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TilK CONSTITUTIONALIST.
JAMES GARDNER, JR*
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VKKV LATE FUO3I MEXICO.
Return nf Atocha—lhs recep'ion in Mexico -Purs- |
td Midshipman Rogers sent to Per ote- Arrival ,
u s Volunteers at Antun Lizardo—Moreof Santa
Anna and his plans—L iter from «. hihuahua —
Further of tiie Battle of Brazito, ts-c. 4*c
l?y ihe arrival of the U. S. revenue cutter
Forward, Capt. Nones, a large mail was j
yesterday received from Anton Ivztrdo. Our
own letters comedo vn o the2Bth of February. ,
on tvbicli day a norther prevailed which pre- !
vented the Forward from leaving before the 2(1 !
of March instant. The information which fol
lows we derive exclusively from our letters j
and papers.
It appears that Senor Atoclia, whose ar- I
rival at Vera Cruz, with despatches, we an- ’
nmmeed yesterday, went over there on tiie
Forward from this city direct, lie reached
there on tiie 6ih ult., and proceeded immedi
ately to Mexico. He returned from the
capital on the 16th u’t , and repaired again
immediately on board tiie forward, and is
now, we presume, on his way to \\ ashington.
It is not supposed he has accomplished much
by his mission. The Mexicans had personal
objections to him, and his reception hy the
authorities of Vera Cruz, and tiie people and
Government of Mexico, was anything but
cordial. Some speculations in regard to Ins
mission will be found in the copious and very
interesting correspondence hereafter subjoin- ■
ed.
Our reader? will learn with infinite pain
that Passed Midshipman Rogers has been
ordered to Perote, and that lie is now con
fined in that gloomy prison.
We learn that the blockade of Vera Cruz
continues to he violated with almost perfect
impunity. This is attributed not more to the
want of vessels of the proper description, than
to the instructions by which the commodore
enforces the law of blockade.
Two barks have arrived off Vera Cruz with
volunteers from tiie North, and gone into An
ton L’zardo. One of them is the St. Cloud.
We cannot at this moment recollect from
what port the .St. Cloud sailed.
The news from Santa Anna is no later
than we have already given, through it is
more full. It will be found in our correspon
dence. The papers are literally crowded
with his numerous letters and addresses, but
we find nothing in them to demand of us a
translation; tiie public has had almost a sur
feit of his productions, clever as we confess
ti e n to bo.
Although Santa Anna announces the cap
ture of Capt. Heady a"d his small company
of Kentuckians, we find no mention of the
murder ol Lieut. Ritchie and the seizure of
his despatches. 'Tiie despatches have not
formally been made public by him. The
papers speculate upon our plans stating con
fidently that we are to advance upon Vera
Cruz by land with 10 000 troops, while a fleet
of sixteen ships carrying 300 guns attacks
San Juan de Ulna. This they say. is the plan
at Washington, where they could not have
anticipated Santa Anna’s march upon SahiTo
at the head of 30,000 men. This march they
think may disconcert all our schemes, and
they already discover evidence of this in Gen.
Taylor’s movements.
Military critics condemn Santa Anna’s
plan of campaign. They say he was driven
from his original designs by the outcry of
“apathy” made against him. They anticipate
that lie will now drive every thing before
him, and defeat Gen, Taylor, but complain
that he leaves the coast of Vera Cruz unpro
tected, and can obtain no advantages that
will be decisive. He must necessarily sub
sist his troops upon tiie poor inhabitants of
the country lie traverses with ids hordes, hy
which they will become exasperated. But the
great point insisted upon is that Santa Anna
has left the country open for tiie march of
the American troops upon tiie capital, where
they may dictate a peace before he can return
from his distant expedition.
EL SoldaJa de La Putria defends Gen.
Santa Anna from tiie charge of gambling and
passing his time in like unseemly sport. It
declares, that the stories to this effect are
pure inventions of his enemies at the capital.
The papers give ns not h word of news
about Monterey. The force there, they say,
is much reduced, and is now withdrawn from
the citv proper into the citadel, and (he works
on the Bishop’s Hill. The latter works have
been much improved and strengthened.
Senor I). Juan Soto, the Civil Governor of
the State of Vera Cruz was in the city of
tiie same name on the 14th ult. He is in
specting the defences of the country between
toe coast and Puebla.
