Newspaper Page Text
2
* better From Mr. Buchanan.
The Pennsylvanian contains a letter written
by the Hod- James Buchanan, in leply to an
invitation to attend a public festival in Berk-
County, Pa. After stating that public business
will preclude hie attendance, he alludes, says the
New York Courier and Enquirer, to the ap
proaching election in Pennsylvania as one oi
very great importance, as “upon its results may
probably depend the ascendency ofthe Democ
racy of the Union for years .to come.” The
field, he says, is a fair one, and should the Dem
ocratic candidate be defeated.be declares itwili
be in vain to explain the result, “ill any other
manner than by admitting that the \\ higshave
the majority.”
In regard to the question of Slavery —as at
present agitating the country, he expresses the
following views, which are worthy an attentive
consideration:
The question of slavery, in one of its ancient as
pects, has been recently revived and threate sto con
vulse the country. The Democratic party ofthe Union
ought to prepare themselves in time for the approach
ing storm. The best security, in the hour of danger,
is to cling fast to their time-honored principles. A sa
cred regard for the Federal constitution, and for the
reserved rights of the States, is the immovable basis
on which the party can alone safely rest. This has
saved us from the inroads of abolition. Northern
Democrats are not expected to approve slavery in the
abstract; but thev owe it to themselves, as they value
the Union, and ail the political blessings which boun
tifully flow from it, to abide by the compromises ofthe
constitution, and leave the question, where that in
strument left it, to the States wherein slavery’ exists.
Our fathers have made this agreement with their
brethren of the South ; and it is not for the descend
ants of cither party, in the present generation, to can
cel this solemn compact. The abolitionists, by their
efforts to annul it, have arrested the natural progress of
emancipation, and done great injury to the slaves them
selves.
Aller Louisiana was acquired from France by Mr.
Jefferson, and when the State of Missouri, which con
stituted a part of it, was about to be admitted into the
Union, the Missouri question arose, and in its progress
threatened the dissolution of the Union. This was
settled by the men of the last generation, as oilier im
portant and dangerous questions have been settled, in
a spirit of mutual concession. Under the Missouri
compromise, slavery was “forever prohibited” north
of the parallel of 36 deg. 30 min.; and south of this
parallel the question was left to be decided by the
people. Congress, in the admission ofTexas, follow
ing in the footsteps of their predecessors, adopted the
same rule ; and in my opinion, the harmony of the
States, and even the security of the Union itself, re
quire that the line of the Missouri compromise should
be extended to any new' territory which we may ac
quire from .Mexico
I should entertain the same opinion, even if it wen
certain that this would become a serious practical
question; butthat it never can be thus considered,
must be evident to ail who have attentively examined
the subject.
Neither the soil, the climate, nor the productions of
that |>ortion of California south of 36 deg 30 min., nor
indeed of any portion of it, North or South, is adapted
to slave labor; and, besides, every facility would be
there afforded to ibe slave to escape from his master.
Such property would be utterly insecure in any part of
California. It is morally impossible, therefore, that a
majority of the emigrants lothat portion «»f the territo
ry south of 36 deg. 30 min., which will be chiefly
compnwd of our fellow-citizens from the Eastern, Mid
die, and Western States, will e*erre-establisn slavery
within its limits. In regard to New .Mexico, east o'
the Rio Grande, the question has already been settled
by the admission of Texas into the Union.
Should we acquire territory beyond the Rio Grande,
an I east of the Rocky Mountains, it is still more im
probable that a majority of the people of that region
would consent to re-establish slavery. They are,
themselves, in a large proportion, a colored |M»pula
tion ; ami among them, the Negro does not socially be
long to a degraded race.
The question is, therefore, not imc of practical im
portance. Its agitation, however honestly intended,
can produce no effect but to alienate the people of dif
ferent port ions of the Union from each other; toexcile
sectional divisionsand jealousies; and to distract and
pomibly destroy the Democratic party, on the ascen
dency of whose principles and measures depends, as I
firmly believe, the success of our grand cx|M*rimentof
self-government.
Such have been my individual opinions, <>|»onlv and
freely expressed, ever since the commencement of the
present unfortunate agitation; and of all places in the
world, I prefer to put them <m record before the incor
ruptible Democracy of Old Berks. I, therefore, beg
leave to oiler you the following sentiment :
77ir Missouri Compromise: Ils adojrtiou in 1820
saved the Union from threatened convulsion. Its ex
tension in 1848 to any new territory which we may
acquire, will secure the like happy result.
Yours, very respectfully,
JAMES BUCHANAN.
YVhljr va. Democratic Eten my.
Correspondence of the Savannah Republican.
Mh.i.edgevili f. August 29. 1847.
Gentlemen: Il in the Administration oi a
Georgia Democratic Executive, there are ex
pended. in four years for contingencies alone,
$40,797;40 more than in the same length of time
arc expended by a H'hig Executive, how pros
perous soever the people, the Stale will hardly
be tn a condition to lessen its piibh*- debt, or
reduce V • taxes in the future. Ami litis is what
the peo; • • may expect, judging from the past,
provided ,i Democratic Governor bo siibsiint
ed for a W hig one in October next .'
When the inquiry 100. is made, huw it is that
a Whig Executive has paid so much ofthe pub
lic debt, his resources being the same as his
Democratic predecessors, win* paid none of
the principal, and called for Legi»h*“v.. -•
pr.Mt.on.cv pay arrearages ol interest on the
same, the answer is to be found in the above
fact, and similar ones all going to prove that
while recklessness and extravagance prevailed
in the one Administration, prudence and econ
omy have marked the other.
Here, thru, liesthe difference. The Whigs,
if they elect General Clinch, felt satisfied. and
confidently assure the people, that his admin
istration of our State affairs shall be in accord
ance with the principles and practice ofthe pre
sent Executive. The Democrats, if thev elect
their Governor, expect him to represent their
party— to be as faithful to their interests as was
their previous Governor—to recommend ra/ir/*
measures, by borrowing, to loan—to give ex
pansion to the State currency at home, so that
money may be plenty at the Capitol, and at
par there, while it is at a discount of 50 per
cent, elsewhere.—in short, to manage theallairs
of State upon any other than Whig principles.
regardless of indebtedness or expenditure, no
Hiich won! as economy being found in their po
litical But as 1 intend to show
your readers the difference between Whig and
Democratic Administrations of our State affairs.
I will turn to facts of record that there max be
no mistake m the matter, and because they
cannot be disputed.
On the use made ofthe contingent funds by the
Democratic Executive, I commented in my last,
i will now turn to another important fund
styled the “printing fund.” lad s see how the
Democratic and W hig Governors managed
this fund for the four years in which thev were
clothed with authority.
For 1840, the Legislature appropriated to
the Democratic Governor, as a printing fund
$20,000. Oi this, he expended $16,794 23.
For 1841, SL>.UOO were appropriated Os
this, he expended $14.99699. For 1842. sl2-.
000 were appropriated. Os this, he expended
sll.9>L* oil. tor 1843, $ 1 2,000 were appro
priated. Os this he expended 11,856 47.
In the four v ears, then, of the Democratic
Executive Administration $55,538 19 were ex
pended lor public printing.
Now for the other side :
tor 1840. sls.O<)o were appropriated bv th.'
Legislature bi the Executive, us a printing
fund. Os this, he expended $9,860 s>. For
1>4.». $5,000 w ere appropriated. Os this, he
expended $3,380 40. For 1846. $11.9U0 were
appropriated. <>f this, he expended $8,401
37. tor 1847, $3,000 were appropriated.—
Os this, he has expended $164 06.
In the four years liiru ol the Whig Execu
tive Administration $21.80649 appear to have
been expended, making a difference in the ac
tual expenditures between the two Administra
tions o I $33.4*6 70. But as it may be said
that the \\ lug Governor has bad to pax tor the
printing of the Laws aud Journals only twice
in Ins Administration, while the Democratic
Governor had to pay for the same printing four
times. I w ifi credit the latter, with the differ
ence. «ay about sls,ooo—for the printing of
the Laws. Journals. Ac amounted last \ear
U> only $7,361 20;—and with this deduction,
it appears that the Democratic Admutiswumu
could not get on. its four yea.*, wnuoui expen
ding 81'.* *6 70 more than the Whig Admims
trauwii—a snug httle sum. Messrs. Editors, for
favorite printers ata time w•lieu the Lex-pav
ers were suffering greatly Uwm the immetarv
condi ion ol the State.
Vi u.e CoilUugvui Fund 4t) iUl j
of I'nntuiic Fuhu ~u , ,
by a l>< uioerauc. than by a VVh lg AdmuJara- '
t.oti--av<K<ux ai.-talui tlitse two funds alone i
ot the.d may be matter*of #mali i ■
inoiueut to yuny /wd.r*. but not Wll h Ule | ,
lire c„nira*t is too marked to sattsf, I
the latter. Uhy the Oemoirats do not admin i '
tster the Government with tho same regard to i ’
economy*, and the people s interests, ' i
seems strange to them, and u leaves no rmun 't
for doubt a* tor vv tiicn caibLdaic their stiffrag
would Im cast. The Uctsare too ,
*oo , » n > escaping from them SIV. .
I>HVL i
b S Kul by a UeinocratH.- that: |
W a tug ti UXl .,nor. is enough to arouse tt <•
>S'.“iu7 bard tanner and
eoumn.toapL, the ,
vvaxtcfiil such e« 11 * u WOi| ki encourage such «
people s «** <
see their Democratic t dttor ” M ’? l I*** 0 !’* 0 *
candidates, avoiding 5..,,. and ,
and talking about Federal i l . " ritUl? '
MMt >. a plant one. The.r man*-, m.* „-*??’ J
State Government will not b»-* r ’ ,he I
lion. esM S*- t
Sow m all other eapenditures the same re- '■
suit, when die comparison is made, will t
found The same marked difference wd| b,. .
found loe\:d. turn to anv department ot tm- :
Mate Government Take the Femtentian t
and bow IS u there ■ Instead of spending eve
ry dollar made by the eo D , ,et*. and tens of thou- t
Samis beNdes. appropnated for its use by the i
it is pay m< it» own wav. am! \ ield- c
•ng a proril to the State A owe admimstra- d
twn ot the Suu, a affair, have resulted m good i
every oay. Whig measures have triumphed,
and Whig measure have saved the State
But let a change come, and who knows that
die Central Bank policy will not be revived ?
