The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-02-12
Miscellaneous.
From the National IntelIigencer.
Third Despatch from Major
Downing.
[PRIvATE.l

Downing.
PRIvATE.1
To JAMES X. Polk, President ofhe United
States Of America, yMerico, Sc.
CRY OF Mexico, ANNEXED U. S., Dec. 80,
1947.
DEAR COLONEL: feel good deal anx-
ious to hear how you are getting along there
to home, and ] 'spose you are full as anxious
TO know how we are going it out here.
got your message TO Congress, and their first
three days doings, and that's the last Pve
heard. When found the Wings had fairly
carried the House, sec in moment there
was bad time ahead for us. Says ], look
out far squalls: the old ship will have a rough
time of it this winter. had good mind to
come right home TO help stan by the helm
for knew you would need me. But then
see at once that wouldn't do, for our officers
have got into a dreadful snarl here, and
shouldn't dare to leave till things is settled
for fear the anneXin would all go back again,
aud we should lose our two years work. So
rs / can't come, all ! can do is 10 give my no.
tons about things little, by way of advice.
see how twill be; the House will be quar-
relling with you all winter; they'll be asking
you all the hard questions they can think of
and all the time prying into your secrets n
bout the war and anneXin. And don't he
lieve the Senate will be copper better. IT'S
true there aint so many Wings there, but
Ikerh's them there that is full as bad. You
never caU do any thing with Mr. Calhoun;you
know he always splits every thing in two, G.
ven to Il hair; and the most he'll ever do for
us about this annexin business will be TO
split off little piece ofMeXico. Ifhe finds
out we are anneXin the whole oft he'll fight
agin us till all is blue. Then there's Col
Benton don't think is a whit better than
Mr. Calhoun. You know what n fuss he
made when we took in Texas, because we
sol out to take in lille strip of Mexico with
it only little reasonable strip, too, jest on
our side Of the river, so as to make square
work of it. Col. Benton's ebenezer was
right up about it: he said it didn't belong to
U.s. aud it didn't belong to TeXas,and we had
nOright to it, and shouldn't tonch il.
Now, ifhe made such fuss about that lit
lie strip on our side of the river, he'll be like
ly TO raise Ned and turn up Jack if he finds
cut we have n notion of anneXin the whole
Of Mexico. And he's terrible enemy to
have, can tell you; don't believe there's n
mother man in the country that can look
down opposition equal 10 him. Now, with
such men as these in the Senate, besides all
che thunder Of Webster, and all the persuud-
in Of Crittenden, how are you going to get
along? | think there's no way for us TO get
along safe but TO keep such men in the dark.
Keep coaXing the money out of 'em 10 con-
gRer piece, but never let em misrust that
we intend to conquer the whole. We must
look one way all the time and row 'tother /
know you'll have II hard time Oft, for Con-
gress will keep diving into you all the time
with this question and that, and pryin into
all the secrets about the war, and want to
know what orders you give TO lis out here in
Mexico, and what the armies are going to do,
and where all the money goes to, and thou
sand things that they've no business with.
Now, when they keep coming to you with
these ugly questions, I think the only safe
way will be for you to shet your mouth right
up and keep stiff upper lip, and not say
word. And do try be careful what you tell
to good old Mr. Richie, for you know he new
er could keep his mouth shet. There's some
dogs, you know, that always bark at the
wrong time, and frighten away the game.
You never can train EN- to keep still when
they ought to. You remember, more than
two years ago, before the war begun, when
you was laying out the work privately and
curefully,and getting your ships round TO the
Pacific, and giving the officers their orders to
stan ready and wait till the train was touch
ed on this sde, and the moment they heard
the first sound of the war to snap up Califor-
MIA and annex it, and hold on TO it, so that if
we found the people wouldn't let the war go
on, we would come TO settlement,and each
side hold what they had got-you remember
how Mr. Richie got SO full of the matter that
NE liked to bowed the whole business up by
Seting on about the conquest of Mexico.
little more such carelessness at that time
WOULD been likely to upset our whole kittle
of hsh-we might lost California and San
ia Fee, and likely enough even that little strip
OH our side of the river jining Te%as. And,
as for the whole of Mexico our jig would a
been up at once; we might whisled for it
tl doomsday, but 'twouIdn't come. --
think you did right to make believe in
your message that you had no idea of con-
quering the whole ofMexico. | don't believe
1t would be safe to take that ground till the
work is all done. he-people of our coun-
try are too slgittish yet about conquering 9TH
er countries; they haint got use to it. And
for this reason you will have to be very firm
with Congress- and not let EN- cross question
you too close,and get you into a bother. Call
upon them boldly for large armies, and all
the millions of money the minis can make,
and all that Mr. Walker can borrow, and tell
EN- youare digging into the vital parts of
Mexico to get that five millions she owes US.
If they ask you ifMr Tyler didn't offer to
give up that five millions to Mexico 20 pay
her for our taking Texas without her leave,
Jest shet your mouth up.
Fthey ask you if we hadn't ought to give
up that five millions to Mexico for that strip
on our side Of the river that you sent Gen.
Taylor to tqke without her leave, jest shet
your mouth up. .....-.-
lftbey ask you if Mr. Trist didn't offer to
give up that five millions to MeXico and pay
her twenty millions more if she wouldn't try
to get back California and New Mexico, that
you had taken from her without her leave,
JEST shet your mouth up. ..