The latest advices we see from Chihuahua
are to the 16th of January, a fortnight later
than our former accounts. The city had not
then been taken by onr troops, nor do ire see
any thing said of their advance upon it. Four
Mexican soldiers who were in the action of
Dec.2sth, had arrived at Chihuahua and given
their account of the fight. It differs hut little
from the one we before published. 1 hey say
the loss of the Mexicans was less than twenty
killed, and that of the Americans was fifty
two killed, of which number was a captain, i
They protest tiiaf great cowardice was shown
hv a portion of their troops, and demand an j
official and full account of the action, that
the brave many be rewarded, and cowards
stigmatized as they deserve. The citizens
of El Paso are charged with capitulating in
a shameful manner, and the Americans are j
•aid to have abused their power as shame
fully. They pursued some of the Mexicans j
to Man Elceario. a small fort on the Rio del ‘
Norte, a tew miles below El Paso, and there j
committed depredations, carrying off “the j
archives” to El Paso.
The news in the pipers before us has been
very carefully scanned by the correspondent
whose letters we annex. He has introduced
into them every riling of importance, and
takes a clearer and more commanding view
of Mexican affairs than will readily be found.
Let not the length of his communications
defer any one from carefully scantling them.
f Special Correspondence of the Picayune J
F. S. Squadron, Anton Lizarno, }
February 17, ISIT. )
Gentleman —The Ludonia. Lieut. Com'g,
Chauncey, arrived to-dav from Boston, after
m long passage; the Relief came in a few
hours afterwards. Several oilier vessels are
expected, and every facility will be afforded
by the steamers to bring them into harbor.— I
Tiie Vixen ir. waited for from Laguna. i
The polities of Mexico present no new
phase since I last wrote you. In a country
where tiie sceties shift so often, and at a
time when every thing is so unsettled, it is
an interesting piece of news to know that
those who were at the head of affairs a week
ago are still in power;thai the changes which
were anticipated have not yet been consum
mated.
At the date of my last letter, Gomez Fa
rias was without a Cabinet, During tiie !
early part of this month his hands have been i
slreng liene i by entrusting Rt jon with the
port-folio of Foreign Relations, and Francis
co S Iri .rte with the affairs of the treasury.
No change ha?, however, yet occurred in
I foreign relations, and the embarrassments of
| tiie treasury are as formidable as ever,
i The Committee of Foreign Relations, to |
: whom was referred Mr. Buchanan’s peace
proposition, are expected to report unfavora
bly to negoliation in a few days. It is pre
sumed that they will at the same lime issue, I
in the form of a solemn manifesto, a reply to
' Mr. Polk’s message on Mexican affairs.
There is also a report that the old m‘ri- |
guers are at work, and that Spain is about to !
| join France and England in an interference :
| in Mex can affairs. The rumor it may lie
i proper to state is purely of Mexican origin. |
j From all I can learn, the most amicable feel
ing appears to exist towards ns on the part
of all tiie representatives of foreign Govern
ments, and tiie only solicitude entertained is
: to seej what mu-1 he the inevitable result
consummated as soon as po-sble.
The publication of the decree authorizing j
the hypothecation and sale of church proper- !
, tv was every where received with clamor and
1 riots, which were easily suppressed by the
interference of tiie military. I; does not ap
l pear that anything has been clone towards
i realizing a dollar from this source, and there
are additional reasons every day for enter- \
i taining the belief that little or nothing of the j
\ church property will ever find its way into ;
I tiie general treasury. A proposition has been
adopted in the House of Representatives to i
remit to purchasers of church property 60 i
per cent.,on condition that the remainder is
paid immediately, one-half being in specie
and the other half in paper. At this rate the j
e it re -acrifice of all tiie ecclesiastical proper
ty, liable to appropriations under the law,
would not suffice to produce the fifteen mil- i
lions which the Government is authorized to
raise. It is also stated in the newspapers j
that tiie Government leave solicited offers as
low as ‘25 per cent. —receiving 20 per cent,
in coin and 5 per cent, in paper. To enter
tain any propositions of this kind is to com
-1 ple’ely annul tiie express provisions o r tiie
original law, which secures the j*:..perly
from being sold at less limn 77 per cent, of
its value and expressly forbids paper or cred
its. Congress is also engaged in providing
other resources for carrying on the war. On
j the 30th of January the Committee nn Ft
; nance was instructed to report a bill for rais
mg a gross amount of monthly,
including means now available. On the 4th
in-f. a law was promulgated authorizing the
(government to rai-e hy loan five millions to
! lie applied to the defence of the ant innal terrio
tory; the Government is, however, prohibit
ed from forced loan?, tiie appropriation of
certain kinds of property, especially such as
is excepted by t lie second acts of (lie law au
thorizing tiie sale of church property, also
from making any colonization contract or
; alienating in whole or in part the national
a •
; territory. j
The Minister of Finance lias also agreed
to establish inland custom-houses at Tnlan- 1
emgo and Zimapam, in order to cut ofl'llie
contraband trade from Tampico. j
Congress lias also passed a law that the
i daily salaries now due the national deputies
shall be paid by (lie respective Slates, to tiie
: amount of three tiiou-and dollars for each
one The charge for the di-frict of Mexico
and the territories will, however, devolve on
the national trea-ury, and the expenses of
the six Northern Slates will also be assumed
as a loan.
