and hold on 10 The
slack! And there's no way TO hold on to it
but to keep these military roads open so Our
armies can go back and forth and bring us in
vicluals and powder and shot and money.
| Here we've been, weeks and weeks sGs a
we annexed the ci,y Of Mexico, waiting and
holding on for The Presiden. to send Us m,ss
men and more money. and tell us what T., u,
next. This backwardness Of the P'se..ias nj,
since we got into The city Of MEXICO seem,
more strange 10 me, considering. For. when
he was fxen me off to come out here and ,ea
If could make settlement with Santa Anna.
tried to persuade him TO let the armies hold
sill while was making the bargain. | told
him he never could bring naan to reason or to
trade, when he was kEocking of him down all
the time. Bu couldu't make him seem to
understand it. He Stood TO il hi. way was the
bes.-the sword in one hand and peace in 10th.
er. all the way along-a word and blow and
the blow always first. -
Why. Major Do'snlng." says he. "if you
want TO reason a 1.zn into peace, lhals another
Thing; but if YOU wan. to roagusr peace, my
way is the OILY way. That's tho way begun
this war, and that's The way mean TO carry it
olt," tel -y
!, ".How sol" says |; show did you begin the
war in that way!"
why" says he, "Sdel was the word, and
and Taylor was the blow and no. only my
friends, bu, even my enemies admit .ha, the
blow come 6rst."
The President said that was The rule he had
gone by all tho way along, and he meant tn
suck TO il; and no, hearing any ihing from him
so long, I'm afraid he's got a noion thai peace
is conquered: Bu. that would be bad mis-
take. If he has got such notion; for i, ism,
conquered; it's only scattered. lis good deal
Fas twas with Bill Johnson. when he and was
boys, and be undertook 10 conquer a hornets
nest. expectin TO get lots Of honey. He took
club and marched biavely up TO it and hi. j.
an awful dig, aud knocked i, into thousand
| finders.
"'rhere, blast ye," says Bill. II guess you're
done tu .now," as he begun 10 look round for
the honey. Blu. he soon found twas at con-
quered; twas only scattered. Aad presently