The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-02-18
@enrrul GanIor's Gcttrr.
Sscnrr,I TsyIor's Letter 10 General
SaineS.

Gen. Gaines, has directed general atten-
,ion to the events which called it foIth.--
The letter 10 Gen Gaines has never, un-
til within day or too past, been publish
ed enlire;-the portions originally omit
ted have now been supplied ana we
copy it at length from the Day BOOK, as
!, viii be found below. lthas decided
aud permanent interest, and IS one OF
the most striking papers which have been
called forth by the incidents of the war.
Il furnishes complete vindication OF
the Capitulation Of Monterey, for which
the General was censured by the Gov
ernment aud by the Loco Foco majority
in the House Of Representatives, and sets
forth views concerning the war and the
policy proper to be pursued, which are
in the highest degree sound, Intelligent
and iudicious. Even at that early day.
Gen. Taylor expressed fear that there
would not be government enough III
Mexico sufficiently staple TO treat WIN
for many years to come, and alluded 10
the annexation of the whole OF Mexico 10
the Uuited States as project not iikely
to be favored by any considerable parry
in the United States.
The letter is clear, explicit and strong
and written, as the General says, IN great
haste and during constant Interruptions,
it bears marks of that plain, straight for
ward style which has given his despatch
es rank among the very best productions
Of the kind of any country and in any
age-N Y Courier.
The following is the letter, now pub
lished entire:
HEAD Qs. ARmr OF OccUrArioS on lNvAsioS,
NIoSrEREY. Mexico, Nov. 8, 1886.
Nv dear GeneraI;-
Your very kind aud acceptable letter
of the 31st Of August, by Surgeon Find
Iy, accompanied by your very able de
fence, reached me only short time since
for which beg leave to tender you my
sincere thanks. have, with solcllude
and interest, watched over the results OF
the investigation; aud although 1t was not
as regards the Court Of Inquiry, what |
could have wished it. yet it was as much
as | could have expected, considering
the hostile feeling entertained towards
you by some of the high fnnc'ionarles al
Washington. was fearful that the
President might to some extent and
even without being aware Of it, imblbe
some of the prejudices and unkind feel
ings of those around him in regard tc
you. lf SO, lie was, no doubt restrained
from carrying them too far IN conse
quence Of public opinion, which, as he
must have found, was decidedly in youl
favor. Be that however as it may-tak
ing it aItogether-l am gratifcd at the
result
After considerable delay on the part o
the Or. Masters Department, in gcttinl
STEAMBOATS, in the Rio Graude, adapte
to the navigation, I succeeded, toward
the latter part of August, in throwing tol
ward TO Camargo, town situated on tn
San Juan river, three miles from It's juno
,ion with the Rio Grande, on the we'
eide, nearly 500 miles from the Brazc
Island by water, and 200 by land, an
l40 from this place, considerable dc
pot of provisions, ordinance, ammuntio
and forage; and then. having brought t'
gsther an important portion of my con
mand, | determined on moving on tn
place. Accordingly after collecting 7C
pack. mules with their attendants M
conductors, in The enemy's country, I'm
principal means of transportation for ou
provisions, baggage, &c.) left, on tn
5th of September, TO join my advance
which had preceded me few days
Cerralvo, small village rs miles on tn
route, which did on the 9th; and afte
waiting there few days for some of th
corps 10 get up, moved on and reachc
here on the 18th, with $3.50 men-27O
regulars the balance volunteers. Fo
what took place afterwards, | must rete
you to my several reports-parlicularl
my detailed one of the 9th ut. do NJ
believe the authorities at Washington al
at all satisfied with my conduct in regar
to the capiiulation entered into with tn
Mexican commander. which you, II
doubt have seen, as they have been mad
public through tho official organ, an
copied into various other newspapers
have this moment received an answC
tn my despatch announcing the surrel
der of Monterey, aud the circumstance
attending the same from the Secretary
War, stating that "it was regretted by Il
President that il was not deemed advi
able to insist on the terms had propose
in my last communication to the Mex
can commander, in regard to giving u
tho ci,y.'-addng that the Circumstance
which dictated, no doubt justified Il
change"
Although the terms Of capitululion mi
be considered too liberal on our purt
the President and his advisers, as we'll
by many there at distance, particular
by those who do not understand tho p
sitinn which we occupied. (othsrwi
they might come to different conclusi
in regard to the matter) yet, on due
Heclion, | see nothing to induce me
regret the course pursued. The pre-
osition on the part of Gen. Ampud
which had much to do in determining I
course in the matter, was based on
ground that our government had propt
ed to him to settle tho existing difficult
by negotiation. (Which | knew was /
case without knowing the result) viii
was then under consideration by pror
authorities, and which he (Gen. A. b