The news from tiie army at Sin Luis is
■ interest mg,?n far as we are assured that Santa
Anna lias left that city with tiie main body
of his troops in the direction of Monterey,
: although his ultimate destination has been
much speculated upon. His resources ap
pear to have been of she most meagre kind.
He was sodestitute that he offered to pledge
his private property for a loan of §59.000, at
the rate of two to three per cent, interest
monthly. It is said he was unable to nego
tiate a loan. He is also reported to have
seized ninetv-eigfit bars of silver belong ng to
a Spanish merchant at San Luis and coined
if for the u?e offiis army. This trfling re
lief en ibled him to march towards Saililln.
A loiter from San Luis, 30th January, says
the army has ttken up its march with only
twelve days resources. The estimates of
the two last months have been nearly ail
unpaid. S ckness has been the consequence *
of privation. The medical officers report
that tiie meazles litd appeared among tiie
troops; that live hundred were sick—a num
ber far beyond the accomodations of the hos
pitals. The disease is ascribed to tiie in
tensity of (tie cold and the mule state of the
troops', who stretch themselves at night upon
the bare wet pavements and huddle together
for warmth.
A despatch from Santa Anna of January
30th. announces ttie capture of a scouting
party of twenty men. with their horses, arms
and equipment.*, near San Juan del I’rado.
I It appears from the official account that they
were treacherously invited by the Mexico
I spies to ajparley and thus drawn into an am
bush of a'squadron of cavalry tinder Lieut.
: Col. Valentine Cruz, supported by 250 horse
j men. “In case this party (ours) was only a
I detachment from a larger one, a thing verv
possible considering the short distance of
(hire camp and the vigilance with,which they
S look out for every thing which is going on,”
! Santa Anna parades this surprise and rap
! f Ure t)v a force twenty times outnumbering
the American?, as an assurance that the
i triumphs of lus arm? will not cease until the
i invaders are exterminated.
At Vera Cruz the state of things is very
! much as it was when I last wrote. The an- j
i thorities are busy in issuing proclamations
announcing.the threatened attack and issuing
! some preventive orders, among the most un
palatable of which is one forhiding tha mas
querade at tlie carnival. There are many,
however, who regard the threatened invasion
with incredulity. There are five thousand
men in the city of Vera Cruz and one thou
sand in the castle —three thousand of tiiese
belong to the National Guard and are tolera
bly well disciplined and supplied with arms.
The National Guard ot the State is, on the
contrary, not organized and is destitute of
arm?.
■ Congress ha? passed a law placing the Na
tional Guard of the State at tiie disposal ot
the Government. The Vera Cruz I.egUla
ture have decreed an extraordinary monthly i (
contribution, to be assessed at the rate of §4 f
for every 1000 ol capital, as a bisis. and an I
addition of two reals for every' additional 1 f
thousand of capital up to §10,000; beyond ]
which sum the increase is §2 fur every §SOOO j I
of capital. Salaried officers to pay 50 cents t
for §3OO ofanmial'incotne and an addition of
half a real for each hundred. 1
The Governor ofVera Cruz has gone to
superintend in person the fortification of the
pa-s of Puente Nicional, and a company of
artillery and two held pieces have already
been ordered there.
A reserve of six thousand men is to he con- 1
centra'ed at Jtlapa under (ion. Canalizo,
Gen. Filosola being 11 ie second in command.
(ien La Vega is to march to Vera Cruz. !
Some complaints have arisen in con-se
quence of soldiers being pressed for the Na
tional (in rd, and Gen. La Vega lias ordered
tiiem to be relea-ed; t'ne pre.-s applauds his
conduct as liberal and discreet.
The Forward arrived on the oth inst. and
landed Senor Atoclia under afltgof truce,
with despatches from the Government of the
United States, lie proceeded to Mexico im
mediately. The mob raised some scruples
about allowing him to proceed, but he was |
finally dismissed on his way without opposi
j lion.
