The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-09-05
THE DAILY DIsPATCB


THE DAILY DISPATCH
TUESDAY n0lN.Ed. SEPfEHsEK s Isl
THE MEXICAN AND EASTERN WARS.
Daring the late war Of the United Stat. j
with Mexico, the British Journals were in
the constant habit Of deriding the slowness Of
American military operations. and we m y
odd, before every battle. Of predicting our
defeat. They made no allowances for the
fact that We had not large standing army.
our whole regular force, scattered throughout
every pan 81 = vast country, not exceeding
the pitifdl Amouns Of 1000 men, and our Ms
Wy being tho mere nucleus of naval force
They farther did not choose t. remember.
that the war commenced suddenly, giving
us no time for preparation. and that our little
force ON the Rio Grande, at the period Of the
commencement Of hostilities, wm not only
weak in ntsSbers but destitute Of some of
the most essential means Of carrying sac
cessful war force Nevertheless, the sue
ceeding movements. embarrassed and deiyatl
as they were by 80 many adverse circans-
stances. were far more speedy, energetic,
and decisive, than have been the military
movements In the East, oy the most powerful
military empires of modern times. On the
asth of March, 1886, Gen. Taylor formed IN
encsmpment opposite Matamoras. The pas-
sage of the Neuces wasregarded by the Mex
loans as an act Of invasion, and as the be
ginning Of the war In less than two weeks
from that time Gen. Taylor fought against
three times his numbers, the two famous bat
ties of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma
battles which established for American arms
prestige which was felt throughout the
whole war. and which exalted the military
reputation of America throughout the world
In little more than two months after the war
commenced, United States ship captured
San Francisco, and within five months after
the war began, the whole OF California Inc
great lard of gold, was in the military pos
sassion Of TIE GDited States. In the mean
time, although delayed by want of reinforce
ments and other means of penetrating far in
to Mexico, Gen. Tasaer, ON the Goth of Sep
tember, attacked and conquered Monterey,
place of great strength, tbs capital OF Saint
Leon.
F On the I'd of March, 1s47 an American ar
my of $4,000 men. under the command OF
Gen. Scott were landed in the vicinity OF
Gera Cruz. On the Goth of that month, the
city of Vera Cruz was captured. On the 18TH
of April occurred the great victory of Cssro
Gorda; the walled city of Jalapa was soon
after taken, and the powerful fortress OF Pc
rote surrendered to the Americans without
opposition On the 10th of May, Gen. Worth
took possession of the strong and popular city
of Puebla. At this post, Gen. Scott was ne
cessarily compelled to remain inactive for
some time, waiting for reinforcement. As
soon as this was received, he moved forward,
and on the 10th of August the great victory
of Contreras was won and was almost i'm
mediately followed by another brilliant event
the forcing of San Antonio;-then were
the great triumphs of Cherubusco, of Moline
del Rey, and the splendid and successful ct
tack upon Chepultepec; and, not to mention
other brilliant affairs, ON the 14th of Octo-
Der, the great capital city of Mexico was cap
tured and taken possession of by the Ameri
seven months, in an enemy's country,
through a most rugged and mountainous re-
gion, with long line in the rear to be de-
Tended; with defiles and mountain fortresses
in front, presenting the best opportunities of
desperate defence, and against an army of
four times their numbers of the invaders,
headed by the best General of their country.
All these obstacles were overcome, and Mex.
co conquered in less than seven months by
an active force of not more than IL 900 men.
Now, what has been done by those coun-
tries whose newspapers so ridiculed the Uni
ted States for the slowness of their opera
tons in the Mexican war. About seven
months have already elapsed since the Eas-
tern war was commenced by the two great
nations the most splendid feet the world
ever saw was sent to the Baltic: the finest ar
my of modern times, $4,000 strong, to the
Black Sea, and not battle has that army yet
fought with the navy. Nor until the capture
of Bomersund, which has just occurred, has
single martial feat of the slightest conse-
quence, been performed in the Baltic. The
allies have taken the field but, as Punch
says, they have taken nothing else. The lit
tie bands of both Taylor and Scott. imper-
fectly equipped, and fighting against three
times their numbers, accomplished on their
respective lines of operation, the grandest
Results, in the same time in which the allied
powers effected nothing.
SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER
The Southern Literary Messenger for Sen.
TENDER is a number of unusual interest. The
contents are as follows:
LIST An Address by B. J. Barbour, Eco. of Orange
county delivered before the Literary Societies Of
the Virginia Military Institute, July 1854. 2d Ed.
ora' Letter from Europe, descriptive of trim from
London to Paris Calais, Paris Life, French Liber,v
&c. IL Eioquence: the Talker, the Speaker, he
orator; Eloquence Defined; Requisites of the Or
TOR. &C. 4th Calm Discussion of the Know.
Notnins Question-Rise and Progress of the Know
noth'nge-The Deletereous Effects of such Political
Assocatons, &c. 9Th The Poet and Peasant fth.
Inc Pacific Railroad-its Importance-who should
ouiid t-and why the Government should not build
u tn Mrs. Emily Judson her Poems. eth. Ed
horiai Letter from Europe-ride to Hampton Cour
-English and American Giris Contrasted- Thsck
cray, Topper. Mecaulay, go. 9th. A Morning Rev
eft0. 10Th. "Alone," Critiuue llth GSSnars