Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-10-31

| There were several Mexican ports still open,
and he might and would have returned
without I" the pass. . go
His return to Mexico crested n wild ex-
citemont of joy and hope. The air was
'rended with the welcoming shouts of his
countrymen, and the thunder of cannon,
and the glaro of pyrotechnics attestcd the
enthusiasm of the people, Despair changed
to hope, personal and party friends were
forgotten, soldiers foeked to his standard,
and in three months after his arrival he had
gathered around him at Potosi an army of
more than twenty thousand men-the Chi
valry of Mexico.
Santa Anna is certainly the most rcmar
kable man who has figured in the history
and politics of Mexico He was born in a
little town near the city of Vera Cruz about
the year 1901. His father was Spanish
noblemon in exile, and his mother a French
woman. He was poorly educated, and is
not even yet man of learning lie was
always favoritc of the Vera Cruzans, a.
mong whom he spent the greater part of
his life He was Colonel of the regiment
| at Vera Cruz in 1924, when he had per-
sonal difficulty with President Bustamente
and he began at once the revolution Which
overthrow Bustamcnte Since that time
he has, with few intervals, been ruler of
Mexico, sometimes President and some
times Dictator In politics and chicanery
he Is deep, shrewd, and subtle; ain intuitivo
judge of men, familiar with the weak and
frail side of human nature Asa military
man he is without capacity. He has fought
| a hundred battles, and never gained one
except by accident, superior force, or the
bluuders of his adversary. To this gcner-
al statement there is but one exception.
His only brilliant and successful feat of
arms, was his capture of Tampico from the
Spanards. He was in command at Vera
Cruz in 1889, when it was taken by the
French. 1t was there that he lost one of
his feet, (not his lcgs) which was taken off
bya cannon ball. Morally, he IL much
more unserupuloue and base than the aver
age of his countrymen His hands arc in
caradined with blood, she'd not in bonora-
bic combat, but shed in violation of bis
pledged honor, and most solemn and sacred
obligation. No plea can avail him Tho
the principle may be just that no mercy
shall be granted to rebels, yet it is coupled
with the condition that no mercy shall be
promised to rebels. Even Jesuitism can
not invent respectable defence for viola
tion OF solemnly pledged faith. In this CON
dition stands Santa Anna. The blood of
hundreds of men, shed upon the altar of
violated honor, and broken faith, cries out
condemnation of him.
lie is now again an exile from his coun-
try, but it is probable that he will again re-
turn, "to ride upon the whirlwind, and di-
rect the storm" of his troubled and unhap-
Ply country.
The month of October, 1876 found
Santa Anna at San Louis Potosi That
was the next anticipated point of attack,
and making his head quarters there, he
began with his peculiar energy the work of.
defence. The third great battle had just
been fought and Monterey had fallen into
the hands of our victorious army.
On the 18th of November, Gen. Scott
WAS ordered to proceed to Mexico and take
command, but he was left entirely to his
own discretion as to what he should do after
getting there. A descent on Vera Cruz
had been contemplated for long time, and
all the information was obtained which was
! possible, in regard to its strength, but the
administration did not advise, much less
order Gen. Scott to make the descent upon
IT. His orders were conveyed on the 23rd
OF November IN these very indefinite words:
"The President, several days since, com
municat2d IN person. to you his orders to
repair to Mexico, to take command of the
Ijorees there assembled; and particularly
to organize and set on foot am expedition to
operate ON the Gulf coast, if on arriving at
the theatre of action you shall deem it to
be practicable"
This was something like a dodge of re-
sponsibility by the administration, after or
derng him to Mexico with design upon
Vera Cruz Since Gen. Scott assumed all
'thc responsibility of that project, to him
be all the glory of its brilliant success.
The Mexicans were not ignorant of the
expedition against Vera Cruz, They had
captured 1T. 'Richey and his party, and the
government dispatches of which he was
the bearer, fell into their hands In these
dispatches, the design upon Vera Cruz as
the next point Of attack was distinctly an
nounced, Santa. Annals conduct in this
matter was stupendous bluudere There
was hardly sergeant in his army who
wot Id have committed such a bidndcr. He
was at San Louis Potosi with a splendid
army of more than 10000 He was fully
informed of the facts-kney the movement
of Scott-saw. the troops removed from
Paylor's command to go to Vera Cruz, and
yet with q folly that was really amazing,
instead Of going to defend Vera Cruz, he
marched his army with Jehu stride, over