While I mention (he distresses of the Mexi- i
cans, I mu?t not forget to mention that they
have their eves also turned on us. I find the
following in the Indicador of iheOth inst. ; |
“We are assured that the American frigate
Raritan, anchored at Anton Lizardo, is afil ct
ed with pestilence, inasmuch as she has 150
| men sick of scurvy ami vomito. Com. Con- j
I ner is said to he one of them.” lam happy
in being able to contradict this report before
it reaches von by the way of Havana. There i
is not and has not been one case of scurvy or
vomito on board this frigate since last sum- |
mer, and 'be sick list to-day is 23 trifling
I rases. There lias been only one death lor
many months and that from anenari-m.
1 had forgotten to men! ion that Gen. Valen
cia has left the army in disgust and, under
! pret nee of sickness, lingers at his hacienda. 1
lie is. ho > ever, suspected of designs to >uh- j
! vert the Government.
The movement of Gen. Ventina Mora at
i MazaMan appears to have been premature; —
it is denounced by Santa Anna, by the press
J in tiis interest and also by some of the Stale
Legislators. Gen. Busfamenfe was sent to :
; arrest Mora, but was himself detained by the |
1 latter and had sent to the Government for ;
aid.
IT. S. Squadron. Feb. 20. 1517.
Gentlemen. —I mentioned m a letter writ- |
ten a few daxs ago, tlnsf Regon was then
Minister of Foreign Relation#. It was so
stated in the papers ofthe eirlv part of this
monflt ; hut I observe that the official commu
nications of flic Home and Foreign Office,
are now signed by Jose Maria Ortiz Mona; -
tenn. Whether he is an under secretary,
Rejon still being Minister, or the successor
of Rejon at the head of the Stale Department,
I am at this moment unable »o sav, as I have
: no files or other sources of information to re
j our to. Changes in the Cabinet are now so
frequent, that it i- no easy matter to keep
pare with them. As the confiscation of the
cclesiastical estates is likelv to afford large
opportunities for plunder, I have no doubt I
that the principle of rotation in office, will be
vigorously contended for. On the 10;h inst., !
Don Andress Lopez Nava resigned, and D.
J. se Maria Jmregni assumed the portfolio of
j Minister of Justice. Seven days laser news
has been received, as late as the 7tli inst.
1 (ien Santa Anna had advanced a* far as
Matehua'a on bis’way to Saltillo. Nothing
1 new had occurred, hut as the Government
had failed to furnish him with resource-; un
der circumstances so urgent, he is represent
ed as ‘ «utr< undi d with misery. 5
The following account of his march, is from
the pen of an officer and is quoted in the In
dicador as reliable authority.
“In the critical po- i r ion of our armv with re- I
gird to its implacable enemies, no honorable 1
resource remains except to advance without
supplies, to capture them from the immense
storehouses of the enemy in S.ihi lo and .Mon
terey, and to live upon the country. The
way in glory and honor is to be preferred to
turning our hark upon the enemy. People ;
wi 1 not now pay that we are traitors. To
day the brigades have begun their march,
and on Saturday there departed 10.000 in
fantry, 500 hor-e and 400 artillery, which
: uniting to the forces already advanced, will
swell the whole body of the armv to 12.000
infantry, 6000 cavalry and 400 artiller with
i 20 pieces of heavy calibre, viz: three twen
-1 ty-fours. three eighteen!*, twelve twelves and
two mortars of nine inches. There were al
s> 700 mules and 21 wagons of munitions
i alone, without counting the equipiges, camp
r t e-ts, or absolutely more than is set clown. |
We go to try our fortune, since anv thing
would he a less evil than to die of hunger
i and complete inaction, besides being called
traitors by those who really are such. If we
d > march without more than twelve days pro
visions for the troops and half a month’s pay !
for the officers, we will live upon flip country
and the p’linder of the enemy, now that they
will not furnish ns with anv supplies. This
resolution is heroic and will always confer on :
: ns honor.
Dates from Tula of the 31-f Jan. sta'e that ;
Gen. Urrea left the night previous for Santa
Barbara aml Romero, with all the cavalry |
from Ciiit! id Victoria. Urrea is ordered lo
watch the movements of the enemv as far as j
Tampico and Monterey, for which service j
the cavalry will remain under bis orders.—
He takes only five days supplies (socorros)
and five days rations. An officer writing
says: ‘-Last night an order was received to
expedite the march, but how can the order be
i carried into effect, while there are no mules of
i burden, especially for the park of cannon.”
Santa Anna has negotiated with certain
I commercial houses of San Luis, for drafts
• and a loan to the amount of .$ 180.000, draw
ing on Mexico and Vera Cruz, and pledging
all his property as security. He has paid 1
this sum within a month to the Commissary
General, by whom it b <s been dishur ed for j
the absolute subsistence and clothing of the !
