Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-08-14

I friend every body knows it; and he has neve
sought to conceal it from any one.
NATIVE AMERIoANIsM
We mean not to hide any thing in the history O
Gen. Scott. We write of him admiringly, but W.
shall write OF him frankly. In 1916 the pretended
Democracy by representing the Wings as the enc
mics OF all foreign-bom citizens, deceived the erea
body OF these and secured their vote 1t was
thought to have defeated Mr.. Clay's election Be.
sides that, the conduct of the Empire Club in
New York, the bloody riots in Philadelphia, the
Paquemines frauds, and other like events, alarmed
many good and sober citizens and seemed to threaten
that comparatively small number Of deluded men
were going to govern us. Under the excitement OF
these circumstances, Gen. Scott like many others.
thought our birthright was going to be taken from
us, and declared himself in favor of engthenng the
term now required for the admission of a foreigner
to the rights of citizen In the heat of the mo-
ment he and many others failed to see what they
must now see that not the naturalized citizens were
to be blamed for what had happened but the native.
born Locofocos who had imposed on them, and who
impose on every body else equally that they can de-
ceive but time, reflection, and especially the
bravery and patriotism with which he saw our ma
turalized soldiers fight through the Mexican war.
convinced him that he had been wrong and, as
brave and honest men are the promptest to make
amends, he made them to those to whom he had
done injustice by a letter of 10th May, lS4S, to
Mr.. w. H. Robinson
THE MEXICAN wAR-sCoTT PLACED IN COMMAND.
We come now to that great and brilliant series Of
military operations; the daring, and it may well
be styled romantic, expedition against the city of
Mexico, which, its bold conception and admirable
execution, must place the name of WINFIELD SCoTT
among the very first in modern warfare for consum-
mate sodership. The facts however, are SO recent,
so fresh in the memory of many in all parts of our
country who shared in them, that we shall have
less need to relate them with any minuteness
| In the very outset of the war, the brave Gen.
Taylor and his gallant army had won succession
Of victories, which, while they gave great reputa-
ton to our arms, placed us in possession of the
Mexican territories, on that side as far as Tampco
on the coast and Saltlo in the interior Stockton
and Fremont had seized upon Upper California, with
little resistance; Kearny upon New Mexico with
less; and Wool and Doniphan were marching unop-
posed over wide and worthless regions. But these
acquisitions (the gold of California being vet un-
discovered) promised us nothing but terrible ex-
pense OF troops to maintain them, as long as the
war lasted; and as they had always been burden
some to Mexico, their loss was little likely to make
her wish for peace. In short, our Government be-
gan to perceive that the war threatened to become
long and ruinous one; for that it could only be
finished by striking at the central seat of the Next
can power; and this there seemed no hope of reach
ing with any Of our armies 1t was in this state of
things that Gen. Scott undertook to show them that
there were resources in the art of war by which
great leader could penetrate to the very capital of
our adversary, and from " the halls Of Montezuma"
dictate peace. At first they looked on his whole
idea as mere dream but it was not long before
Scott made them see that it could be realized They
then adopted it and entrusted its execution to him
for they well knew that nobody else was capable of
it. But, warned by the triumphs of Gen. Taylor, |
which had raised them up rival for the Presidency,
they determined, in employing Scott to guard against
any addition to his already dangerous renown, by
setting over him Democratic Lieutenant-G eneral.
This purpose, however, they took care to conceal
until he was gone upon the expedition and, hap
PLY, Congress refused to adopt the idea of the lieu
tenant-generalship The latter, them proceeded to
the scene OF operations passing by way of the Rio
Grande and Tampco to the isle of Lobos where his
troops were to be collected and leaving his ord
nance and other materials of war to follow him to
Vera Cruz. There, by the 9th March, 1S47, his
whole fleet of transports arrived and took station at
Anton Lzardo, twelve miles south of the city. On
the 18th, the General accompanied by his chief off,
GERS and those of our squadron examined the shore.
IN the little steamer Petrita, and fixed on point
about three miles south of the city for the landing
HE LANDS NEAR VERA CRUZ-LAYS SIEGE TO 1T, |
TAKES IT.
There have been few enterprises for many CEN
turtles, like that of our great captain; none SO dar-
ing, except that of Cortez. That of Lepanto, and |
that of the invincible Armada were failures Bona
parties against Egypt was far more numerous and
at last defeated The French have been the teach
ers of war to the modern world but their expedi
ton against Algiers in 1880, while much larger,
and of far longer preparation, was every way ex-
ceeded by SCOTS. He surpassed his teachers.
They, under much more favorable circumstances,
threw ashore, in day, but 9, 1000 men he, 10000.
They lost by accidents in the operation near forty
men; he, not one. Nothing was ever better ma
naged. 1t was, indeed, so well done as to prevent
all opposition by the enemy. He obtained the first
great pont-a foothold for conquest-without strik-
ing a blow. The second-the capture of Vera
Cruz and its great castle-was accomplished with
equal ability, almost without loss in surprisingly
short time; and yet, with scarcely half the means
OF attack which the Government was to have sent
him, he landed his troops on the 9th, invested the
city at all points by the 18th on the 1Sth though
delayed for five days by storm which rendered
impossible the landing Of his siege guns, he opened
his trenches; by the 22d he was ready to batter it,
and sent it formal notice to surrender; and by
the 10Th he had torn it to pieces that it offered
to capitulate, which it accordingly did next day
and ON the 29th he took possession of the city, the
castle, about five hundred pieces of fine artillery
quantity of military stores, five thousand prison
ers and the chief commercial port of Mexico, the
proper basis and point of supply for his further con-
A al b,o olr, AID l.,