Place vour Government in the hands again of
the Democracy, and judging from the past,
when will your public debt be paid, and what
security in’the past acts of that party can be
found, that even the interest will be promptly
paid her bond-holders? Large arrearages of
interest accrued during the Administration of
the last Democratic Excutive, and large arrea
rages will again accrue if the old favorite poli
cy ot that party be carried out by Mr. Towns.
And that there is danger of this, the tone of the
Democratic piess plainly indicates. We see,
day after day, efforts made to relieve the Dem
ocratic party from the charge of causing the
evils that have resulted from Democratic ad
ministrations ofthe affairs ofthe Central Bank
and Slate Treasury, and ibis too with the know
ledge on the part of those who make them,
that facts to the contrary are known to the peo
ple. But taking all chances, they yet try to
dcccire. regardless, if successful, ofthe rain that
may follow.
Voters of Georgia, take w arning from the
pastt Rest assured that Whig policy will pay
the State’s indebtedness, and in the end relieve
you from oppressive taxation. But change
your administration and its policy’, and what
can you expert ? From abroad, doubt and dis
trust—at home, nothing better—may it not be
worse ? VINDEX.
From the Phil. North American—By Telegraph.
From California--Arrival Os General
Kearney.
Cincinnati, Aug. 30.
Bv the Western mail we learn that General
Kearney and suite arrived at St. Louis on
Wednesday last, the 25th ilist. Col. Fremont
and his party were left at the Kansas, and will
arrive in the next boat that comes dow n. ,
Gen. Kearney left California on his home
ward route on the 18th of June. He was ac
coinpanied by his personal staff and several
discharged volunteers, formerly belonging to
the Mormon battalion, so that his whole party
numbered from fifty to fifty-five persons.
Colonel Fremont, being under arrest, and
ordered home for trial, under charges of diso
bedience of orders, left California w ith his par
ty about the same time that General Kearney
did, and was but a short distance in his rear
during the entire journey, and reached Fort
Leavenworth before the general’s departure
for St. Louis. General K. arrived at the fort
on Sunday week, the 22d inst., having made
the trip in the short space of sixty-five days.
He chose the South Pass for his route, and
had many obstacles to encounter, as the snow
on the mountains was very deep, and the track
in many places almost impassable.
Neither party experienced any difficulty from
the Indians; on the contrary they were very
quiet, and evinced no hostile disposition what
ever.
Major Cook and Judge Bryant, who were of
the returned party, say that all the trains of emi
grants nowon tin? way to Oregon were seve
rally met. They were progressing finely;
stood the fatigues of the journey well and hud
abundance of provisions.
When Gen. Kearney and his party left Cali
fornia everything was in a peaceful and pros
perous condition.
Col. Mason was left in command as military
Governor of the territory.
There was quite a fleet oil* the coast of Cali
fornia, consisting of the 74 gun ship Columbus,
bearing the broad pennant «»f Com Biddle ; the
Irigate Congress, 45; the three sloops of war
Portsmouth 20, Warren 20, Dale 16, and th<*
sloreships Lexington 8 and Erie 8. The latter
was to leave in a few days with abopit 500 men.
The rest of the troops were divided into par
ties under separate romniaiids, ami stationed at
different posts throughout the country, where
it was deemed most advisable, either from pre
cautionary or defensive views.
Nothing has yet transpired as to the specific
nature of the charges against Lieut. Col. Fre
mont, but as both the commanding officer and
the arrested subordinate have now returned,
we shall soon have our ci-riosily satisfied o
this head.
There seems, at least for the present, to be no
farther feeling of resistance toward our author
ity in California. The civil others elected mi
der the provisional government are executing
their duties xvitli honesty and distinctness, ami
j present so new a phase of justice to the native
inhabitants that they are delighted.
They Rejoice nt their Fall !
Some of our democratic coteinporaries are
rejoicing at the prospect ol* a whig majority in
the next House of Representatives. I’his, al
first, looks a lilile strange: but when their rea
sons are assigned lor this most unnatural joy.
the feeling is at once explained. T'liey seem to
tin k, ami so the country generally thinks, that
the labor of arresting the downward lendtmci
of the government will be h«*uvy enough to
break down any party. Things have arrived
at such a pass, that they are willing to shill tin
responsibility of giving future direction to pub
lic affairs to the shoulders of their opponents,
in the hope that the whigs will fad in their at
tempts to bring order ami stability out of tlu
confusion that is every day becoming worse
confounded.
They know, as well as the Whigs do. that
with a Luge majority of democrats in the S*>»»
.i-.ik.. li. M'c «u‘ KvprcM'Hlatix e« w ill be pow
erle» to <‘tl«ct much of good in the attempt to
advance the great interests of the country
The strength of liteir game w ill be to throw
upon the whigs the blame of thwarting the
views and purposes of the administration, and
then assert that but for this every thing would
have moved on smoothly. W e have seen this
game played too often not to understand exact
ly what is meant by their present joy at being
reduced to a minority. How different from
die whigs are their opponents .' The whigs re
jotce when their viewsand policy are approved
by the people; they are proud when the coun
try sanctions the course of their public men.
ami feel humbled when bv a condemnation of
their public policy they find themselves reduced
to empty benches in the legislative halls. Not
.«• the democracy. They can look with pride
ami pleasure on the ruinous measures of their
party, see their overwhelming mtijoniy melt
away under the burning rebuke of an insulted
constituency, ami, instead of regretting, abso
lutely rejoice that the troubles they have brought
upon the country may likely embarrass theit
successful opponents.
W ell. if our opponents are glad of their ap
proaching doom, it must be admitted that we
are not sorry. There are some lew things von
neelvd w ith the present and past history ol thi
admimstrahou. Iliac the people desire to have a
little more light on, than they have as yet re
ceived. If. therefore, the Whigs have a ma
jority, we trust they w ill. even at the risk ol
sacrificing a portion of their popularity, cal
for such information as will satisfy this reason
able desire. The people vv ant to know, par
ticularly. how it happened that the infamous
Santa Anna was permitted to return to hi>
country, to wage the murderous warfare he ha-,
against the lives of the soldiers of the United
States; they desire to be uii'ormed what agree
ment was entered into between him and the
President, ami this information thev are deter-
mined to seek and obtain. T'liey vv i*h to know,
too. on what terms the provinces of Mexico
have been annexed to this country . and vv hethei
those prov mces are now regarded as part and
parcel of the United States—whether the ne
groe>. Indians, mulattoes. 51 undang«>es, Ac.,
ale to be considered citizens of this great Re
public, and entitled to equal privileges, rignt*
and immunities, with the while inhabitants oi
this glorious confederacy. There are many
other things that should be dragged forth to the
light of day. that have hitherto been concealed.
These are the imnor matters into winch the
searching scrutiny will extend. The truth anti
the whole truth must come out, and our oppo
nents. instead of chuckling over scenes oi
bickering among the whigs. will find it as much
as they can do to meet the responsibility of their
pnst conduct.
It is no purpose of the w hig party to mislead
the people. They pretend to no wisdom, in
public atfairs. which is not open to all. It is
w uh the people that we desire to settle the con
tri iversy between our opponents and onrselv es.
It the country is satisfied w ith the present state
of things—if the acts of the existing adminis
irthion are in accoriauce with the interests ol
th-•country, ami our icdow-enu ens feel that
th«* liberties of the people can survive the con
duct of our rulers—then we shall be content.
But we know* that thev do not so feel. A voice
at once emphatic and decisivr. has been uttered.
Ex ervwhere—north, south, east and west—this
voice has been heaid in tones of censure and
rebuke, and now the guilty agents turn upon
us and say, \\ e are giad you imv»* overthrown
us. Uhyso ' Because we have clone such an
amaiint of mischief, that you w I perish m the
effort to redeem the country . Tins is a new
kind of patriotism—this is the boa-f of the high
vyr.y robber, who. shaking his chains in the
felon’s dungeon, bids defiance to the punishing
JU? nee of the law s, and dally tells the judge that
Uiv country will lose more than the culprit
The whigs are witling to risk u all. Thev are
determined to expose the conduct of the Brest
dent, and in doing so. will b*« deterred by no
fear of losing their popularity or their party
power.— CuiumUus Enquirer.
New Enterprise.—We understand lint ar
range men is are being mad« to esta sh . ne
of wagons from this place to Kelley’s Kerry,
vi die Tennessee river, twelve miles below
I'aaitanoogx ; and that a line of stages to carry
p&ssengers. i-. also to be established on the same
route. We are not informed of the precise ob
jects of the gentlemen engaged tn the enter
prise. but suppose it is for the purpose of es
tablishing a trade between that part ot Alaba
ma continue us to die Tennessee rn er. and our
Atlantic ciitt s. Cotton and other produce wdi
brought f rom Decatur. Ala . and from all
P viul * above. on the rtver. to Kelly’s Kerry.
) Meaniboa ta. from whence, we presume,
through rates of freight w:U be established lo
all the markc is on the Railroads below By
iis. and othet* arrangements, which have been
made, n »> tbo ught that quite a large amount ot
cou»n wdl he , .tupped d ... n the Sure Railroad,
during the eu »uiuj fail and winter Dalio*
CAugusta, ©ii.:
MONDAY' MORNING, SEPT. 6, 1H47.
The War—The Administration -- Con
tinued.
General Taylor to General Jones, April 15,
1846.—He reports the arrival of General Am
pudia at Matamoros, and says :
“On the 12th I received from General Ampudia a
despatch summoning me to withdraw my force with
in twenty-four hours, and to fall back beyond theri
rer Nueces. To this communication I replied on the
12th saying that I should not retrogade from my po
sition.” “Notwithstanding the alternative of war
presented by Gen. Ampudia, no hostile movement
lias yet been made by his force.”
General Ampudia to Gen. Taylor, April\Z, 1846.
“ If you insist in remaining ii|>hi the soil of the de
partment of Tamaulipas it will clearly result that
arms, and arms must decide the question.”
