The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-02-24

nc COUt0 &c C0PtuTeO. AOss Ae4ey0 was
captured in the same hacienda on that
night.
THIRD DISPATCHES FROM MAJOR
DOWNING.
IrRivATE.
To JAMES X. Polk, President IF TIC USi-
ted States Of America, Merico, &c. h
ClTy CT MExuco, ANNEXED U. 81
December 80, 1917.
DEAR CuLuSiL: feel good deal anx-
ious 10 hear how you are getting along
there at home, md 'sposc YOU aro full ns
anxious to know how We arc going il QUE
here. got your message 10 Congress and
their first thrco days duings, aud that's
the las. I've heard. When I found tho
Wings had fairly carried the House, ! sec
in moment there was q bad time ahead
of us Says |, look out for squalls; the old
ship will have rough time OF il this winter.
had good mind 10 como right home 10
help stand by the helm, tas ! knew you
would need me. But then ! see at once
that wouldnt d., for our officers have got
into dreadful snarl Out here, and should
not dare 10 leave ill things is settled, (or
fear the annexn would all go back again
and VIC should lose our two years work.
So, MS Ican't conc, all can do is TO give
my notions about things little by way Of
advice.
see how twill be: The House will be
quarfclIing with you all winter; they'll 30
al sto h-eI hnu
can think Of, aud all the time prying into
voGr secrets about the war and annexin.-
Aud don't believe the Senate will be o
copper better. IT'S true they nint 50 inn-
nv Wings there. but there's them there that
is full us bad. You never can do anything
with Mr.. Calhoun; YOU know hc always
splits every thing in two, even TO o hair;
and tho most he'll ever do fnr ns about this
snncxin business will DO 10 split fl little
piece Of Mexico. he finds out NO arc
nnncxin the whole Of il, he'll fight ncin u
I'LL he is blue. Then there's Col. Benton
don't think he's u whit better than Mr..
Calhoun. You knnw what a fuss he mado
when we took in Texas, because We sot
out 10 take in little strip Of Mexico with
il; only little reasonable strip, too, jest
on our side Of the river, 50 ms TO make
square work oft. Col. Bcnton's cbcnc-
ger was RICH, up about il; he snid il didnt
belong to Us, end il didn't belong 10 Texas,
and VIC bad no right to it, and shouldn't
iouchit. Now, lhc n,ndc such fuss about
TINT little slip on our side of the river, he'll
be apt TO raise Ned and turn up Jack if he
finds out We have notion of anncxim tho
whole Of Mexico. And he's terrible enc
my 10 havc,' | can tell you; don't believe
there's another man in the country that
can look down opposition equal 10 him.
Now, with such men as these in the Senate
besides nil the thunder Of Webster, and oil
the persuasion Of Criicnden, how arc you
agoing ,oget along? think Of nowny for
us to get along safe but 10 keep such men
in the dark. Keep coaxing the money out
of em 10 conquer peace, but never lot EN-
misirust that We intend 10 conquer tho
whole. We must look ono way all tho time
and row t'uihcr.
know you'll have hard time Of il, for
Congress will keep diving into you all tho
time with this question aud that, aud pry-
ing into oil the secrets about the war, ind
want 10 know what orders you give Ia us
out here in Mexico, aud what the armies
are ogoing TO do, and where all the n,oncy
goes 10, anda thousand things they have
no business with. Now, when they keen
coming TO you with these ugly questions, I
T think the only safe way will Lc Tor you TO
shct Your mouth right up, and keep stiff
upper lip, aud nit say word. And do
pray be careful what sou tell good old Mr..
liiichic, fur you know he never could keep
his mouth shet. There's some doQs, you
know, that always bark at the wrong time,
nnd frigh'cn nway the game. You never
Gun train EN- TO keep still when they ought
10. You remember, more than two Gears
ago, before the war begun when you was
H., ing out the work privately aud carefully,
and getting your ships round 10 the Pacific.
and giving the officers there orders 10 stan
ready and wait ill tho train was touched
Oh this side, aud the moment they heard the
tlrst sound 81 the war, 10 snatch up Califor-
MIA and annex il, and 10 hold OF 10 il, 20
that It We found the people wouldn't let the
war 60 On, We could come 10 a settlement.
aud each side bold what they had rot-you
remember how Mr.. Richie got 90 full of
the matter, that he like 10 blowed tho whole
business up, BY letting on about tho Con.
quest 81 Mexico. 4 little more such care
'essncss at that time would been likelyto
upset our whole kettle Of f>h-wc might
lost California, md Santa Fc, aud likely
enough even that little strip IN our sidc of
the river jining Texas. Aud. 40 fr tho
whole Of Mexico our jig would bin up ut
once; We might whisilcd for il till dooms-
day, but twouldut como.