The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-04-30
THE UNION.

ed on the Rio Grande line and would be servceabe with
our column the fault entirely yon own and in
nowise inpuabie TO The War Department III YOUR opin
ION DC not exiravagant-and you say il is nothat but
Tor the diversion OF Gen Cadwaladers forces from YOU
anu me much precious time lost at the Brazos, you
might easily have taken this city [Mexicol in the
month OF June, and at fifth OF the loss sustained
August and September" you have indeed, most fear
iui account to settle with your country.
cannot however, but regard your speculative opln-
IONS On this subject fancifu and wild You greatly
resmate the force which landed at the Brazos and
subsequently Joined you. From the hest calculation
which can be made from data IN the Adlutant Generals
otce the number much less than you imagine, and
did probably exceed thousand As the reutaon
OF your charge against the department for dveng these
troops is in nowse impaired by the number, be il
or less not important to inquire INTO that matter But
there is question OF serious import, 10 which think
the country will expect you 10 answer
II these eves, which had just entered the service,
would have enabled you TO capture the city of Mexico
IN June, with comparatively small loss why did you, at
the very time you discovered that they were so much
needed and would have been useful send away from
your army three times many volunteers, who had been
many months IN service and were, as YOU acknowledge,
respectable in discipline and efficiency, and who had
dslng aished themselves at Vera Cruz and Cero Godo
and in the hour of peril, had fought by the side of your
veteran troops. and merted an honorable share in the
glory OF those memorable conflicts The perIol of their
engagement had expired. When thus sent away but
of the regiments had less than thirty AMI most
OF them had more than forty five days TO According
your opinion, coDcurred in by the department they
could have been legally retained your line of opera
tons till the last hour of their engagement If deem
ed eXpedent to take them towards Mexico with
their services AT that critical period, would have been of
esmable value in holding the post at Jaapa-so import
ant, and pectedy Northumberland keeping open
the communication between Vera Cruz and your headqnar
ters whereby supplies, munitions, and recruits coul be
safely and eypedtousy forwarded 10 you Had this been
done you would have been spared the trouble of ndtng
many items OF grievance and complaints against the War
Department for having failed to furnish them II you
had retained the twelve months volunteers until the end
OF their agreementand sufficient reason has been
shown for their premature discharge-you might for a
supplies from the main depot the Cult the army might
have been strengthened by reinforcemens at earlier
period; and many of the revolving of barbary
The road from Vera Cruz to )aapa, in which so many
lives OF our fellow-czens have been sacrificed by the
ruthless guerilleros, would not have occurred.
Another and still more lamentable calamity is, think
fairly to be ascrbed to the early obstruction of this import
ant line of communication. The brave and patriotic
who were hurried on to Mexico, in small deiachmenls
IN order 10 reinforce your army, UNEXPECTEDLY, but
necessarily detained at Vera Cruz until the numbers
there collected sufficient TO force their way through
on the Jalapa road While thus detained on that inhos-
ptable coast IN the sckly season. they exposed
the attacks of wasting pestence. formidable, and
as 1t unfortunately proved, more destructive, than the
Mexican army.
When the unwecome news of the premature discharge
OF this large body of volunteers received here,
companied by any explanation to show the necessity of
the act, excited very general surprise and regret Its
consequences were al foreseen but the step had
been taken. ana could not be retraced twas loudly
demned. Many did not believe that a measure which
appeared 10 be so unwise and Injurious to the opera
tons of the army. could have emanated from yourself;
but they less charitable towards the President and
Secretary OF War Both were denounced for what Won
had done; they unscrnpuously charged with weak
ness and picity with being acuated by hostility TO
YOU and desire TO secure popularity with the voun-
eers Nor these bitter assaults inlemited, until
It began TO be suspected that they instructed
II you really regarded, the 9th OF May, the algmen-
ation OF your forces as being OF such vital importance
is almost difficult account for the taken TO re.
engage the volunteers, for their premature discharge
am mlsled BY information, which ought to rely, if
many OF these volunteers would not have continued in
while they ndulgng the hope OF participating in
further trumphs and of being among those who would
enjoy the envable distinction of first entering as vctos
the proud capita of the Mexican republic Though the
subject there presented to their consideration Wig
orous efforts seem to have been adeno attempt TO form
companIesor to muster them into service, until this
powerful lnlucement was weakened or withdrawn-un-
til they Mad been deacued from victorious army as if no
longer deemed worthy TO be part of itsent sixty miles
towards their homes into pesenial region and there
brought within the sympathetic influence OF the senti-
menls which II was natural that many should feel and
manifest at the moment of eembarking 10 return to their
families and friends. Considering the manner in which
the Presidents or Ter this subject attempted be
executed, II is not strange that, among than three
the 4th of May, only about fifty individuals were lound
willing to engage
You seem to have suddenly conceived the notion of
converting the army, ke Cortez, "'into sell sustaining
ndctine and, to make the resemblance between YOUR
self and the Spanish hero complete, You INDUCED
dream OF fancy, until you seem to have adopted it
matter OF belief, that you were doomed at Washington ::
and you became, ''ke him, always afraid that the next
ship or messenger might recall further cripple" YOU
It should not be forgotten, that the design of this
countable military movement was first communicated TO
Mr. Trst before you had given any nimaton of il to
your government, and while under the perturbation of
mind which his unwelcome presence in Mexico had pro
ducad Had you conhIed this extraordinary plan of
campaign him after the happy change" in your rea-
tionsafter you had dl5eslei his "faayo of insoence
conce and arrOgance'and after he, too, installing
toety for fame, had sought TO win by dsobeying the
orders of his government deying lis authority and
sailing its conduct--thls distinguishing mark of your
confidence him would have caused much less surprise
This novel conception, so suddenly adopted, as
suddenly carried outs your army was, III eed converted
Into a self Sustaining nachne," you discharged the
twelve months volunteers, and broke up your posts at
Jalapa and on the way TO your main depot, resolved"
you announced, "no longer TO depend Vera Cruz or
home"you put yourself beyond the reach of the sup.
plies which had been provided by the government and
rendered yourself in great measure, inaccessible 10 the
recruits and levles Except in strong pares) which had
been raised to augment your command In this way you
rendered unavaing, for time at least, all that had
been coad be done by the assduous and nce5sau Ia
bors of the War Department in all It's branches; and then
you recklessy put forth the goundless complaint OF "a
total want OF support and sympathy from II.
Your letter of the 18th of July, which was not received
at Washington until the goth OF December last abounJs
with complaints against the department, and refers IN
strong the wants and sufedngs of the amy at
that time Before you ventued to make its then dest
tue condition ground of charge against the War De-
lions fell upon it in the midst of your experiment of ma
king it 81 self sustaining machne,-and were the leslli-
mate fruits OF that experiment These suferngs came
upon if before your estimated period of isolation from