General Taylor of course maintained bis
previous position. The prefect of Tamauli
pas in his protest to which we have before re
ferred said:
“The people of this prefecture are justly alarmed
at the invasion of an army. * ♦ ♦ Nothing has
been said officially by the Cabinet of the Union to the
Mexican Government respecting the extension of the
limits of Texas to the left bank of the Rio Grande,
so long as it (the army) remains within the territory
of Tamaulipas,
We copy the following from notes of a con
ference between General W orth and General
La Vega:
“ General La Vega then stated ‘ that he had been
directed to receive such communications as General
Worth might present from his commanding General,
going on to say that the march of the United States
troops through a part of the Mexican terriio y (Ta
maulipas.) iras an act of ir a-' General Worth
asked —‘ Has Mexico declared war against the United
States?’ General La Vega—‘No.’ Gen. Worth —
‘Are the two countries still at peace?’ Gen. La Ve
ga—‘Yes.’ General La Vega asked—‘ls it the in
tention of General Taylor to remain with his army
on fiie left bank of the Rio Grande.” Gen. Worth —
‘ Most assuredly: and there re nuin until directed
otherwise by his government.’ General La Vega re
marked—• We felt indignant .at seeing the American
flat* placed on the Rio Grande, a portion of the
Mexican terr ito> y."
Gen. Taylor to Gen. Junes, April 26, 1846.
He reports iu this commit mention the arrival
of General .Arista at Matamoros, on the 241 h,
.and his assumption of the command of the
Mexican army. He says:
“On the same day he addressed me a communica
tion, conceived in courteous terms, but saying that
he considered hostilities commenced, and should pro
secute them.”
When this letter was written the party un
der Capts. Thornton and Hardee had already
been captured by the Mexicans. Our readers
all know the rest. The clouds of war were
then hanging heavy over the belligerents, and
have shot their lightnings with terrific fury
since.
Does not the array of testimony which we
have produced prove as clearly as that war has
been waged, that it followed the order of our
army to the Rio Grande. Mr. Polk had his
choice, to let tiie army remain at Corpus
Christi, or insanely order it as he did to the Rio
Grande; we do not mean that he had die right
or the constitutional power to do the latter, but
the option was before him. to do the first, or
violently ami arbitrarily order the army to the
Rio Grande. Can the mind’s cunning con
ceive of a reason, which could influence him
lodo so, compatible with the “objects” for
which our troops were ordered to Texas,
namely “its defence and protection from
foreign invasion and Indian incursions.”
There was no invasion of the country be
tween the Rio Grande and the Nueces by the
Mexican*. The chain of history id' tiie events
then transpiring, bears unbroken testimony to
this fad—that all Texas was safe, that the Mex
icans had no idea of an invasion, but were
quietly waiting the result of negotiations.
Mr. M xitcv in a letter to General Taylor of
July 30. h, 1815. informed him:
“ Yt>u are expected t-> occupv, pn»tect, ami defend
the territory ot’ I'.-x fu the extent that it has beenuc
cupied by the people of "Texas. ”
Was not that object accomplished xvhile our
troops were at Corpus Christi ? Was not Mar
the utmost western limit of all the country occu
pied by Terans ? Was there a Texan living
between the settlements at the Nueces, and
lie valley of the Rio <lrande ? Had the Tex
ans ever oossesse*! or occupied that rallcy ?
Did they ever in ike an elfort to drive off the
Mexicans from it without being repulsed, taken
prisoners or killed' Hid not the Mexicans
been in possession of it from the first occupan
cy of it under Sparfish rule ’ Then why send
the army to the Rio Grande ! Ave why i I»
-•rUi nut do n»r the advocates ofthe administra
tion to say that Texas extended to the Rio
Grande, and it was the duty of Mr. Polk to pro
tect a idl. We know that Mr. Polk took this
ground himself, but the joint Resolution of
annexation dashes that assumption to pieces.—
The treaty which Mr. Tyler had made with
Texas, in I <44. and which was signed on the
I2ih of April of that year, was rejected mainly,
on the ground, that it fixed the western limit of
Texas at the Rio Grande, which would have
been with Mexico a ju>t cause for war. A pro
position was made to establish that river as the
western bound ary while the joint resolution
was under discussion in the House, but it failed,
and Congress declared by its final act. in the
language of the resolution, the annexation of
such territory as was '•properly included within,
and rightfully belonged to the Republic of Texas,"
reserving in the 2nd Resolution, "said State to
fwformed subject to theadjustmt nt by this Gurcrn
mt nt of all questions of boundary that may arise
with other Governments." Then, it is palpably
manifest, that it was not settled by Congress
what 'Texas was. and. we presume, when Mr.
Polk decides lor Congress, he does it upon the
Democratic "progress" in principle, that “1
IM THE Governmf.x r
A variety of other proofs and illustration*
will be given in reference to the origin of the
war. in establishing our third proposition. We
therefore waive them for the present, to show
that Genera! Taylor t\< not responsible for the
march to the Rio Grande. as is charged by Dem
ocratic Editors ami others. They even go so
far as to say. that he first -uggoslcii and advised
it. It has already been seen, that in the letter
of Mr. Marcy. of the loth of June. (Jen. Tay
lor was to d. ‘’’rhe point ofyour ultimate des
tination is th western frontier of Texas, where
von will occupy on or near the Rio Grande del
Xortc such a site as will,” Ac. .Now this infor
mation was given to General Taylor, when,
for the first time, he knew that he would be sent
on service in Texas!
Again, in a letter of the 30th of July, the Sec
retary tells him. •• It is expected, that in select
ing a position for your troops, you wdl ap
proach as near the boundary line—the Rio
Grande —as prudence will dictate. ”
Now. on the 4th of October. l>4-"», nearly
four months alter he was informed that the Rio
Grande was his destination, he was asked his
opinion in reference to it by the a.lm lustration.
He replies in the following language:
‘•lt is with gre.it deference that I make any sugges
tiaas on topics which* ui ;. t-vc«Hue matter ».f delicate
negotiation, 6m* i * ■ ■ if£.’vri:inient, in settling the ques
tion-«f . oundary .inc of the Rio Grande
an ultimatum. I cannot doubt that the settlement will
be greatly facilitated and hastened \ «»ur taking pos
session at once, of one or lvv.> suitable pun us on or
quite near that river.''
In this. General Tavior is giving a military
opinion. He disclaims interference w ith civil
matters. But mark, that under any circum
stances. there is an important i> in the way of
our opponents. //* vo:t determine on the Rio
Grande as y<»«r ultioi itu i.then th s military po
sition would :>•? i.ivisable. The administration
could not har been i l:t need by this view of
General Tav..ok. tor did not order him to ad
vance for several months, and. in the mean
time. on the 7th of N vember. he wrote lo the
Department as follows:
•Tx ligfrom Mexico, however, tends Io
mod :u sv-:..e de.; re . the \ ews cipessvd io that
O fuE POSITION NC W
VCCVPISP BY THE TRei tMAY PERHAPS BE THE
bksi whi s xi. I.a ions are pending, oral any
rate, until 3 di>p . s lai* ! e m tnifested by Mt xico
:» protract the.:: ■ :it.A f er the supposition
:.a: such in :y be: t u * ot the DepirUin'nt, I shall
mak« n•' merement from this point, except for thepnr
pose est xamining ue c - try. until iurther lostruc-
U-ios are re ce*»eo. '
Geu. Tailor received no reply to this letter,
nor indeed any ceiumunieation from the De
partment. till the peremptory order more than
two months thereafter, to break up his camp at
Corpus Chris’’, and march for the Rio Grande !
But admit, for argument s sake, that General
Taylor did advise that movement, and that it
indue need the administration, would that shield
the administration for pursuing a dangerous
and uoconsututiouai measure, which plunged
uk country uno a war mat might have been
honorably avoided ? Besides, it would present
the administration in the unenviable light of
shaping its public civil policy, in accordance with
the opinion of one whom, in a short time after, it
sought to supercede in his command and de
grade and crush.
If the march to the Rio Grande wag the
cause of a bloody, expensive and unnecessary
war, it can be no excuse for an administration
charged with the management of public affairs,
to say that Gen. Taylor, or any body else, ad
vised it! It belonged to the Administration to
decide, and upon it must rest the responsibil
ity.
We have shown, however, that this eflort to
take shelter under the wing of Gen. Taylor,
however low and grovelling it may appear, can
afford the administration no relief, for the for
mer forced it to take the responsibility, and
it did take it, of giving the unqualified and per
emptory order for the march.
There is something in this effort at “ dodg
ing' 1 that is not only very small but decidedly
ungrateful. Gen. Taylor said, in a letter to
Gen. Gaines: “The first wagon which has
reached me since the declaration of war was on
the 2d of November, the same day on which I
received from Washington an acknowledge
ment of my despatch announcing the taking of
Monterey.” The whole country knows the
difficulties he had to encounter. After refer
ring to the fact that he had to march to Mon
terey, taking only fifteen days provisions, leav
ing behind the baggage of the officers, and car
rying what he did by means of such transpor
tation as he could obtain at great trouble and
labor, he says—“ I did so to sustain the Ad.
ministration.' 1
How very kind and grateful, then, the effort
to make him responsible for its wrongs and
blunders, more especially after constant efforts
to supercede and degrade him! Our Demfr
cratic friends will look in vain upon this un
grateful effort to find there “Virtue’s Polar
Star,” or Justice with her “ Celestial Bloom.”
Mr. W. H. Polk has resigned his post as
Charge to Naples, and received from his bro
ther the appointment of Major of the Third
Dragoons in the regular service ! Very en
couraging to those officers in Mexico who have
done the fighting.
The War—More Troops.
The official paper, announcing a requisition
of the President of five new regiments, takes
occasion to extol, for the hundredth time, the
energy and spirit of the Administration. It
must be confessed, says the Baltimore Ameri
can, that the most is made, in the way of eulogy,
out of a small capital, in the way of merit.
To talk of the energy and spirit of the Admin
istration in the conduct of the war, is. at this
time of day, to talk in away that requires the
construction due to dreams—that is, by con
traries.
•Ve are not told, yet, what is the definite ob
ject the attainment of which is to assure us of
a peace. The stale phraseology of “ die prof
fer of the olive branch and its refusal by Mex
ico,” with sounding announcements of new
victories to be achieved, in order to compel a
par . .ation.still exhibits the barrenness it would
disguise in the columns of the official paper.