, troops. In this way he has been enabled lo
j make tiis movement on Monterey,
Ven'tira Mora, who declared for a dictator
ship at Mazatian, having plead the instiga
tion of Santa Anna, the latter addressed a
communication to the Secretary of War, for
mally repelling Ihe charge, and accu-ing
j Gen. Ventura Mora of a calumnious false
| hood. It is very plain that Santa Anna is
• suspected and narrowly watched. His delay
| at San Luis, has been impatiently denounced
in Mexico, and every one who reads the long }
j and elaborated defences which have from
time to time been put firth at San Luis, must
I come to the conclusion that the bread) is
1 widening between the Government and Santa
Anna. The movement at Mazatian was
' doubtless intended to feel the pulse of the
country. It has been supported in no quar
ter, it has not even been received in silence, <
but openly denounced by several of the States, 1
and Santa Anna prudently conforming to the |
present state of opinion, still manages his de- <
tenoe so as to throw additional opprobrium on \
the Government.
It is said that the Government has under
consideration certain proposals with regard to
the city and rustic securities of the religions
communities. Out of six bids the least would
produce to the Government §2OO.UUO. The
value of the securities is said to he infinitely
greater than the sum iff red. The “Republi
cano” refers to one sale which it pronounces
scandalous. ‘lt is said that the great haci
enda of Acahhislla, in I tie valley of Cnsiitla,
belonging to the religions order of Domini
cans which produces §50,000 annual rent, 1
has been sold to Don Miguel Mozo for §3O,- !
000 in money and (JO.OOO in bread (gallefa.)
The Secretary ot Finance has under his
own signature contradicted the report that be
has negotiated for the sale of eclesiastical
estates at 25 per cent, of their value, receiv
ing 4 per cent, in paper and 20 per cent, in
cash.
The Bishop of Gnadalaxara has offered in
the name of the clergy of his diocese, §30,-
000 towards the expenses of the war, which
amount Santa Anna ought already to have
received. The patriotism of this worthy pre
late is duly applauded.
The Governor of the State of Vera Cruz
has declared a forced loan, lo be raised from
the merchants and capitalists, of §40.000. — j
The city of Vera Cruz and the places near ;
Alvarado are exempted from tax, in ronse- I
quence of their previous liberal contributions
for the subsistence of the troops.
As in consequence of the embaTasment of
the treasury, the Government will be unable
to pay the salaries of officers punctually, it
iias been proposed to remit a portion of their
(axes.
Congress has resolved to appoint a special
committee to draft a law lor organizing the
National Guard.
The canton of Osolnama and the district
of lluetjntla have agreed t > establish a ren
dezvous for the National Guard, and to sus- I
tain the expenses by a subscription among
themselves without calling on the general
government.
A : reposition has been made in Congres-to
transfer the seat of government from Mexi
co to Celaya bv the ]9i h of March, which,
| alter some discussion, was referred to the
'■ committee on constitutional points.
'The evidence tbat we intend io attack this
place seems to accumulate. The Ind’cator
invites especial attention to the fact that ten
vessels, supposed to he transports, are an
chored under the I I 1 of Lobos, and among
i them one vessel of war (the St. Marys). It
I is thought these vessels are transports be
cause one of them has been shipwrecked,
with four companies of seventy men each,
, (another account savs four hundred men) I
who marched upon Tampico under the pro- |
lection of the sloop of war; because when
(he military commandant at Tuspan received
notice it was already late and he arrived at
the point after they had marched, so that fie
was able only to seize some of the cargo.
The military commandant of Vera Cruz
has issued a general order lo issue provisions
or rations in kind, lo all the officers who de
) sire if, as there is an absolute want of mo
ney to furnish them even for the supply of
j their tables.
In staling the troops in town and ca«tle at
GOOO I exceeded the number by more than a
thousand. 'The number of regulars was,
, however, stated correctly at 28U0, the town
having 1800. The rest are of the National
Guard, Probably more of the National
Guard will be called in and located near the
| citv, but 1 do not believe that many more '
will be crowded w i Irn (tie walls a- thev can
not he led. The defences of this place ap
pear to combine great strength and great
weakness, of course, the facility with which
the ci'v mav he carried will depend upon the
points attacked.
We are to-day told that there are 2000
men at Alvarado—half of them regulars
Guns have been drawn from every quarter
to strengthen tlie defences, which now equal
eight forts with a total of sixty guns of va
rious calibre. The entrance to the river is
a Iso defended by a chain of shells or torpe
does, which can be exploded from the land.
