The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-01-15
Major Dow1ing's Second Des-
patch.
To JAMES Il. Polk, President ofHe United
.Stdtes and all ANNEXED countries.
Headquarters, City Of Mexico.
.4rnered United States, October %, 1917,


.fnRered United States, October %, 1917.
DEAR COLONEL Things is getting along
here well as could he expected, consideriu
the help we have, but we are altogether too
weak handed to work to profit.Ify YOU want us
to hurry along down south, we need a good
deal more help and more money. 1t wouldn't
he no use to give that three millions Of dol
lars to Santa Anna now, for the people have
got so out with him that lie couldn't make
peace ifhe had six millions. He's skuIIing
about the country, and has as much rs he
cat do take care ofhimselE So | think you
had better give up the notion about peace
altogether, it'll be such hard thing to get,
and send us on the three millions here to
help us along in our anneXin. LIS like the
old woman's soap-if it don't go ahead, it
goes back. Itwould be a great help to us in
the way of holdin on what we get, If you
would carry out that plan ofgiving the Mex
lean land TO settlers from the United States as
fast as we annex it. Eve been very impatient
to see your proclamation offering land to
settlers to come out here. You've no idea
how much help it wonld be TO us if we only
had plenty of'our folks out here, SO that, as
fast as we killed u Mexican or drove him off
from his farm, we could put an American
right on to it. five could only plant as we
go, in this way, we should soon have crop
ofsettlers here that could hold on to the slack
themselves, and leave the army free to go
ahead and keep on anneXin. | thought,
when left Washington, you was going TO
put out such proclamation right away
And | think you are putting off TOO long, for
we've got land and farms enough here now
for two hundred thousand at least; and if
they would only come on fast enough think
we could make room for twenty thousand Il
week for year to come. But I'm afraid
you're TO delicate about doing your duty III
this business you are such n stIcker for the
constitution. Pm afraid you're waiting for
Congress to meet so as to let them have n
finger in the pie. But wouldn't do ii; if
you do. Pm afraid you'll wish your cake was
dough again. From all can hear from home
things is looking rather squully there. Our
party seems to be falling of; in New York
State they are all faded away into BarnbUrn-
ers and Hunkers, and it looks all over the
country as if the wings was coming into
power; and if they should, it would be a
terrible calamity, for they are too narrow
minded and too much behind the age to un-
derstand the rights of this anneXin business.
and IFS ten chances to one if they don't con-
rlye some way to put stop to it,
I've got n good deal more that | want to
say, and some advice should like to give
you, but shall he obliged to leave it till my
next despatch. needn't stop to tell you
about Gneral Scott in this, cause | spose hell
speak for himself. But must tell you went
out tother day TO sec Ginernl Gushing, and
found him awfulIy ticked about being nomi-
mated for Governor of the old Bay State
At first he was Il good deal amazed at it ; he
was as much surprised as you was Colonel