There is no plan, no clearly conceived pur
pose. no determinate end in view ; or if there
be, none ha- been indicated—none is indicated
now. The driblet of five new regiments fol
low ther driblets, just in time to be of little or
no avail. By the turn! the reinforcement to be
provided by this requisition reaches Gen. Scott
he will need three times the number.
Should the plan be adopted, which seems to
be the only one likely to result in a termination
of hostilities, the plan of announcing from the
city of Mexico our own terms of pacification,
with a definition of the hue of boundary— it
would still be proper to reinforce (ten. Scott
largely. For, the dictation of terms should be
accompanied by a force imposing and irresisti
ble. 'l'lie conqueror, issuing his manifesto from
the enemy's capital, should not be in a state of
apprehension lest his communications be cut
oil’; his convoys should not be at the merry of
guerrillas ; his retreat from the City to Vera
Cruz should not be a thing of peril, to be done
in the midst of intercepting, ha Trussing skir
mishers, with passes to be stormed and roads
to be cleared. Advancing like a Conqueror,
he should retire like one ; or, if every step to
the city of Mexico should be thron gh opposi
tion and conllict, the possession of that Capital
should be so complete and every thing achieved
should be so well secured, that no doubt would
remain/jf the fact of conquest. '
|f th- Tontemplates indefinite
hostilities, and if its ideas with regard to the
conclusion ol the war are as vague as the lan
guage of the official paper would denote, there
is still a necessity for larger forces. The pros
pect of another year’s war would call for a sys
tem of enlarged operations. Tavlor would
have to advance; the forces in Santa Fe would
need to be increased ; the main army under
Scott would require large additions. In any
point of view, therefore, the live regiments are
not enough.
From the Mucon Journal and Messenger.
Col. Kenan and Gen. Clinch.
In their fiery zeal and desperation certain of
the leading Democrats have been industriously
circulating in this region and in the upper por
tions of the State, that Col. Kenan, had declared
himself opposed to General Clinch, in conse
quence of certain charges made against the lat
ter, growing out of bis connection with the
St. Mary’s Bank, hi consequence of this re
port. Air. O. Saltmarsh, of this city, at the re
quest of several \V lugs. addressed Col. Kenan
a brief note asking if the statements were true.
The subjoined letter, which has been handed
to us for publication, explains itself:
Milledgeville, August 24, 1847.
Aly Dear Sir :— You ask me ifther? is any truth
tn th? report which is currently circulated in your
community of my having abandoned the cause of
Gen. Clinch and come out openly against him. &r.
Strange question this, to ask a H’/iiy and personal
and intimate friend of Gen. Clinch' No curr* ncy
of wily rumor, mv dear Sir, could be m.>re spuri
ous. N > one feels more interest in his success than
I, and could my ardor med additional incentive, it
would be found in the unfair and imeandid efforts to
stain tiis well-earned reputation by unjust allusions
to his acts while connected with the St. Marv’s Bank
Very respectfully, your friend.
To O. Saltmarsh. A. H. KENAN.
It is scarcely necessary to accompany the
foregoing frank and manly note of Col. Kenan
with any remarks further than to warn our
Whig friends in regard to similar reports touch
ing other members of the whig party. Onh
the other day, while in Cherokee, we heard it
stated that the Clerk of the Supreme Court.
Robt. E. Marlin. Esq., had stated that Gen.
Clinch would not get his party vote in the Mid
dle and Southwestern counties. We stated
then, what we now repeat, that we believed
great injustice had been done to Mr Martin
—that be was too well informed not to know
that such a statement would be false in fact, and
that he was a gentleman of too much honor
even to give countenance to a story which was
not strictly true.
We mention these facts to show the unwor
thy means resorted to by some of the friends
of Col. Towns, in order to operate upon
public opinion in the upper counties. We
have yet to learn of thejfrsf Whig vote which
Gen. Clinch " ill lose, and we know many,
verv mam. Democrats who are disgusted with
the unmanly and disreputable policy of certain
Democratic presses, who are tired and sick
of Democratic wastefulness, and who are re
solved to give a cordial support to the gallant
old farmer and patriot. Gen. Clinch. 'The
very fact that the Democrats are endeavoring
to find out recusant Whigs, proves that they
areaware of" their weakness and are alarmed
nt the distracted and dismembered condi
tion of their own party. Like the affrighted
boy in the grave yard, they have found it ne
cessary to whistle in order to keep their cour
age “P-
From the New York Shipping List
Breadstuff*. Exports from the United
States to Great Britain and Ireland, to latest
dates, since l»t September 1a5t:—3.099.17( b s
wheat flour: 8 h>."47 do. corn meal: 3.667.119
bus. wheat; 16.261.591 do. Indian corfi: —•
161 do. rye ; 4’.k». — 1 do. oats : 292 486 do. bar
lev. Os which there were from
N’t w Orleans to New York to
G Br r & France. G. Br France.
Wh. :: ir, i 15644 120 286,113 1,6*25, ill 244,152
Corn meal, 64.250 686 359.919 4.075
Wheat, bus., 573 174 533.654 2.403.337 352 —0
Id. Corn 4.19-2.571 3.392 6.774.899 5,772
Rve. 1.247 75.592 104.425
Barley, 1.985 1.274 290,376 32
Oats. '367.791 3.368
And of Rye to all foreign pirtii, 1.008.389 bushels.
Bread versus Bullet-; —The Americans
having nobly supplied food for the Irish, we
shall look at their flag with incre.Ased respect.
The stripes shall be to us significant of a gridi
ron. and their stars of sugared buns. Glad are
we to find that the American subscription* have
been so nobly acknowledged m the House
of Commons. These thanks for bread will go
far to keep bullets out of the fashion. The In
dian Meal Book to our mind, is a more delightful
volume than an History of the American War ;
and the directions therein written for the compo
sition of Homony-cake* and Slap-jacks, far bet
ter than any talk of red-coal lactic*. Bombshavt
had their day: let us henceforth try bn ns. and
wherever America has battered our ships, let
her. for ah time to cotue. ba’ter our fry mg pan*.
To paraphrase the pieman. •• Brown Jonny
cakes is in—Congreve-rockete is out.”— Punch
Two bales of new Cotton, the first this sea
son, were received al the Warehouse of Messrs.
Dye & Robe rtso.n, in this city, from the
plantation, in Columbia county, of R. \ .
Goetchins of this city—quality middling fair.
In 1846 the first bale of the new crop was
received on the 22d of August, and in 1845. on
the 271 h of July.
War upon tlie Soldiers*
The Democratic organs are manifesting’their
true feelings, by their unceremonious abuse of
the very men who have been fighting their bat
tles. General Taylor, Gen. Clinch, Captain
Bird, and Captain Sargent, have all come in for
a full share of opprobrium. Like General Har
rison, they are men who have not entitled them
selves to any favor at the hands of the people
—they have punctually received their pay, and
herefore in the language of General Twiggs,
copied and approved in the Savannah Geor
gian, must cry quits. What most astonishes us
is, that statements like these should meet the
approval of the present editor of the Georgian.
himself recently in the service of his country.
We still trust there must be some mistake
about the matter. It cannot be that he pre
sumes that the nine hundred Georgians who
with him crossed the 'Chattahoochee some six
teen months ago, were prompted only by mer
cenary considerations. It cannot be that he
supposed the brave men and gallant officers
whom he commanded, did not look beyond
their pay to that reward which is peculiarly the
soldier’s. Had such been their feelings, they
would not so quietly have submitted to the ex
posure, the toil and privations of the camp and
the Though it was not their lotto gather
such laurels as were won by the brave Missis
sippiaus and others who fought at Monterey
and Buena Vista, still their sufferings were not
the less severe, their discipline not less perfect,
nor their marches and watches less painful. If
it was not their fate to meet the foe, who will
say that on that account they deserve less of the
gratitude and thanks of their fellow-citizens?
For oursejves, we are slow to believe that the
people oFthia country will sanction such senti
ments. They will reward, not only those who
but even those who have
'Ttiaiioesu^^disposition' to do so. These re
marks have been induced b» noticing certain
charges aga list Captain Harrison J Sargent,
of the late Georgia Regiment. Captain S.
was a worthy and efficient officer, and against
him no breath of slander, no sound of reproach,
was heard, until In! consented to become the
Whig candidate for Senate in his district.
Then it was at once discovered that he had
joined the company from improper motives—
in other words,for the mere //ecu nuiry consider
ation spoken of by Gen. Twiggs. It is in vain
that his companions in arms declare that he was
averse to the reciving of the appointment, and
sought to avoid its cares and responsibilities. It
is in vain that they declare he begged the com
pany to reconsider their decision and give the
Captaincy to some one more experienced and
more competent.
The blood bounds of party, as in the case of
General Clinch, next charge him with pocketing
the money raised to equip his men, ami when
the brave men who accompanied him through
the whole campaign rush forward and brand
the propagators of the charge with falsehood,
they are coolly told on good Democratic au
thority. that no matter how pure and spotless
the character of the soldier —no matter what
his services, his toils or his sufferings—no mat
ter how elevated his patriotism he had his fil
thy lucre doled out to him from the treasury, and
must expect nothing else from his fellow-citi
zens. He must humbly cry “quits” and give
place to the party back or the cross-road politi
cian who has sirred his country at home ! Fit! up
-011 such doctrines. They might pass in a politi
cal pot house, but they can never be sanctioned
by the free num of' Pike, of Monroe, of the
State ol Georgia, or of the Union at large. —
Journal and Messenger.
From the Journal and Messenger.
Democratic Warning*
Our neighbor of the Telegraph, in warning
the people of Georgia not to vole for General
Clim b for reasons connected with the agitat
ing question of Slavery. has certainly forgot
ten several very important facts connected with
that subject.
Ist. He seems to have forgotten that the
Wilmot Proviso is of Democram- Origin, and,
that it has now become a sectional question
and will be supported by Democrats as well as
Whigs al the North.
2d. He seems to have forgotten that even
the annexation of Texas was advocated by
Charles .I Ingersoll and other members of the
Democratic party, avowedly because it would
secure the euthanusy, or easy death of Slave
ry ■'
3d. He seems to have forgotten that Mr.
