Tri-weekly journal., 1848-01-11

SANTA ANNA's DEFENcE.-A supplement to
the New Orleans Picayune of the 18th ult.,
contains Santa Annals defence for the loss of
the battles before the city of Mexico. 1t is
very lengthy and we can't find room for the
whole of it, but we give the concluding por-
ton of the account of the battles on Contre-
ras and Churubusco:
The audacity of some of the enemy sdragoons
went so far as to cross at full gallop the column
which was marching from Portales to Candida
ria, and they reached the parapets of this point,
where being recognised they were fired upon,
and all killed except one officer who was
made prisoner This officer declared at the mo-
ment with good deal of candor, that, 'having
understood from one Of our prisoners that in
that troop was Gen. Santa Anna, he had form
ed the resolution with the men who were will
ing to follow him, to reach him and take his
life, as if they succeeded they would acquire
glory, and if they failed they would die with
honor" As soon as | was informed of the de-
claration, ordered that the prisoner should be
treated with consideration, and declared that,
far from being offended at his holiness, l adj
mired his valOr and paid him the homage due to
him.
At o'clock in the morning of the following
day everything was prepared for the combat in
spite of the bad condition into which we had
been placed by the previo S occurrences, but at
l l o'clock l received at the causeway of La
Vega despatch from Gen. Scott, in which he
proposed the armistice which is already known
to the nation, copy of which annex marked
No. l, and which | accepted instantly on &C
count of our desperate situation, as will appear
by No. 2.
The calamitous events at Padierna and the
convent Of Churubusco, the loss of one-half of
our best artillery, of so many cannon and mus
kets, and finally the loss of more than one-third
of the army, had caused such dsmay that if the
enemy had renewed his attack, as l expected,
he would most assuredly have occupied the
city without much resistance. This convic-
ton made me consider as an interposition OF
Providence this unexpected occurrence, which
came to change the situation in which we
were, which it effectually did. Who will deny
that on the 9Th of September the army Of the
enemy escaped most fortunately from being
destroyed? Alas! but for the cowardice OF
some of our soldiers, but for the selfshness OF
so many citizens, what adif1erent aspect would
the Republic present at this moment
No one will say that the conferences which
took place with the commissioner of the U.
States were prejudicial to the interests of the
nation. Having been made public, they have
already manifested to the world the extrava-
CANT and unjust pretensions of that government
which, abusing its preponderance or good for
tune and our misfortunes, wished to humiiate
us and to deprive us of one half of our terrific
ry. But as in the acceptance of the armistice,
motives have been attributed to me injurious
to my reputation, can no longer keep secret
what, in those days, it would be treason in me
to publish.
As in the annexed report, previously referred
to, will be found events subsequent TO the ar
mistice. | conclude for the present; adding
copies of the correspondence which preceded
resumption of hostilities, marked numbers 3
and a.