The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-09
BALTIMORE.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1859.

determination, MIRAMON has left the city of Mexico,
and was reported on the 22nd of February to be
on his way 10 the Gulf Coast He was to have
left Pueba, the Goth, at the head of four thou
sand men, for the purpose of attempting the cap
ture of 'The Heroic City," before which it was
currently rumored that he would make his appear
ance on or about the 4th of this month. If ''The
Heroic City, contains equally heroic defenders,
the small force which MRAMoN has with him will
scarcely find it convenient to advance nearer to the
point of menaced attack than the pleasant town of
Jalapa. There are some, however who believe
that he does not design to approach Vera Cruz at
all, but that he will diverge from the line of route
and make sudden swoop upon one or more of
the smaller ports upon the Gulf. So far as the
Liberals are concerned, we fear that the opposition
to his forcing the pass Cicero Gordo and the deen
ces at the National bridge would not be very great
They appear to place more reliance for protection
upon the Uomito, than upon the courage of their
soldiers. Within the city of Vera Cruz itself there
was, at the last advices, little
commotion among the inhabitants, many
of whom were packing up their effects pre-
paratory to seeking refuge elsewhere. Yet the
JUAREz government is making at least a show of
defence. Our old acquaintance AMPUDIA, whom
we beat so shamefully in 1876 on the Rio Grande,
and at Monterey, has turned up again as one of
the Generals to whom JUAREz has entrusted the
command of the force which has been collected for
the purpose of checking the advance of MIRAMoN.
If AMPUDIA is the only chieftain of note in the
ranks of the Liberals to whom so important duty
could be entrusted their cause must be growing
hopeless. He possesses neither military
skill personal courage and it is
even doubtful whether he is above accepting
a bride to betray his friends. That MRAMoN
counts upon succeeding by treachery, if he should
run the risk of failing to accomplish his object by
force of arms, is very distinctly intmated by more
than one writer from Vera Cruz. He has, it is
said, considerable sum of money with him, for
the purpose Of buying over part of the garrison,
or of corrupting of the Liberal leaders; and,
unfortunately, there are very few of the prominent
men of either faction, that may be said, with
truth, to be above suspicion, when the temptation
to desert one party for another is presented to
them in a tangible or an attractive shape How
ever this may be- it has become quite certain that
civil war will continue, until either the Liberal
lists or the Reactionists are in condition to die
tate terms 10 the vanquished. A compromise is
out Of the question. ZULoAGA tried it and failed
RoBLEs subsequently endeavored to unite the OPP
posing elements, and was Immediately thrust
contemptuousy aside. Any other negotiator,
whether Churchman or Constitutionalist would
succeed no better. The war; which has reached
the chronic stage, must be fought out; for there
are no points upon which the contendng factions
can unite. 1t is the old bitter and prolonged
struggle for supremacy between Church and
State, which has so often before convulsed the
nations of the world. On the one hand are the
partisans of wealthy Hierarchy, which has long
been accustomed to WELD a vast influence in the
administration of public affairs, and the other,
are those who desire to subordinate the Church
TO the general government by confscating a con-
siderable portion of the immensely valuable
estates which have, in long course of years,
fallen into the hands of the clergy, and by placing
other limitations upon its temporal power. In such
conflict it is manilestly impossible to bring about
fusion of parties. One of the principal difficult
ties under which the Liberalists have labored,
thro lghout the whole progress of this desultory
war, has been the want of an able and experienced
leader Had they had but one good soldier in
their ranks, who had shown himself capable OF
winning the confidence of the troops under his
command, they might long since have been in pos
session of the Capital. But JUAREz and V1DAuRRI,
are both of them civilians; ALVAREZ has grown
old and infirm, and, for the rest of the partisan
leaders, there is not single soldier of courage and
capacity among them. The Reactionists were
somewhat better furnished this respect OsoLLos
whose loss it at one time supposed would
prove fatal to their cause was possessed of far
more talent than the average of Mexican Generals.
His death brought young MIRAMoN into notice
The latter is now pronounced by the Church
party not merely great soldier, but the only man
who is capable of restoring peace to the Republic,
and the example of France is significantly quoted
to prove that desperate as the condition of Mexico
now appears, she only needs an able energetic
ruler to bring order out of chaos; but whether
'the unconquerabe General MIRAMoNn is destined
to immortalize himself as the saviour of his
country, as his eulogists predict, may, perhaps,
be better able to form opinion when the result
of his contemplated assault upon Vera Cruz is
made known. In the meantime, however, the
interests Of American citizens resident in Mexico
must continue TO suffer from the exactions of both
parties. Already their claims for damages have
been roughly estimated at from ten TO twelve
millions of dollars But even assuming that any
Commission which might be appointed to adjust
these claims, would reduce the demand to one
half, it is still difficult to understand how the
money is to be paid. The Government is noto-
rously bankrupt; the larger part of the customs
dues are already pledged to meet the interest on
outstanding claims, which are held by English
and French subjects; and there is no possible
mode of developing the resources of the country
while it continues in its present state of anarchy
Our last Minister to Mexico did but compcate
matters He hastily recognized the ZULoAGA
Government, and as hastily repudiated it, and the
consequence was, that he not only lost the
influence which, as the representative of the
UNITED STATES be ought to have possessed but he
became personally obnoxious to the authorities at
the Capital. OF course under such circumstances,
he could render no protection to American inter
ests and his only recourse was to close the legation
and return home. For several months past we
have been without any accredited Minister to
Mexico, and from the conflicting nature of the
statements that reached our Government, it was
lulpOSSlUIe W ueCIuc Which vi tNO ldCuOus
ought to be recognised. The special agent, who
was sent out to examine into the condition Of
affairs, has returned to Washington, and his report
still leaves the Administration hating between two
opinions. 1t was necessary, nevertheless, that
some decision should be promptly made, in view
of the trouble aspect of affairs on the Gulf coast
and as the Cabinet at Washington completely
befogged by the official report Of Mr.. CHURcHwELL,
it has been left to Mr.. MoLANE, our newly appoint
ed Minister to Mexico, to present his credentials to
whichever of the two Governments appears in his
opinion to possess the strongest elements of vitali
ty. We take it for granted, therefore, that unless
MIRAMoN has already reached Vera Cruz, or it is
found by Mr.. McLANE, on his arrival in Mexico
that the cause of the Liberals is desperate that the
Government of JUAREz will be recognized. But
whether the moral support thus accorded at the
eleventh hour by the UNITED STATES, will prove of
any real service to the defenders of Vera Cruz is
one of those questions which it is manifesty impos
sibe to answer with any degree of accuracy, until
it is known what MIRAMoN's chances are, and
what action the representatives of England and
France are instructed to take in the event of matters
being brought to a crisis
1t is no small matter which has been asked by
Messrs TRAvERs and Company, and which has