Polk, who is supported by him and his party,
has conferred office upon the most notorious
AbulUiunists m New Lngland, in prelerciice
to the personal friends of Mr. John C. Cal
houn.
4th. He seems to have forgotten that in ma
king up an emigrant Regime l ** •«« uniitortiht,
Air- wtis pnrticuiaFW» designate northern
men : ami that it has been declared by s »me
of our friends, that his purpose was to insure
ijie exclusion of Slavery from die territory which
he expects to acquire.
sth. He seems to have forgottenthe vote of
his political friends. Messrs. Cobb. Lumpkin,
ami Seaborn Jones, in favor of the Oregon Ter
ritorial Bill with the Wilmot Proviso includ
ed !
6th. He seems, finally, to have forgotten
the recent memorable declaration of’ the New
York Evening Post, one of his good Democratic
co-lahorers. that “if ever starcry is abolished, it
must be owing to the infiucncc of the northern dem
ocrats.' 1
Had our neighbor remembered a few even
of these things he certainly would not on that
gr<Mind. have warned the people against voting
for such a man as General Clinch for Governor
of Georgia.
Postage to Europe*
The New Ymk Herald of Saturday says:
As the rates of postage by the various steamers
ami sailing lines between this country ami Eu
rope are of so much importance, we republish
the following table, with a few alterations:
American Line.—Steamship Washington.
For each letter and package not exceeding
I ounce 24 cents.
Over I and not exceeding 1 ounce4B “
For ev»-ry additi nal | ounce or fraction- ••• 15 “
On each newspaper, pamphlet or price cur-
rent 3 “
Mail matter to Bremen, either for delivery’
or distribution, may he sent either w ith or with
out the postage being previously paid.
British Line—Steamship Sarah Sands.
F«»r cacti letter ueij iinu i ounce or less- • • -25 cents.
Every additional J ounce•.-• 25 “
French Line—Steamships Union, Philadelphia,
New York and Missouri, \c.
[lt must be borne in mind that the rates by
the French line refer to letters weighing only
one-qiiartr rof an ounce. The postage to cross
the Atlantic cannot be prepaid.]
Postage at the N-w York Post Offi e1 cent.
Postage to cio > the Atlantic 20 “
Postage from Havre to ParislQ “
31 cents.
Postage of a letter from New York to England
ria Havre.
Postage at the New York Poet Office I rent.
Postage to cross the Atlantic 20 “
P.istagr from H ivre to English shore 2 “
English taxation from the shore to the letter’s
destinationlo “
33 “
Packet Ships for Lirerpool, London and Havre.
On each h-tter w*- f ouncel24 cents.
Newspapers •> “
In ail cases, whether by steamer or sailing
vessel, the inland postage to New York or Bos
ton. requires to be prepaid.
We. however, recommend persons out of
the city of New York, having foreign corres
pondence in Europe. Asia. Africa, or in South
\merica. to enclose their letters to the care of
some individual in this citv. and by no means,
particularly if of importance, to trust them to
the post office.
The Epidemic. —At the end of another week
a few word- upon the prevailing epidemic may
be looked for by our readers. Il i* consolato
ry to know that die ravages of the disease have
not been much more extensive the past week
than the one preceding it: at the same time it
must be confessed that it is extending itself in
cias.-rs which were in the earlier stages of the
epidemic almost exempt. The reports of in
terments in the city during the week ending
yesterday morning at 9 o’clock, show a total of
452. of w hich 311 were of vellow fever. Ihe
reports of the week immediately preceding
showed a total of 42- iuteame. ts. of which 3U7 ;
were of yekow fever. This shows but a slight !
increase in th? number of deaths, but the num- j
ber of cases was no doubt very considerably
larger the past week than the one previous.
The fever prevails now among classes better
able to withstand its ravages.
Upon referring to the reports of the Charity
Hospital it is gratifying to perceive that a much
smaller number of cases termina’e f itally there
than was the case a few days -unce. The ad
m -si l ns there the past week were 434 against
37 > toe previous week, and yet the deaths by !
yellow fever were onlv »*2 against 133 the pre
vious week. This is an encouraging sign, if
any thing may be called encouraging in the \
ravages of a’ pestilence which threatens to
make ibis year noted as among the most fatal ■
years of epidemic.
We cannot forbear again from calling atten
tion to the fact that so many die from relapses.
So far as we have been personally acquainted
with those atlacked bv the fever who were in
circumstances of ase and competence, but
one or two have died unless their deaths could I
be traced directly to some act of flagrant nn- •
prudence. It is appalling to bear as we do j
daily of the deatn of individu ds who had been
pronounced convalescent, and who have been
betraved bv their feelings and good spirits into
of imprudence which have proved fatal.—
.Ver Orhans Picayune. ult.
Tlie Athens Banner and Gen. Clinch.
u On eagle’s wings immortal scandals Uy,
While virti ious actions are but born to die.”
This saying of a great poet has found a hap
py illustration in the history of the accusation
against Gen. Clinch. The Editor of the Ath
ens Banner, not Content with charging fraud
fraud, without palliation, upon the General, has
the hardihood to utter an additional false state
ment, in the following words:
“Gen. Clinch was not only a stockholder—
but the President of the Bank of St. Mary’s at
the time of the institution of the suit against
him.”
It is well known to every body in Georgia,
that J. G. Winter. Esq., has been President of
the Bank of St. Mary’s since the year 1831.
The suit in question was commenced some two
years after that time.— Savannah Republican.
An Introduction. —“The Whig Conven
tion has taken up Gen. Neil S. Brown, of
Gates county, who is very little distinguished
in Tennessee, and scarcely known beyond her
borders.”— lPashington Union in April last.
“Ah, but he will be known widely beyond
the borders of Tennessee after the August
elections—Mark that, Mr. Ritchie.” — Nashville
Whig of April 29.
Mr. Ritchie, permit us to introduce to your
acquaintance, Gen. Neil S. Brown, (of Giles
not Gates county.) Governor elect of the State
ol’ Tennessee, whom you will now readily re
cognize as a gentleman highly distinguished in
his own State, and whose name is now famili
arly known in every State in the Union. — Nash
ville Union, Aug. 21.
New Cali, for Troops.—The War Depart
ment (says the Washington Union,) has just
called for fire new. regiments, exclusive of the
regiment from Ohio, which is already reported
to be raised, and is now in progress of being
mustered into 'he public service, and will in a
few days be cn route for Vera Cruz.
The five regiments now called for arc to be
drawn from the following Slates: Two regi
ments from Kentucky, two from Tennessee,
and one from Indiana.
The regimen s from Kentucky are to rendez
vous—oneat Louisville, and the other at Smith
laud, at the mouth of the Cumberland river.
The regiments from Tennessee are to ren
dezvous—one at Nashville, and the other at
Memphis.
The Indiana regiment is to rendezvous at
such convenient point on the river Ohio, as the
governor of that State may designate.
These five regiments are expected to be ra
pidly raised, and promptly placed in the public
service. Offers have already been made,
which induced the Executive to designate these
States, and to make the necessary arrange
ments for embodying these troops without de
!ay.
The Administration, (adds the Union) have
determined to do their duty, whether for peace
or for war. They have offered the olive branch.
As it may be declined, they have deemed it their
duty to prepare for a vigorous prosecution of
the war, and to fill up the ranks of the army to
the proper standard, as they have been partial
ly thinned by disease and death — Baltimore
American.
Gen. Taylor a Whig.—The No rristown
Herald gives the following extract from a let
er written by a Democrat now in the army :
“ You also request to know whether Gene
ral Taylor is a Whig or Democrat, because
both parties now claim him. He is a Whig.—
I heard him say so with my ow n ears to an of
ficer of the army. 1 suppose you would like
to know what 1 am. lam a loco to the back
bone, but ifOld Zack runs, I will have to give
a hard push, no matter who runs against him.
for I think he is more fit for the While House
than the one who now occupies it. General
Wool is also a Whig—so are all the officers of
the staff, at least all who occupy anv prominent
position. WM. P/HEMPLER.’
Greenville Paper Mills*
We presume it is notgenerally known at a
distance that there has been, for several years
past.two Paper Mills in successful operation
within eight miles of our village. For the last
two weeks the Mountaineer has been printed
upon Paper manufactured by V. Mcßee, Sons
& Co., and a more beautiful or belter article
it has never been our fortune louse. Other
kinds of Paper m de at this establishment are
also of superior quality.
The eetensive Paper .Mill of Col. Dunham—
from which many of the Printers in this and the
adjoining Slaleshavc been furnished several
years —has not been in complete operation for
the last two or three months, in consequence
of heavy repairs that have been going on this
season We understand that this establish
ment w ill again be put in full motion in a few
weeks, w hen the enterprising Proprietor ex
pects to manufaciure a superior article of’ Pa
per, and will continue to supply the extensive
market w hich he has. hitherto.
These Manufactories are important ad Jitions
to the South, in many respects; but the great
est peiliaps, is, that lli<* stock consumed, to the
amount of several thousand dollars annually,
is a clear saving to the country : for. until they
w ere established, the trade in raos was never
dw* nrr f part of tlie Slate. The
prospects of the upper Districts for manufac
turing arc on the rise, ami become brighter as
the chances of building Railroads increase.—
We have already a respectable beginning in
Cotton Factories. We have also in ibis Dis
trict the large Coach Factory of Mr. Cox, and
somewhat connected with it. is the machinery
he has put up on Enorco for maniifiictiiring
carriages and wagon w heels. Augusta, Co
hiinb.a and Charleston Coach Factories may
some day be largely supplied with the wood
work of wheels ready madefrom this establish
ment. when the mem-; of transportation are
furnished by Railroads.— Greenville (8. C.)
Mountainn r.
The Sugar Crop. From every section of
the sugar-growing region of our State we have
the most gratitying accounts of the prospects
of the growing crops. At Lake Bornge.a day
or two ago. we met with several intelligent
planters, who expressed the opinion that the
appearance ami condition of the cane at this
time justified the belief that the production of
sugar this year would exceed that of the last bv
at least 50,0(H) ho gsheads. The pl.mt. it is true,
is subject to disaster before the crop is finally
saved: but present appearances unquestiona
bly indicate av< ry large yield. We congratu
late our friendsengaged in this important branch
of agriculture, and the country al large, upon
the flattering prospects before them.— Pic.2rith
uIL
Failure of the Potato Crop.—The high
hope* entertained in this v icinity ofa large crop
of potatoes have, within a few days, been en
tirely bl a*led, as re spects this vicinity. The
potato fields appear blackened and drooping,
as though struck with a heavy frost. People
are engaged in digging the potatoes as fast as
possible and placing them where they will dry.
