The New York herald., 1863-05-25

or Puebla.
The news which has reached us from tht
city Of Puebla, and which we publish thii
morning, is as cheering and encouraging to
the heroic defenders of Mexican soil as 1t il
disheartening and unwelcome to the friends Of
the French invaders. In its importance to the
United States it ranks next to that received at
the same time of the brilliant operations In
Mississippi. After gallant defence of the city
for six weeks, the Mexicans have compelled the
French to abandon the siege of Puebla and fall
back on Orizaba.
Acc ording to the dispatches of General Or
tega, the COmmander-in-Chief at Puebla, The
French exploded a mine on the night of the
24th of April, burying number of Mexicans
in the ruins; but the remnant of these heroes
bravely continued the fight with the greatest
determination and ferocity," and succeeded in
driving the foreign enemy from his position.
This wearisome and protracted siege has set
the Mexican soldier in a new light before the
world Hitherto it has been generally believed
that Mexican army was nothing but an armed
rabble, incapable of serious and prolonged re-
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invasion Of Mexico has demonstrated diff
ferent fact. The struggle between the invader
and the invaded has been of the most bloody
and relentless kind. After exploding mines
on the defenders of the city, the French
sought to take 1t by assault in the midst
of the confusion but the Mexicans, we
are told, fought them desperately all
night" and, although both sides were
reinforced, the Mexicans held their ground to
the last During the contest the French ex-
ploded another mine, when fight of seven
hours duration ensued, the undisciplined Mexi-
cans again remaining masters of the field, and
capturing one hundred and thirty prisoners
from the First regiment of French Zouaves. In
eight assaults they only succeeded in two, and
then they obtained nothing but the abandoned
and dismantled works of their antagonists In
six weeks operations the Mexican general
boasts-wth good reason-that he had not lost
foot Of ground; and, to make matters worse
than ever for the invaders, President Jua-
rez in person had joined the army of Ortega
and Comonfort-now vastly increased by heavy
reinforcements from every State in the repub-
lic-to organize immediate offensive operations
agaiet the enemy.
The fair and candid reader-supposing this
the French are in q very bad fix. Their unjust
and ill-advised expedition is producing its
natural results. Far away from home, cut off
from immediate assistance, in the centre of
hostile country, surrounded by determined
and victorious people, it will not be strange if
the remnants of the French army of invasion
be driven from the Cerro Of San Juan to
the sea. The Mexicans are now thoroughly
aroused, and under their brave young COM
mander at Puebla, and in the presence of their
President, now with them, they will stop at no
sacrifice OF blood and bravery till the last foe
of their nationality and freedom be routed from
the land. If the French are driven to the coast
the yellow fever will aid the Mexicans in com
pelliug General Forsy to leave the country.
We may well imagine the chagrin and sorrow
with which the Third Napoleon will receive
these tidings. His invincble heroes, the SOL
diers of the Crimea, Of Algeria and Of Italy,
with their victorious eagles and triumphant
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q Mexican rabble. It is matter that 80 seri-
ously affects his pride and the honor Of the ma
ton he governs that 1t is hard to say how he
will act. One thing is certain: that the heroism
of our Mexican allies-for they are indeed our
true allies, and are fighting our battles with
great skill and bravery-is as important to us
as II we had an extra hundred thousand men in
the field. In keeping the French so well en-
ployed, they shut out all possibility Of any Eu-
ropean intervention in our domestic quarrels,
and therefore they are entitled to our warmest
sympathies and encouragement They are also
proving to the world how absurd 1t would be
for any foreign nation to attempt an invasion Of
these shores; for If the best generals and sol.
diers OF the greatest military nation Of Europe
can make no impression on Mexican army,
how is it possible that they could ever with
stand our gigantic and overwhelming strength
The dangers encirclng the Emperor should
warn him to retreat while there is time. If he
persists in his Quixotic invasion scheme he will
surely find his Moscow in Mexico. Some time
ago he openly declared that the world would
yet see that this Mexican expedition was the
greatest act Of his reign; and he commissioned
General Forey to promise his soldiers in Mexico
reinforcements to the extent of two hundred
thousand men or more, if necessary. Will he
keep his word? We shall see.
The siege of Puebla is destined to rank among
the most celebrated sieges in the history of the
future. While the European press has sarcasti.
cally reflected on the slowness Of our move.
wents in quelling rebellion, they have forgotten
the tortoise-liko pace Of their armies in the
Crimea and Italy, and now in Mexico. In six
months Gen. Scott marched from Vera Cruz to
the city of Mexico. The former city was surren.
dered to him on the 29th Of March, ls47, and on
the l4th Of the following September the city ol