The Port Gibson reveille. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 185?-1857, 1853-04-20
Santa Anna at Carthagena.

AS Santa Anna is about to return to Mex
leo, 10 take position once more at the heal Of
affairs, everything in regard to his past life,
will be read with deep interest The Cour-
icr des EtatS UniS, Of New York, contains
the following interesting letter on the life Of
the Mexican Dictator, in his retreat in New
Granada. The writer, who was a French
man, visited the General. in company with
distinguished Englshman, at Turbaco, six
leagues from Carthaeena. lie has been re-
siding here for nearly two years, in company
with his young, beautiful, and accomplished
wife, and his daughter by a former marriage.
The writer says -
Ills style was quiet and uniform, nor did
the presence Of guests interfere in the least
with his daily rotinue. Every morning, af-
ter n cup Of coffee, the General mounted his
horse and rode for a couple Of hours On
his return he bathcd. and breakfasted at ten
o'clock. At noon, precisely, he entered his
private cabinet, where he received all who
called on business, and calculated interest
so nicely, that he might have told you the
productive value Of a shilling for a quarter
Of an hour.' In fact, it is said that he
acted the part Of an adroit and most success
ful money lender.
After these tolls were over. the custom
airy siesta Of the country refreshed his jaded
senses aud then, five times every week, the
neighboring sportsmen flocked to his house
with their choicest game cocks. The pit
was Immediately filed. Santa Anna took
the seat Of honor, TO preside over the gladia-
torial poultry, and every main absorbed enor-
nous bets, in which Santa Anna was COM
monty loser Of the dollars he had gained in
the morning by his commercial usury.-
Yet the patient exile lost his doubloons ap-
parently with as much coolness as hc had
made them.
Before tie six o'clock dinner, the Cen
cral INDUCED again in the luxury Of a bath
and whenever his table was honored by the
presence Of an eminent visitor, he did not
+ fail. no matter how hot the weather, to crafty
his personal vanity by appearing at his table
in full military costume. Ills meals were
not only sumptuous but luxurious, and nc
one seemed to enjoy them more than the
! lAlphgtri0R himself At nigh t. cards
music, wine, smoking, and sometimes dan
cling, filed up the hours until midnight
when servants appeared 10 show the stran'
gers to their apartments, where they NIGH
choose a couch or hammock, and sleep il
comfort beneath mosquito nets, until day
dawn. As soon as the first rays Of light ap
pcared, the guest was aroused By the entrance
Of servants with fresh fruits and coffee, t
commence a day which was TO be precls'
counterpart Of its predecessor
This picture Of Santa Annas life, variet
by occasional CLEANS Of ambition = whlcl
may now aud then be remarked even bencatl
his impassive GOODNESS, Exhibits the prom
inent characteristics Of this remarkable
man ;-ayarice, gambling, cockiighting, yanl
~. and lust Of power. These are strange el
ements TO form the leader and hope Of m
ton. Il will no longer be surprising tina
Mexico IS as wretched as it is, when such
person has had the power. with few intermls
sions in thirty years, to demoralize the pee
plc. and 10 use the Government with the min
gled passions Of gamester aud mlser.
- let with all his badness, Santa Anna
gifted with a certain political witchcrait, tha
has always served a while to lull his countr
into quiet, and TO give it time to recoyc
from the exhaustion Of wasted energy
This may be the case now. But the en-
will be a repetition Of the past. Since ISL
Mexico has subsisted on the money we pal
for California but that is now exhausted
and time alone can dcyelope what other r'
sorted to.