The crop in this vicinity is a failure.—Bangx/r
( Ala inc ) Bh ig of Saturday
Percussion Cap M achinf..—The ingenious
invention of Mr. R. M. Bouton, of Watervliet.
N. Y.. has just been put in operation .at the
Navy Yard in Washington City. A corres
pondent of the Union, says-.-- Its wonderful
powers prove it to be one of the greatest tri
umplis of mechanical genius of the age. A
strip of copper is placed in the feeder, then a
single revolution cut-out a portion of the cop
per in tlie shape of a star : by a sliding plate
the star is brought under a die. which shapes
and polishes the cap : then a slight motion of a
spring throws the cap into a tube, which con
veys it to a drawer below. Every revolution
of the wheel, which is propelled by steam, j
makes a cap ready to receive the explosive
composition. If not supplied by copper, it
stops itself. Upwards of sixty caps are made
in a minute, and nearly forty thousand could be
made with ease in ten hours. This invention
must be productive of great advantages, as well
as saving an immenseexpense to the Govern
ment. The War Dep irtmeut has used a simi
lar machine made by Mr. Bouton : and such is
the facility atforded bv it of making superior
caps ; pos<es<mg all their explosive properties
even xs hen they h ive remained for some time
under the water, that no recent order has been
given tortile labrication of fire-arms withfliut
locks.”
It.i.iNois State Debt.—The Finance Com
mittee of the IHmms Convention, now -itting
for the revison of the Constitution of the State,
have reported the following article, providing
fora tax to be devoted exclusively to the pay
ment of the State debt :
•• The General Assembly -hall provide for,
and there shall be annually levied, a tax of not
les* than three mill* on every dollar’s worth of
personal and real property within this State,
to be ascertained by valuation : the proceeds
of which -hall be applied to the p ty inent of the
■ - - State : Pro • ided, said tax
.-hall be levied no longer than i« necessary to
discharge the principal and interest due aud to
become due on the present State debt.”
The Cheese Trade,
The Cheese Trade, says the Buffalo Com
mercial, is rapidly increasing in this country,
and -.ncr l?4 ;i has gradua'ly grown into high
favor in Europe, and bids fair to become a very
important item of our commerce. The ex
ports the last seven y ears were
134 72 713 18447,433,145 lbs.
1341 1,743,734 “ 1345-.... 7,941.187 ‘
H 42 2.436.677 “ 15168.676.300 -
1843 3 440 144 “
The value of this trade with foreign coun
tries is now over Si.'MJ.no.i annually/ In 1'46
our heaviest customers were
Eog ..-6,744,1 Mbs. Haytilso 18 a
West Indw 917W0 “ | Br. G lineal 2,420
Cat i 227,276 “ Scotland'-* 88041 ”
Canary l ids 155.915 ” ; Venez . la- 40.812 “
The amount that arrived at tide-water by the
Erie Canal from the opening of navigation in
- 1847. w - :
1841 ...14,17
1335 -• • • 9.59 JOO ‘ 154 2-- - • 19. <X>4
1336 •• -14,060,100 4 1843--•• 24,334,000 “
1337 15.3 • - 26.672.5
1838 .. .13 810.000 “ ■ 1845 -■• 29,371.000 “
1839 14,5 I 184( 34,812.513
1840 ■ 1:47 ••• 5.226.250 “
Augusta, <!sa.:
TUESDAY MORNING, SEPT. 7, 1847.
The War--The Administration.
[continued.]
Our third proposition was, that the war with
.Mexico was provoked by the Executive for
objects of corrupt personal ambition and party
triumph. We should have said, perhaps, that
there were reasons for believing this, instead
of asserting it to be positively true, and we now’
qualify the assertion accordingly. We hope,
sincerely, that such was not the fact, but that
the error was one of the head and not of the
heart. But we shall present our views, and
leave the reader to draw his own conclusions.
Mr. Polk, in his annual message of Decem
ber Btli, 1846, takes special pains to show’ that
Texas extended to the Rio Grande. He says:
“The Texas which was ceded to Spain by the
Florida Treaty embraced all the country now
claimed by the State of Texas between the
Nueces and the Rio Grande.” lie then goes
on to show that Texas claimed to the latter
river and had a right to it, and then says: “This
was Me Texas which, by the act of our Con
gress of the 29th December, 1845, was admit
ted as one of the States of our Union.” Now’,
was not this a shameless assumption of a fact
which was not true, and which Mr. Polk must
have AttoieM was not true ? We have already
shown, in a previous article, that Congress re
fused to make the Rio Grande the western
boundary of Texas, but left it an open question
to be settled by negotiation. We will observe
that it was essential for Mr. Polk to assume
the Rio (iraude to be the western boundary, in
order to his ordering on r army to take
position on it. It is manifest, from what we
have shown, that Mr. Polk, in utter contempt
of the decision of Congress, and by an assump
tion of the power of an Autocrat, assumed and
declared a fixed western boundary for the new
State of Texas.
Now, we shall convict him of something
which looks very like criminality, by the testi
mony of his own acts: Texas, by her annexa
tion, became entitled to all the rightsand privi
leges which belonged to the other Stales of the
Union. We shall show that Mr. Polk did not
believe that Texas extended to the Rio Grande,
or if he did, that lie trampled upon her sove
reign rights. Mr. Polk, in his message, said :
“The Congress of Texas, on the nineteenth of De
cember, 1836, passed ‘an act to define the boundaries
of the Kepublic of Texas,’ in which they declared die
Rio Grande,/ro/n its mouth to its source, to be their
boundary, and by the said act they extended their
‘ civil and |Militical jurisdiction’ over the country up
to that boundary.”
As we have before stated and shown, lie sus
tained Texas in this declaration, and said that
“ this was the Texas,” &c.. which was admit
ted by Congress into the Union.
Now, all of our readers are familiar with the
expedition fitted out and conducted by General
Kearney for the conquest of Santa Ff. That
town, San Juan, San Pedro, Taos, Valencia,
and some fifteen or twenty other Mexican
towns, and a population of from forty to sixty
thousand Mexicans living in these towns and
on their plantations and farms, are ail on the
cast of the Rio Grande, and consequently, ac
cording to the Texan Congress and Mr. Polk,
are within the limits of the sovereign State of
Texas. Yet General Kearney was instructed
to conquer it, and inform the people, which he
did, that “It is the wish and intention of the
United States to provide for New Mexico a free
Government with the least possible delay, simi
lar to those in the United States,” &c.
He further announced that it was “ his in
tention to hold the Department of New Mexi
co. with its original boundaries on both sides of
the Rio Grande as a part of the United Slates,
and under the name of the territory of New
Mexico. 11 This was a pretty high-handed mea
sure fora President to lake with the Territory
of a sovereign State ! The people of Santa
Fe and surrounding country, were actually
sworn in as citizens of the United Slates, ab
solved from all allegiance to Mexico, and some
<*f them have been hung ns traitors to the United
Slates for endeavoring to re-establish their con
nection with the Mexican Republic! What
was all this ? Was it done from ignorance,
imbecility, or something worse ? Could that
country be a part of Texas and a part of the
Mexican Department of New Mexico at one and
the saint! time ? Was it conquered for Texas
and to subject it to her authority ? Let the
President speak for himself. We copy from
his annual message of 1846, to which we have
already referred. Alluding by name to New
Mexico and California, he said :
“It may be proper to provide for the security’ of
these important conquests by making an adequate
appropriation for the purpose of erecting fortifications
and defraying the expenses necessarily incident to
'he m ib.teiiaiice of our possession and authority over
A pretty free usc-thisof a part of a sovereign
Stale, by a cautious, straight-laced Democratic
strict-conslrurtion President! It looks very
much like an outrage that would make Geor
gians stand to their arms if perpetrated within
the limits of Georgia ! Does it not show that
Mr. Polk had no respect for the sovereign
t igh’s of Texas, or did not believe what he had
declared in his message, that the Rio Grande
was her western boundary! One of two
things must be true —there is no escape from
it. Mr. Polk committed an aggression upon
Mexico, if the east bank of the Rio (iraude be
longed to her or an aggression upon Texas, if
she was the rightful owner. Is he not fairly
caught in a web which be has woven for him
self? He stands in need of the aid of his
friends! Can they relieve him from the di
lemma ?
We could produce other facts to show that
Mr. Polk himself had reasonable doubts about
the western boundary: but we do not wish
to be tedious, and proceed to introduce other
testimony from Democrats and Mexican*, to
show that Texas was bounded on the west by
the river Nueces, while a Mexican State, and
that as an independent government, she never
extended her limits westwardly farther than the
settlements immediately on the west of that
river.
We have already shown, in a previous num
ber, that the Mexican Generals, Ampudia and
La Veg a, and the Prefect of Tamaulipas, con
sidered the approach of our army’ to the Rio
(iraude to be an invasion ol a Mexican pro
vince, and that they desired Gen. Tailor’s re
turn w ithin the limits of Texas proper. We
will make an extract from the proclamation of
Gen. Mejia. He said :
’• Still the Cabinet of the North stops not in its ca
reer of sp>4iation. The Department of Texas is not
the only prize at winch it grasps; its rapacity corers
the le ft bank of the Rio Grande. The army, tor
.-ome time stationed al C.-rpus Christi, is advancing to
seiz- up in a great part of Ta maul ip i-,"
hat hope remains, then, to the Republic of
Mexicoof treating with an enemy who. at the very
time when hilling us to deep by rhe owning ol diplo
matic relations, moves on to occupy a territory uuirh
cin not be in dispute. Ihe iimns of Texas are cer
tain an-i recognized, they h ive never come beyond
the river Nueces; and yet the American army has
o-.ersi' pped the line which separates Tamaulipas
from that Department. 1 '
We will introduce some testimony now in
reference to the map*. In Mathew Carey’s
■’General Map of the YVorld,” published in
1814. before there could have been any politi
cal purpose to do wrong. th<? Nueces is made
the western boundary of Texas. The pro
vince of Tamaulipas is put do,mi on both sides
of tlie Rio Grande. Mr. Carey could have
hid no motive for deception. The Spanish
Minister at Cevallas, in a letter to Messrs.
