Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1848-05-18

tons, have left here under Gems. Bus
tamente and Minon, for San Luis Po-
tosl, under the pretext preserving or
der and tranquility, which are threat.
ened by the rising of the indians of the
Sierra Gordo.
! All the opinions expressed up to this
time by the members of the new Con-
gress are in favor of peace.
! Cry OF MEXICO, April 10, 184S.
Herewith you will find the second
letter of your Queretaro correspondent,
dated the 18th inst; and had it not
been for the breaking down of the dill
igencia on the road, l should have had
a letter a day later from him.
This letter will be found exceedingly
interesting at the present moment, in
view of the possibility of:he treaty not
being ratified at Queretaro, and a re-
opening ofthe war, inasmuch as it gives
in detail the present military resources
of the country, and what is deemed
necessary by the government, in case
a prolongation of the war is determined
upon. But, in case such determlna-
ton is thought of, how appalling must
these statistics be to any Mexican of
sense, who desires to preserve the ma
tionali,y of his country! Eleven thou.
sand FIVE hundred men is all they can
bring into the field. They say, if
peace cannot be had, they want SO, 800
men more, and l55 pieces of artillery;
of which latter they have, learn from
good authority, at all points, not more
than 40 pieces, and these generally of
an inferior quality. To support the
force which they say would be requlr-
ed, would involve a monthly expendi.
ture of over million of dollars; and
with all their ports in our possession,
and large portion of their richest ter
ritory, together with seven or eight of
their most wealthy and populous cities,
whence, in the absence of all national
credit, can they expect to raise so large
a sum- So desperate a situa-
ton of the affairs of the country, one
should think, would bring the members
Of Congress together at Queretalo in a
rush, to- ratify the highly favorable
treaty that awaits their action. But
we have no evidence of such a dispo-
sition; and, by virtue of the members
of Pena y Pena's government ala the
"occupationists," who are daily grow
ing in strength, the treaty may be re-
jected; or-which would be the same
in result-they may prevent the action
of Congress upon it until the I'd of
June, when, as is understood, if the
treaty be not ratified, warlike opera
{ tons are to be resumed.
Your correspondent at Queretaro
still refers to assertions, and continues
to assert that American officers are
among the number. l am yet of opin-
ion that he has been deceived in this
matter, and that privates and non-com-
missioned officers who have gone to
Quere:aro have, for the purpose of OBJ
tanning respectable positions in the
Mexican army, represented themselves
as having been commissioned officers
which | take it, your correspondent
means they have been) In the Ameri-
can army. You will think the state
ment of your correspondent (that sew
eral Of these deserters have been sent
into the interior States TO organize
companies of Americansj strange; but
| am credibly informed that there are
some six or eight hundred teamsters,
discharged soldiers, and deserters, seat
tered through the country, some idling
and others at work in the factories, or
engaged in other occupations. The
greater part ofthis number are at Guam
ajuato and Guadalajara. This attempt
on the part ofthe government to in
crease the military force of the soun.
try, and the efforts TO promote deser-
ton from our army would seem to con.
vey belligerent intentions; bu: il NAV
be that Pena y Pena is looking to the
possibility Of being compelled by his
own eoun,rymen TO continue the war.
The letter says that several of the
States have refused to send their rep