I was pained to bear from Mr. Rogers that
hewasonlered to Perote on the 14 : h instant,
and I have authentic information that he
started on the IK'li. When all the promises
of Landero and La Vega are recollected, the
imposition of additional hard-hips at this
time does not well comport with the magnan
imity of which the Mexicans are constantv
boasting. Under the expectation of a speedy
release, on the faith of many promises, his
disappointment must be acute indeed; but
his friends will he gratified to know that he
communicates the news ot his close impris
onment with philosophic cheerfulness.
W.
U. S. Squadron, Feb. 2G. 1847.
Gentlemen —The subject of Mr. Atocha’s
despatches is discussed in the recent papers,
but I have not yet seen or heard of any fa
vorable allusion to if. ’Hie Vera Cruz pa
pers stale that our Government have pm
i po-ed lo Mexico an indemnity of twenty mil
lions for the line of the 2Gth parallel from the
mouth of the Rio del Norte to the Pacific.
It is understood that Mr. Atotha’s remarks
have confirmed this statement so f.,r as this, |
j that fitleen millions are offered for the above j
I mentioned boundary line, the United States j
waiving all claims on Mexico, and assuming i
the indemnities due iier citizens. There is I
a story flint ten thousand men are to be kept i
on the frontier to prevent smuggling. 'Those
reports are regarded among us with a great
d *al of incredulity.
Personally, Senor Atocha appears to have
been the most unacceptable person we could
have sent lo Mexico. His reception at Vera
Cruz was anything but flattering. He land
ed at Vera Cruz on the 9th (I believe) and
reached Mexico, according to (he papers on
the 13M). The next day he was ordered to
leave the capitol fora haciei.da nearJalapa,
there lo await the reponse of the Govern
ment. It is rumored that his proposals have
been despatched to Santa Anna. Judging
from the tone of the newspapers, I should
suppose that (hey would be rejec(ed with dis
dain. One print declares that it i-the great
est insult which ha< yet been offered to .Mex
ico; another asks how long Mexico will per
mit herself to be set at naught. The odium
in which Senor Atocha is held, has appa
rently prejudiced the proposals, whatever
they may be.
Santa Anna was by the latest accounts
coming down to the 14th nst, from Guadal
axara, still advancing towards Saltillo, and
had reached Uedral. On the 12th, an extraor
dinary snow storm occurred at San Luis.
We may expect melancholy accounts from
the denuded Mexican xrmy.
The money contributed by the Bishop of
Guadalaxara for the use ot the army, has tl
been diverted to other purposes. The op- w
position to the law confiscating the church
estates is unabated, and is beginning to as
sume a more systematic character. The
Stare of Jalisco had suspended execution of
the law until Congress can consider the pe
titions of the several Slates tor its repeal.— a
Distrusting capitalists consider the invest- r
inents as too insecure for speculation, even t
at enormous discounts. The amount of pro- (
perty held hv the Church in Mortmain, is os- j
timaied at 50,000,000, and the Government
cannot, at the proposed rates, raise 10.000.-
000 Ity the sacrifice of the w ho'e of this pro- *
per'y. Mr. Waddv Thompson savs that his !
residence in Mexico has thoroughly convinc- j
ed him that no political movement can suc
ceed to w h ch the priesthood is opposed. 'The
issue of this favorite financial scheme of
young Farias is likely to illustrate the truth <
of the remark, as there is much reason to i
suppose that the law will eventually be re- .
pealed.
'Die people of Vera Cruz have turned nut
cn mass to clear away the sand embanked
against the walls of, the city on the northern 1
and western side, and to dig a ditch. 'The
women and children were actively engaged
in carrying away the sand.
It has been reported that Santa Anna has
remitted $75,000 of his own funds to Vera
Cmz to aid the garrison of that place.
'Dip Spanish brig , captured by the
I Aibanv, will probably be sent to New Orleans
! for adjudication. She is seized for informal*
1 ity in her papers, and for evading the warn- j
ingof blockade. An enemy’s schooner has be-!
j come prize to the Vixen.
[Correspondence of the N. O. Delta.]
j Tampico, Feb. 20.
Gen. Scott remained in Tampico but a tew :
i hours, inspected the troops, made ail his ar
■ rangeinents, and started lor hobos. Gen.
Twiggs, with his Division, immediately fnl
j lowed. Gen. I‘atterson, and the remainder
of the force now here, will leave in a few
days. Col. Gates will be left in command,
with the Louisiana Regiment, the Baltimore .