Monroe and Pinckney, in 1805, says:
“ The province of Texa-. where the Sp miards have
h id set lements from the 17th cent jry, bo inch by the
east ... . avecoun-
try w hi Ji hies OcftCten tne river .Medina, where ends
the g -verument or C jaquila, to ilie post now aban
doned."—[.See A-! eri/:an State Papers, vol. 12,
page 293. J
The river Medina is ertn case of the*rirer
Nueces.
General Almonte was sent by the Mexican
Government to Texas in 1834 upon some bu
siness connected with th.it section. Texas and
Coahuila at that time formed one State. Gen.
Almonte was informed by the State Govern
ment of Texas and Coahuila, that the river
Nueces, then put down on the map as the line
between those provinces, was not the true one.
The true limit ought, it was alleged, to com
mence “ at the embrochure of the river Aran
saso, and follow it to ns source, continuing
thence in a direct line, until it reached the
junction of the Medina and San Antonio ri
sers; from which it ought to proceed along the
eastern bank of the Medina towards its source,
and terminate on the borders of Chihuahua.”
—(Kennedy’s Texas, Page 4.)
In Mrs. Holley’s work on Texas, the Nue
ws.sla.d down as the boundary between Texas
and Tamaulipas and Coahuila. In David B.
Edwards’s history of Texas, published in 1836,
he makes the Nucccs the western limits. Speak
ing of the Rio Grande he says:
“If this river ever becomes the western boundary
of Texas (as desired by the inhabitants) it will add
a hundred miles to its sea coast, anil fifty thousand
square miles to its superficies; the southern section of
their surface, sandy, barren prairie, almost destitute
of water; and its northern, rocky, sterile mountains,
nearly as destitute of timber.”
The Convention which met in Texas in
1832 and 1833, in the division of the State
into Senatorial districts, stopped at the Nuc
ccs on the west, recognizing that as the west
ern boundary.
This array of testimony is conclusive to show
that Mr. Polk ought not to have ordered the
march of the army to the Rio Grande.
We will now introduce some Democratic
testimony on the subject. When the treaty
was before the Senate which fixed the western
boundary of Texas at the Rio Grande, Mr.
Benton offered this resolution :
“That theincorporation of the left (oreastern) bank
of the Rio del Norte into the American Union by vir
tue of a treaty with Texas, comprehending as the
said incorporation would do a part of the Mexican
departments of New Mexico, Chihuahua, Coahuila
and Tamaulipas would bean act of direct aggres
sion on Mexico, for al! the consequences oj which
the United States would be responsible.”
If, then, it would have been an aggression on
Mexico for the United States to have done that,
in what light should the conduct of Mr. Polk
be viewed, who sent our army there, when
the above treaty had been rejected, and Con
gress in the joint resolution which annexed
Texas, refused to fix, the boundary at that river ?
Mr. Ashley from Arkansas, another Demo
cratic Senator, said:
“ I will here add, that the present boundaries of
Texas, I learn from Judge Ellis, the President of the
COVENTION THAT FORMED THE CONSTITUTION OF TEX
AS, and also a member of the first Legislature under
that constitution, were fixed as the}’ now are, (that is,
extending to the Rio Grande,) solely and profess
edly with a view of having a large margin in the
negotiation with Mexico, and not with the expecta
tion of retaining them as they now exist in their
STATUTE BOOK.”
Gen. Taylor took position with his troops
at Corpus Christi, because of the declaration
in the letter of our charge Mr. Donalson,
(Dem.) of June 28th, 1845, that “Corpus
Christi is the most westerly point now occu
pied by Texas.”
This is the testimony of our Minister to Tex
as, Mr. Polk’s Minister, and one who, through
out the whole period of the negotiations, did
every thing in his power to promote the policy
of annexation. Mr. Charles J. Ingersoll,
the Democratic Chairman of the House Com
mittee of Foreign Relations, in a speech, in
which he declared that he favored annexation to
destroy slavery, said, that “the stupendous de
serts between the Nueces and the Rio Grande”
were a heaven-appointed barrier between the
Anglo-Saxon and Mauritanian races on this
continent, and that it would be criminal in
either to cross it lor purposes of conquest.
We have thus produced considerable Demo
cratic testimony, that Texas not only did not
extend to the Rio Grande, but that the left
bank of that river belonged to the Mexicans.
Biit, we deem the refusal of Congress to fir the
boundary, as sufficient to have constrained the
President to confine the army to the defence
and protection of that part of Texas in the oc
cupancy of the Texans.
We shall conclude our exposition to-mor
row, by refuting some of the main arguments
upon which our opponents rely to justify the
President, and save him and their party from
the thunderbolts of public opinion which are
constantly falling upon them.
The Pass of KI Pc non.
The following description of this pass, at
which it is expected General Scott will be met
in strong force by the Mexicans, is extracted
from the correspondence of the JV. F. Sun.—
The pass is within five miles of.Ayotla:
“It is ;» narrow gorge, 16 miles from the city. It
is about 60 rods wide, and runs between two volcanic
in iiintaiijs, high, barren, and difficult of access. At
their bases the ground is level, and the Penon fortifica
tion extends in a sort of iialfcircle from mountain to
mountain, nearly a quarter of a mile. One of these
mountairM has a crater top, so hollowed as to serve as
a natural breast work. Hern a portion of the [Mexi
can] army is to be posted, also a |xnlion on the other
mountain, and the main bodv in the fortifications.
“The fortifications are composed of stone and earth
of great strength, and are capable of mounting forty
heavy cannon. Towards Puebla, the fortifications
have a perfect cannon shot range f»r more than a mile
and a half, sweeping the entire road. Near the moun
tain to the right, going towards Puebla, on a high emi
nence, Santa Anna lias erected an observatory, safe
from cannon shot, from which he intends watchingthe
expected baffle. A battery ofcannon has also been
placed on a hill to the right of the road beyond the pass
towards Puebla. Some defences arc also erected on
th'- two mountains which form the Pass. This spot
is admirably situated to defend the capital, and
in the bands of any body Iml Mexicans, would be
impassable. Santa Anna’s observatory is nearly thirty
feet higher than any of the surrounding bills. Up
wards of 30 000 men were at work on the fortifications
when the Sun’s courier left. There is but one other
road at all practicable, by which the American forces
could advance, the ‘Annunciation’ to the south of the
Puebla road, and this defended by still more difficult
passes. These seem like formidable obstacles to en
counter, but Scott is well supplied with the right arm
of an attack, excellent artillery, and with infantry,
whose assaults are irresistible.”
For the Chronicle and Sentinel.
A- every body knows. who knows Mr. 11. V.
Johnson, there is not a more ungenerous and
uncompromising politician in the Democratic
ranks—that there is no n an more uncharitable
to the opinions of his political opponents, or
more reckless of truth in stating their positions
—that there is not a stump orator in Georgia,
from the highest to the lowest, who is more un
fair, unmanly and discourteous in his public
speaking. Under certain restraints, on certain
occasions, he has been known to make an ill
disguised effort to suppress his exuberant gull,
bu l
His is the vulgar eye that lacks not courtesy alone,
But doth betray the man lo low-born malice prone.
Having just met a Hold win county Demo
crat —one of M r. Johnson’s very particular and
toeing friends—l drew his attention to the Chron
icle of the Ist instant, containing an account of
the meetings at Dalton and Cohutta Mountain,
and the public exhibition of those incongruous
affinities, the Didapper and Coonkiller. The
characteristic part assigned to the latter, turned
on a misrepresention of facts (to say nothing of
the present abn-e) in regard to Gen. Clinch.
(If you will look in the last Jlerordcr you will
see a triumphant refutation of all misrepresen
tions on that subject, by “a Volunteer,” who
was stationed at Gen. Clinch’s plantation for
several weeks during the war.) After the Dem
ocrat had read the accounts just referred to in
vour paper, he hastily remarked. “Well, Towns
may need ‘backing. 7 but the backing that John
son is giving him will break Ins back.’” Now
I can understand the meaning of my friend’s
remark only in one light, to wit: That John
son, while pretending to help To wns along, is
positively’ him. and that Towns is not
strong enough to carry so much weight on a
rough course, up-hill at that.
Excuse me, gentlemen, for attempting to give
my Democratic friend’s remark a poetical ver
sion, and for the present I will dismiss the sub
ject:
P x>r Town.- must be crushed by the hug of the bear,
Or smothered for lack of G d’s sunshine and air:
As to votes, Town.- could dodge ’em —and questions,
he’d waive ’em :
But from “C<»orikiller’s”jno dodging could
save him.
I.ike the jM-t bear that broke his poor master’s nose,
The C««onkiller's kindness more mars friends than
foes:
That the Dodger needs backing ’tis freely agreed
And the Coonkiller’s backing is backin'-' indeed!
Hancock.
For the Chronicle Sentinel.
The Democratic presses are asserting that
the tariff of 1846 is yielding more revenue than ■
that of 1842. The statement has been made and I
no one seems disposed to contradict it. Upon i
reference, however, to the facts I find it is not ;
true. By .Mr. Walker’s report, made the 3d
December 1845. 1 find he says, the income from
customs for the fiscal year ending 30th June,
1-45. is
By his report dated December 9th. 1-46. I
find he stales the income from customs for the
fiscal year ending 30th June 1-46, at $26,712,-
667
Now, by the report published in the Union.
of the quarterly receipts of the fiscal year ending
30th June, i “ 17. I rind they are $22,299,791,
thereby showing, that they have fallen off under
the new tariff, four millions and a half ot dol
lar- in one year. 1 hope we shall hear no more
about tiie tariff of 1846 yielding more revenue
than that of 1-12. The facts deny the state
ment. Walker.
During tlie year ending Ist August, 1847. the
number of steerage passengers arrived at the
port of New York was 132.116, during the
-ame period in 1-46, the number was 91,280.
The amount of money in the depositories of
the Government on the :30th ult., subject to the
draft of the Secretary of the Treasury, was ac
cording to the monthly statement of that offi
cer. $3,727,051.54.
