The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-05-03
BALTIMORE.
THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1850

Recent advices from the city of Mexico announce
a., 80, 30 Mn ,,oN to that capital at the head
Of so,,an hundred troops. Two thousand more,
81, ,hot renaiued together of the well appointed
o.r,,, With which he undertook to capture Vera
C.,9 are reported to be on the road Some sur
prise has been expressed that those forces, weak
ened by sickness and desertion, and disorganized
by the disastrous termination of the sege, should
have been permitted by the Liberals 10 retire into
the interior without molestation. Vera Cruz was
garrisoned by five thousand men, yet not a single
soldier was sent after MIRAMoN to harass him du-
ring his retreat. The very natural inference is
that either JUAREz could not depend upon the
courage or fidelity of his own men, or that his
officers were better pleased with having repulsed
MIRAMoN from behind their Notifications than with
the prospect of meeting him in the open field.
That this reluctance the part of the authorities
at Vera Cruz to follow up the repulse of the Reac-
tionsts, by vigorous offensive movement, may
have had its origin in one or both of the causes
suggested, is not at all improbable, and that it
also indicates a want of confidence in their own
strength cannot be denied. Yet, as it is claimed,
and as we believe very Justly, that the Liberals
are encouraged in carrying the war by the
popular voice, these evidences of feebleness and
hesitation only appear the more remarkable. A
glance however at the state of parties in that Re-
public will show the obstacles with which each
has 10 contend in the struggle for the supremacy,
and the influences by which their operations are
bafled and circumscribed The Reactionist or
Church party occupies the valley of Mexico, and
has possession of the capital. 1t has in MRAMoN
an active and enerprsing soldier, and if the party
which he supports had any firm hold upon the
national respect the war would have been termi-
mated long since. But as the influence of MIRAMoN
does not extend beyond the ranks of his soldiery,
his successes are always barren of results If he
takes town, or wins victory in the field, the
losses sustained by his Anniversaries in direction
are compensated by gains in another. As he ad-
yances they driven back; as he retires they re-
turn and re-occupy their former positions The
other Generals belonging to the Church party are
utterly incapable of following up the victories
achieved by MIRAMoN, or of maintaining, in
his absence, the ground which be had won. The
dependence Of the Reactonists is, therefore, al
most wholly upon MIRAMoN alone whilst that of
the Liberals is upon the nation at large. The
army of the one consists of paid soldiery, which
is held in subordnation by liberal subsidies. de-
rived partly from forced loans and partly from the
funds Of the Mexican Church. That of the Lib
erals is nothing more than an aggregation of vol
untcers, who find their chief support in the volun-
tary contributions of IL population which is friendly
to the cause they have espoused. But neither
party possesses sufficient power TO subiupate the
other for although the army of the Liberals. if it
could be brought 'ogether is superior in point of
numbers, it is neither so well disciplined nor SO
ably commanded as that of the Reactionists. 1t
is, moreover, differed by incompetent men. who
aspire TO act Independently, and who frequently
refuse TO place their respective detachments under
the orders of any one particular chief. The weak
Of the Liberals arises from this want of unan-
unity amongst their military leaders, whilst the
strength of the ReactionistS is due TO the absolute
control which MIRAMoN exercises over his troops
and which thus enables him to concentrate them
at any given point where it is possible for him
to obtain an advantage. The army of AIIRAMoN
has lately been described, by French writer rs
an army of mercenaries. In Mexico these mer-
cenaries make the best soldiers. So long as they
are paid they obey the orders of their leader and
when they well paid their obedience is perfect
They have no respect for religion, no loyalty for
the Republic; they simply devoted to chief
who tulils his obligations. The clergy pay them
aud they serve the clergy, and are faithful to the
cause of the Church becauseit is their interest to
he so. On the other hand, the Liberal army has
no fixed pay. 1t sustains itself by adventure |
AT times it is numerically strong, and well dis
posed to carry on the war with spirit. At other
times it is weak and vacilatng, and will refuse to
march at the orders of its chiefs. Being divided |
into great number of corpS-some at Vera Cruz,
some at TampcO, others at Monterey, Mazatlan,
Acapulco, and elsewhcrc-it can never be brought |
TO unite upon any one plan of operations and the |
partial successes which are obtained by these de- |
tachments, separated as they are from each other
and scattered over large extent of country, are
as little productive of any permanent results as
are the victories won by the army of the Church |
on the outskirts of the Valley of Mexico.