J Battalion, and two companies of U. S. Artil- I
! lerv—in all about 1400 men; besides which
the American citizens resident in this city,
and numbering about 500, will be enrolled,
and held ready as minute men. It is anti
cipated by many that an attack will be made
upon this citv as soon as the main force is
withdrawn. 1 hope it may be so, for 1 know
we will render a good account of ourselves.
Ai t;raw. geo..
TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH If., 1847.
LT'Die Northern mail had not been receiv
ed at the Post O.iice last evening when it
closed.
o*The Cassville Pioneer of the 12th ins*,
pays the following compliment to our friend
! Gathright, on occasion of his speech at the
; recent democratic meeting at Daldonega:
•‘The resolutions were ably sustained, in a
j chaste and eloquent appeal by Milton 11.
Gathright, Ksq., which reflected much credit
from the Democracy in attendance. NN e
listened to Mr. G. with great pleasure, and
felt the force of his arguments, lie briefly
alluded to the services of the lion. Howell
| Cobh, and pronounced a deserving soliloquy.
on the able services which be has rendered
the country, during the short space which he
lias been in Congress.”
We have no doubt, Mr. G. made a fine
speech, as he is capable of doing, but it
must have been a very moving one indeed to
have enabled him fodelivera soliloquy. We
| have heard of speeches that had the effect of
j entirely dispersing a meeting. But that
could not have been the ca.-e in the present
j instance, as the editor of the Pioneer it seems
heard, or perhaps overheard I lie soliloquy.
Kelli’s *6e|»on».
We have received from Mr. Thomas Rich
ards, who has the work for sale—a copy of
Kelly’s Reports of the cases in Law and
; Equity, argued and determined in the Supe
-1 rior Court of the State of Georgia in the year
1310. 'i'liis is a work much needed by the
profession, and should be in the hands of
every legal gentleman, as it may he consid
ered the h'obP't legal authority in the Slate.
It is got up in handsome style, the reports
full, and is accompanied with an index occn
pving some thirty pages. When we have
leisure we may take occasion to notice it
more in detail.
T'if lT»i>rr ISio Grande.
Notes on the Upper Rio Grande, by Bry
ant P. Tilden, Jr. explored in the months of
October and November, 1846, on board the
i U. S. steamer Major Brown, commanded by
j Capt. Mark Sterling, of Pittsburg, by order
i of Major Gen. Patterson, U. S. A. comrnand
; ing tne second division, army of occupation,
\ Mexico. This is the title of a neat pamphlet,
j accompanied with several maps nr drawings;
i which has been just received at the Literary
! Depot of Mr. J. A. Milieu, and a copy placed
I on our desk.
I
i ~
Leonard’! Blackius.
We were yesterday presented with a box
of tiiis superb Blacking, which no lover of
highly polished boots should be without.
We were shown at the same time a book
containing the signatures of thousands who
have tested the article, and pronounced it
good by taking ftom one to three boxes—
among whom we observed the names of a
number of onr own citizens, who obtained a
supply some three or four years ago. To
these it is needless to recommend the article,
but to such as have not given it a trial, we
can recommend it as being the best and
cheapest blacking we have ever used. If you
see a well dre-sed, neat little man, with a
sharp visage, going along,stop him—he is the
Blacking Man, and will shine your boots and
sell you a box or two in much less time than
it took the strop man to sharpen your knife.
Trtn«nrr Note?.
The St. Louis Republican of the Ist inst.
says—“ That about $50,000 of Treasury
drafts, recently remitted to the United Stales
Paymaster in that district, have been pur
chased by the Bank of Missouri at par. The
1 Bank will nsc them as Eastern exchange.”
Col. Hays of Texas, we understand, passed
hrough this city on Sunday morning, on hi*
A’ay to Washington City.
From Mexico.
By the schr. Brave, Capt. Riddle, arrived
at New Orleans on the 7flt inst. from lla--
ana, the editors of the Picayune and Mercu
ry have, through the Havana papers, advices
from Vera Cruz to the 7ih ult. VN e are in
debted to the Picayune lor an extra contain
ing the information brought by her.
The finances of the country were at an
extremely low ebb. The law to raise a loan
by the hypothecation or seizure of the church
property had, from its unpopularity, and the
strenuous opposition of the clergy, been
found inoperative. Santa Anna had address
ed Congress, requesting the modification or
if possible the abandonment ol the measure,
and the substitution of a more popular one.