From the N. O. Commercial 7\mes,3\st ult.
The Cotton Crop—The Army Worm.
We regret to state that the genuine Army
Worm, which caused such destructive ravages
to the cotton crop last year, has made its ap
pearance simultaneously in several parts of
Mississippi, threatening again to destroy the la
bors of the planter. Letters received yester
day, mention its appearance in Warren,
Adams, Jefferson, Concordia and Wilkinson
counties, and from the alarming rapidity with
which the insect spreads, it is apprehended that
•he visitation will be general throughout the
country. Fortunately the crop is further ad
vanced than it was at this period last year, and
thus less exposed to the depredations of the
catterpillar; but still it cannot be disguised that
much mischief may be accomplished by the se
cond brood of worms a fortnight lienee, more
especially if the weather should continue rainy.
Our esteemed correspondent, Mr. Thomas
Aflleck, writes as follows:
Natchez, August 28, 1847.
Lditors Commercial 'Times —Gentlemen: — I
wrote hurriedly, on my way home, through Natchez,
from a two day’s trip, examining into the progress of
the cotton-worm. 'They are upon us, as I have all
along anticipated, and the crop is gone — that is, they
will sweep over it in some twelve or fifteen days,
equal to a frost al that dale. This you may rest as
sured of. I will give you particulars in a day or so.
Yours truly, Thomas Affleck.
Another gentleman writes from
Rodney, Miss., August 27, 1847.
My crop w ill to a certainty, be a short one. The
rains and boll-worms have nearly destroyed the crops
in my neighborhood, and the army-worms have made
their appearance.
The Yazoo City Whig of the 24th instant,
speaks dolefully of the prospects of the crop
in that section, it says:
“ We regret to announce that the boil-worm has
already commenced its ravages, to a great extent, in
portions of this, and some of the adjoining counties.
So much has it injured the cotton, that many planters
in whose fields it has made its appearance, have al
ready despaired of gathering as large a crop as they
did last year.”
11l addition to the above, we subjoin the fol
lowing extracts of letters from a very intelli
gent gentleman in Woodville—one fully con
versant with the subject.
Woodville, August 26, 1847.
Gentlemen: — It is only a few days since I gave
you rather a tlattering account of the prospects for a
crop here. Since then, a considerable damper has
been thrown upon the bright anticipations of those
who were indulging then in fancied security, by
the positive appearance of the genuine Cot ton-Bat ing-
Catterpillar. Until now, the stories circulated about
their supposed appearance in many parts of the coun
try, were all humbug. They have been found on ,
several plantations around Woodville, principally in
the Western portion of the county, and on the places
where they first appeared last year. I have before
me two of them which came from a place adjoining
Ashwood. In appearance, habits, &c., they are pre
cisely similar to the Cotton Buter of last year, and
have been pronounced genuine by Mr. Dunbar, Mr.
Visebus, and others, who observed them critically in
1844 and 1846. They are so much later than last
year and have as yet shown themselves in such small
numbers, that no calculation can be made of the
damage likely to result from their ravages. Judging
from past experience, the foliage of the cotton is safe
from destruction, until about the 2Qtb of September;
and should the weather continue good, and other cir
cumstances prove favorable, the crop may yet be
twice as large as last year.
For the present, all I can say is, the genuine Cot
ton-Eater is at work here. When they have further
developed themselves, I will write you more explicit
ly in regard to the prospective damage likely to result
from their work of destruction, which, as 1 have be
fore stated, will not begin to any considerable extent
before the 20. h of September —about three weeks
later than 1846, and two weeks earlier than in 1844.
Woodville, August 27, 1846.
I have seen since yesterday, several specimens of
Caterpillars brought in from the country, in numbers
sufficient to fully confirm the statement 1 made to you
yesterday—that the worm is generally making its
appearance on the plantations in this vicinity. There
is no longer a doubt but that the fieldswill be stript
between the 20th and 30ih of September at farthest.
Many planters think the damage to the crop will only
be slight, as the Cotton is so far advanced, and tfie
progress of the worm likely to be retarded by the cold
nights in September.
The Cotton Crop.— The followingletter from
a very intelligent planter and close observer of
the slate of the crops, will be read with inter
est.
Yazoo City, August 23, 1847.
Gentlemen: — Whilst 1 am writing, I will say a
word or two in relation to the growing crop in this re
gion. Since the 20th of June we have had by far the
most rainy season 1 have seen in this country, and it
continues up to the present moment. Considerable
local damage bus been done in many places by the
overflow of creek bottoms. These rains have done
considerable injury to every agricultural product.
Even the corn has suffered. Much of it is prostrate
upon the ground in consequence of heavy winds, and
will rot before it can dry sufficiently to house. The
cotton has sustained itself, under these continued rains,
much better than I thought it would; though for the
lasi ten days it has suffered severely, and certainly pre
sents a more gloomy prospect now than it did twenty
days ago.
I now consider it certain that the earliest portion,
say the first half of what would ordinarily be expect
ed, will be very light indeed. And as to the latter
portion, it will depend materially upon the time we.,-
have the first killing frost. An early frost will do
more damage this year than it ever did. The cotton
is late beyond all precedent In the bottoms in this
region the fust cotton basket will scarcely go info the
field before the first of September. In the hill coun
try there is notone man in fifty that has picked a boll
up to this time. Slill, there is [icrhaps, enough of
growing coiton to make a moderate crop, if we can
have weather to mature and pick it.
I regret to see so much appearance of alarm and so
many erroneous statements in relation to the cotton
worm. I am well satisfied that the worm of last
year has not yet been seen in this region of country.
What a day may bring forth is more than any of us
can tell.
I am the better able to make the above observations
at this time, as I have of late, and even up to the
present 'lay, had the opportunity of seeing a good
many plantations, and of conversing with a number of
planters in this and the adjoining counties.
Yours very respectfully,
The Montgomery (Ala.) Flag of the 4th inst.
s:| y s:
77/c Cotton Crop and Weather.— The complaints
of tin-crops are becoming every day more general and
more decided. In some places the caterpillar has not
appeared, or done any mischief while in others il is
said to be sweeping ev ryfhing before it.
In this State, as far . ..e can learn from our ex-
changes, and particularly section, the complaint
is general. The boll worm is every where, ami doing
far more mischief than it did last year. From some
parts of Macon, Autauga and Montgomery counties,
the accounts are very gloomy. On one plantation
where 250 bales were made last year, we understand
that the overeer says he tloes not expect, to make morn
than 100 this year. Others use similar language.—
Some weeks ago the weather cleared off warm ami
fine, ami the crop began to show considerable signs of
improvement, but. latterly the damp, cloudy, rainy
weather that marked the commencement of summer
has returned, and the hopes which our planters began
to nourish of making an average crop have departed.
Yesterday it rained steadily all day, without intermis
sion, enough to destroy whatever cotton may be open
ing in the fields. Indeed, in some instances, for want
of warm sunshine, the cotton in the opening boll re
mains in a hard lump, while in others it is found stain
ed ami even rotten. Complaint is not confined to any
one character of soil either, it is a< general from the
sandy land plantations as from the prairies. So faras
this section of die Slate is concerned, we believe that
the crop will be less this year than last. The same
will likely be the result in Dallas, Greene, Perry, Ma
rengo, Sumter, and other counties in this State, and
those in upper Mississippi, lying near Columbus.
The Mobile Advertiser of the Ist instant
says:
'Che Growing Crops.— We have taken pains to
obtain correct information in relation to the growing
crops, particularly Ai this State, ami, during the last
ten days, have received letters, from the most authen
tic and reliable sources, from all parts of the State and
from Columbus, Miss., and we regret to say, that they
uniform! v, without a single exception contain the most
unfavorable intelligence. It is unnecessary, indeed
it would be impossible, to publish all the letters we
have on this subject, but aa a specimen, we give the
following extract of one dated “ Greensborough, Aug.
25 “ The Cotton Worm is increasing rapidly, and
is quite destructive in this section. This, together
with the late rains have cast a gloom over the pros.
poets here that the most favorable season • an not dis<-
pel. The 6oZ/om crop as well as the middle crop
w ill be almost an entire failure, especially in the
blacklands, where the weed is so rank that it is irn
(MKsible for the boll to open or mature before it rots.
No one is yet picking to any extent here. We ven
ture that there has not been, nor will there be a gin
running in this county in tiro weeks. Kely upon it,
the most unfavorable reports that reach you from this
region are hardly bad enough.”
Such are the accounts we have from this State, and
we are forced to the conclusion that the prospects l ist
yearat this time, bad as they were, were not more
gloomy than they are now. Still every thing depends
on the future. Should the worm cease its ravages,
and the weather prove favorable during the fall months,
there is yet plenty of time for an average crop. From
the Atlantic States, the accounts have been unfavora
ble throughout the season. From Louisiana our last
accounts are more favorable. The worm is represent
ed as having ceased its work of destruction without
having done material injury, and the prospects for a
good crop are quite promising. These arc our ac
counts and those interested can form their own opin
ions from the facts presented.
The Cotton Worm.—The Vicksburg Sen
tine! of the 26th ult. says :
The genuine cotton-eating worm has come at
last, and there can now be no mistake We
profess to know the true cotton-devouring rep
tile by sight, and, having seen some of the
late comers, we pronounce them, without
question, the true cotton worm of’44 and ’46.
They have appeared simultaneously on several
plantations in this vicinity, though as yet in
numbers too small to do any great damage.—•
If the season is as propitious to them, however,
as former ones have been, they will soon multi
ply ruinously. The prevailing impression is
that the second generation, which is the de
stroying one, appears ten days after the first.—*
If so, the first or second week of September is
as long as we can now calculate on the escape
of the cotton crop.
The Cotton Worm.—Since our last, we
have learned upon the very best authority, that
the boll-worm has made its appearance in the
low lands and is making sad havoc among the
cotton. Planters who ten days since, thought
they had a fine prospect for an average yield,
now would be perfectly satisfied to be insured
two-thirds, or even half the usual crop, in
addition to the ravages of the boll-w orm, we
understand that there is a small fy which punc
turesthe young forms, causing them to open
prematurely. As the crop is some two weeks
short, il is feared by some that the destruction
will be almost complete.— Journal and Messen
ger, Ist inst.