Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1848-03-08
From the National rntelligencer.
Mr.. PoINsETT TO SENATOR BUTLER.
White House, Pee Dee, Feb. II, 1s4s.

u'eeSeO
of tue Mexican war, instanced the opposition
made BIZ the heroic Caucasians to the power of
Russia as au example of the difficulties TO be
encountered in subduing MAJ, however fee
bic, when ani.4iate,! by the love of liberty and
| Independence. It has since occurred to me
that brief reorganization IT the circumstances
attending the desperate struggle maintained by
| Mexico herself against the power nnd influence
of Spain for twelve years, and which tel rnlnated
in her emancipation from most oppressive
colonial dependence, will furnish an iIustra
ton of my position still more applicable and in
| structiye.
1t appears that the curates and the lawyers
| of Mexico united to bring about revolution,
which was rendered urgent by the long CON
| tinued systematic oppression of the mother
country, and which, at the cost of so much blood
and so many sacrifices, succeeded in liberating
l millions of people and of future generations.-l
| The first movement was made by the Curate
Hidalgo, in the small town of Dolores, situated
in the province of Guanaiuato, or the night of
the 18th Sept. 1910. This first outbreak was
responded to throughout ali New Spain, and
the capital of the province openee its gates TO
the Curate of Dolores. Here the first blood
was split: for all the European Inhabitants in
the rich and populous city Guanaiuato were put
to death by the Infatuated native inhabitants.
The Indian population formed the chief por-
ton of Hidalgo's forces, and on all occasions
evinced the most obstinate courage. And here
it may by well to remark that the Mexican IN
dams are and ever have been an agricultural
race, and therefore susceptible of the highest
, civilization. After this exploit the revolution
airy army marched towards the capital. With
in eight leagues of the city gates they encoun-
tered and defeated the forces of the Viceroy,
sent out to arrest their progrcss but, instead of
foil t,ofr
had the weakness to receive proposals of peace
from Canegas, who sought to temporize, and,
in effect, did gain time to reorganze his forces
and put them in a position 10 contend advan:-
ageously with the irregular troops comma nded
by Hidalgo. After the loss of much precious
time, the insurgents, with an array of one hun
dred thousand men, commanded by IIidalgo and
Alenda, retired 10 Acuieo. where they were
j.. overtaken and attacked by Gen. Calleia at the
!, head of len thousand Spaniards. After san
" culinary contest the insurgents were defeated.
leaving in the hands of Calleia their artillery.
= military chest, and great number of prisoners.
This chieftain treated his captives as rebels,and
his cruelties covered all Mexico with mourning.
= The prisons of the city were filed with victims
{" and many virtuoas citizens were put to death
because they were suspected of fdvoring the re-
volt. There flagr9nt acts of cruelty, instead OF
subduing the spirit of MeSicons. excited their
= profound resentment and rendered the cause OF
: the insurgents national. The small BODY OF
II men who remained with Hdalgo retired to-
wards Guadaaiara, and were every where re-
ceived with open doors and open arms. They
met with no resistance in any of the towns OF
= provinces through which they passed. and they
= entered the city of Guadalaiara. and remained
:" there some time unmolested When they ef
q! that place l!daleo was at the head of a force
C - -5rtr
: defeated at Aculeo. But his men were badly
:. armed and the leaders entirely ignorant of the
= art of war. and they were again defeated b,
the disciplined troops of Calleja, although mo-
: quite one to ten, with still greater slaughter
: than before. Upwards of eighteen thousand
+ Mexicsns were killed, and double that number
:, wounded. The leaders fled towards the north
:. ern provinces. were met there by Col. Salcedo
= again defeated, taken prisoners, and shot at The
:. village OF Chihunahua. These disasters would
have terminated the revolution, if the sentiment.
= of liberty had not taken deep root in the mind,
= of the people. A national feeling is not to b.
> suffocated in blood. 4 lawyer by the name O
. Rajon assumed the command. and reasonable,
4 the scattered forces of Hidalgo, and. unitet
- with his two brothers and other patriotic Mex
- leans. maintained the cause of independence TO
y whole year against the repeated assaults O
2 the royalIsts. At this period appeared the two
:. curates. Morelos AMI Aatamoros, the forme
the most distinguished leader of the Mexican
e revolution. The latter ran a brilliant but shor
'e career. After several successful actinns. h,
r was defeated and taken prisoner by BODY @
D, men commanded by fturbide who at that peri
J. od was distinguished fer the courage and activ
y ty which he dis played against his countrymen
y Matamoros was shot. Morelos maintained him
lie self much longer His forces were augmented
IN and he deemed it expedient to call together 9
| To for,s,
sr was premature, and proved fatal error. Ht
t. was surrounded by active enemies, requiring
r him to act promptly and rapidly, while the Con
gress OF Chipunclngo opposed al his measure;
& and embarrassed him with orders he could moi
y execute. This conduct paralyzed all his meas
h ures, and the consequence was that, after in
credible exertions, Moreios was defea ted by the
d, royals is, takan prisoner, and shot. The loss
I'd of Moreos, which occurred in lSl 4, discouraged
lie the revoutionist: there no one to take his
of place, and the chieftains, who had all acknowl
tn edged his superiority scattered each one at the
t. head of his own band, maintaining i'm several
Of parts of the country desutory war, and keep
ing alive the spirit of the people. All south,
s. to command but no one possessed sufficient in
to fuence or the acknowledged talent to succeed
5, Morelos; and 1t actually occurred on more than
one occasion that the rival generals fought each
other, after having united their forces to attack
and rout the common enemy. Still they kept
" up the war; and contrived, each at the head oil
r, his own band to harass the royalists and main
,r tain an independent attitude. The Vicerov
j. Caleja was cruel: no quarter was given to the
insurgents; their lives were forfeited, their ha
$ ciendas destroyed, their property confscated.-
{, The revolutionists retaliated, and the country
n was laid waste and deIuged in blood
y In 1917 the Viceroy Apodaca succeeded the
II bloodthirsty Caileia. and. pro6tinp bv mast ex
perience, he determined to try the effect of mild
: measures. He succeeded in seducing some OF
e the leaders; others that were captured were par
doned and well treated: and hv this ,uiso co,,rSo