A proposition had accordingly been submit
ted fur its repeal, and a bill had been intro
duced authorizing the Government to borrow
from the clergy monthly the sum of $450,-
000, the leaders to be endowed with the pow
er of selling securities, redceinii g capital,
etc. Congress had also passed a resolution
empowering the Government to levy lay con
tributions. Santa Anna, in a communica
tion to Congress, states that he has found
himself obliged to seize “1)8 bar* (ingots) of
silver, belong! off for the most part to Spanish
merchants of San Luis.” He says, “thu*
have I again compromised my responsibility
to the utmost..” 'Die Minister of War, in a
communication to Congress, dated January
28th, stales that he had just forwarded
$35,000 to the army. The army, the papers
say, was to have marched from San Luis tor
Saltillo and Monterey, on the 27ih ult , but
1 in the condition Santa Anna represents it to
j be, it is impossible to see how it can make
any effective movement. Vera Cruz is not,
as was reported, to be evacuated; on the con
trary the Department, in an anticipation of
an attack, was adding to its fortifications.
Mlill I.ntcr from Mrxic*.
The N. Orleans Picayune has been placed
in possession of papers from the city of Mexi
co of the 1 Hli, 12tl» and 13th uito., which are
several days later than those quoted by the
Havana papers received on Sunday.
Senor 1). A’ejandro Amelia, bearer of
despatches from the Government of the Unit
ed States to Mexico, supposed to contain
another proposition of peace, was landed at
Vera Cruz on ihe 9ih uito. from the Ameri
can Squadron, and was to have left lor the
capi'al the same evening in company with
Lieut. Co'. Alanis, an aid of Gen. Morales.
Gen, La Vega dues not appear to have yet
assumed the command of Vera Cruz at the
last accounts.
A letter is published in El RepuMicano at -
nounsing that Gen. Santa Anna took Ins d -
parture from San Luis on the2i of Februa
ry. His destination is said to be Monteiev,
towards which point the mi in body of hii
army had already moved. The following i*
given as the number of troops under his
command, with the dates of their departure
from the city of San Luis:
List of T oops which have recently marched for
Monterey.
January 26,—The Sappers and Artillerists,
wiih nineteen guns of heavy calibre 650
January 29. Ist. 3.1,4 th. :>ih, lOth and Tth
Regiments of the Line, and Ist and 3J
Light Troops 6210
January 31. tth Light Troops, mixed of
Santa Anna, Ist Active of Velaya. do. of
Guadalajara, do. of Lagos, do. of Quere
la ro, do. of Mexico 3200
Total departed from San Luis 10,000
Troops which Gen. Famuli conduct* from
the town of Lula, wiih three piece* of
heavy calibre, with their munition* 1000
Cavalry on the march CO »0
Artillery do. do. 250
Division under Gen. Mejia 40(;0
21.310
The artillery was supplied with over 600 round*
of ammunition.
In the above enumeration are not included
the force stationed at Tula, nor the brigades
of Gens Minon and Jnvera.
At the latest accounts from Santa Anna,
he was at Matehuala, where lie arrived on
the 7ih of February. Matehuala is a town
nearly north of San Litis, and about one-third
of Ihe way thence to Saltillo, according to
the maps before us. His army was in the
utmost distress —rndeadn tie miserias —the
Government having provided no means for
undertaking such a march. We have a
frightful picture of the state of the troops
I before leaving San Luis. One of Santa An
na’s last acts before marching was to distri
bute twelve days pay for the month of Janu
ary. Tins could not sustain them more than
a week, and the question wax asked, “What
shall we do when in front of the enemy? ’
'Die troops are represented as patient and
loyal, but in pitiable state of distress. In de
rision, they speak of going forth to solve the
problem of “fighting without eating. ’
The same paper which announces Santa
Anna’s arrival at Matehuala, mentions that
Gen. Taylor is fortifying Saltillo, and has
with him 6000 troops and sixteen pieces of
artillery. This shows again the accuracy of
the information possessed by the Mexicans
of our movements.
Further extracts will be found in onr col
umns this morning, taken from the Pica
yune of the 10th inst.
Valuable Cargo.
The Sa-’annah Georgian oi l3th inst. says—
“ The British ship Speed, Capt. Grundell,cleared
at this port, for Liverpool, with 3107 balesof Up
jand and 50 bales of Sea island Cotton, valued
at $143,592 38.
The Atlanta Luminary of the 13th insh
says—“We are informed, by a gentleman
direct from the terminus of the Western and
Atlantic Ra I-Hoad, that for a few days past,
rains has fallen almost incessantly; flooding
the country, and promising to.do much dam
age. Water courses are said to be higher
than for years past, and the rain is still fall
ing. The Chattahoochee is bursting it*