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THE CONSTITUTIONALIST, j
JA MESgTrDN £R, JR.
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■arrumMßMaMainHHHnHnnßßMvnMaMßßHPim
[P rom the New Orleans Delta.]
The Deformed.
Beneath an aged oak, whose limbs old Time
Had coated with his green grey moss, a man
Was seated on the velvet sward. "What crime”—
As speaking to himself he so began—
“O Heaven, have I before thee done?” His heart,
Too big with wo, denied him further speech,
But to his deep grey eye hot tears did start,
And he dr<*>ped his hand in anguish. In reach,
Beside the solitary stranger, lay
An open letter, tr»ced,hy hand so fair—
Conceived by her whose to-hinx *#s da}’,
And yet her Words had launched him in despair.
A broken sigh
Stole from his wounded heart, and on the wing
Os a playtul zephyr ’scaped to heaven.
’Twas mournful thus to see him mourn. Tlffe
spring—
The very fountain whence all joys are given
To man, seemed broken, while his swelling soul,
Convulsed with poignant grief, heaved up his breast
In wild spasmodic measure. To control
Such anguish, or to lull it into rest,
Needs more than mortal power; for the heart,
Dependent of each impress on the mind,
Cannot repose in calmness, but will start
And tremble, like an aspen in the wind,
At clouds of wo or sorrow. On his brow
Sat genius—not arrayed in conscious pride
And pow’r-—hut ail subdued and drooping now,
As if overwhelm'd by the dark rolling tide
Os cureless misery within his breast.
’Twas not rejection of his proffered love
That robbed his bosom of its golden rest,
For pride would lift his fervent heart above
The sharp sting of passion unrequited;
The cause, of that rejection, was the blow
By which all his hopes and peace were blighted
In deep and (inextinguishable wo.
He was deformed ; and yet within his breast
Had wayward nature fixed the purest spring
Os virtue and of love a sad bequest,
Whose gentlest impulse woos its sharpest sting.
Grown calm again, again he did essay
To breathe his sorrow on the quiet air
In language whose deep pathos did betray
The burning eloquence of love, in prayer/
He said;
"To thee, my mother, I this sorrow owe.
Ah. why, in nature's chaste divinity,
Should that sweet stream—a mother's fondness,flow
Unchanging onward to infinity
Os a’l thought, space and time? Was’t not thy love
That cultivated in this crooked breast
Each gentle impulse, parented by Jove
In thy propitious hour? Was I caressed
And made to drink sweet poison from the spring
Os mother’s tenderness, that I might learn
To calmly bear the sharp, exquisite sting
Os grim deformity—that I might yearn
For that eternal sleep, whose potent veil
The monster and the classic form conceals
In one dread cold oblivion ; thy wail.
Dear mother, not thy gentle, kind appeals
To misplaced feeling in this blighted trunk.
Were fitter music for my childhood’s ear ;
Then, I had never climbed, nor ever sunk.
Nor ever loved, nor hoped, nor shed one tear;
But would have borne this mockery of form
Fixed in my mind,whereby to mould each thought
And action, and so triumph o’er the storm
Waked by that virtue thy pure fondness taught.
"And thou, dear Amy !—yes, dear Amy, yet
Art first to wake me from my blissful dream
Os love. Yet why should I with vain regret
Lookback at joy and thee? The golden stream
That bore me onward to the wished for goal
Has wrecked my bark upon the hidden rock
Deformity ; it shone not in my soul;
My eyes, when inward turn’d, received no shock ;
No mirror’d monster lay reposing there ;
But all was calm an I beautiful. My flow
Os love for thee was purer than the air
That chasteneth the rain-drops into snow :
’Twas born of virtue and esteem, and grew
To excellence too consummate for earth;
As flowTs absorb their life-bestowing dew,
This love destroys the Eden of its birth.
Why didst thou cli ig to that fatal strain
Os romance —whisper’d of another love?
Whv urged thou me to wander o’er again
Those scenes of joy, that I might dearly prove
Thy gentleness of heart, and deeper drink
At Hope’s unguarded fountain—that sweet stream
Beneath whose magic pow’r the senses sink
Into love’s gentle, chaste, seraphic dream?
Ah ! why”—He spoke no more. His glist’ning eye,
With glowing resignation, turned on high
To those bright realms where all our sorrows die
Where arx»el spirits sail from star to star,
Like wing’d battalions ’gaged in sportive war.
He spoke no more ! His spirit broke Earth’s chain,
And back to Life Immortal sped again !
rambler.
[From the New Orleans Delta , iith inst.]
The Mexican News.
To-day we follow up our Mexican news, hr
giving the letters of our Vera Cruz corres
pondent. Except the various incidents trans
piring in Vera Cruz, the floating current news,
which, under circumstances such as the pres
ent are, must always possess interest to the A
merican reader, the gist of the whole, as we
said yesterday, may thus be given.
On the 30th ult. Gen. Scott, with his com
mand, was a Puebla—No affirmative action
was taken on the peace propositions of Secre
tary Buchanan—Gen. Scott was on the eve of
advancing on the city of Mexico—And Santa
Anna was mustering such force as best he
could, to resist him.
Mr. Walsingham, from Vera Cruz, than
whom there is none in that city has access to
more recent or authentic intelligence from the
capital, stated to us yesterday a number of
circumstances, which ‘ establish these facts.—
He had letters from four different sources in
the city of Mexico, all in corroboration of
them.
Gen. Valencia had arrived at the city of
Mexico with a force, it is said, of 6000 men
and thirty-six pieces of artillery. The strength
of the force previously enrolled there, inde
pendent of the division of Valencia, with the
reinforcements calculated on previous to the
arrival of Gen. Scott, are set down at twelve
thousand —thus making the opposing force
18,000 men. From such an army—a Mexican
army—Gen. Scott has nothingto fear, although
Valencia’s command is reported to be an ac
tive, soldierlike body of men.
Gens. Pillow and'Pierce reached Gen. Scott
on the 2d. If, as reported, he would advance
on their arrival, the first division left Puebla
on the 4th—although our informant thinks he
may probably not move till the arrival of the
train, which was shortly to leave Vera Cruz in
company with Maj. Reynolds.
One thing is certain, that the idea of “con
quering a peace” by diplomacy or negotiation,
at least till the city of Mexico is taken, is now
dissipated, blown to the winds of baffled hopes,
and the sooner Gen. Scott sets out to accom
plish that object, the better. Whv, indeed,
there has been so much procrastination, may
form a subject of complaint and recrimination
yvith some; but ignorant, at present, as we are
of the causes which led to it, we must be par
doned for not indulging in either. Nor mil
1 we now enter into a speculation of what may
ibe the current of coming events. Every day’s
experience teaches that the most improbable
; of all probabilities, are tixose dependent on
Mexican generals and Mexican Statesmen for
their realization. With them, instead of a
natural effect following an existing cause,
every thing, like Rory O’Moore’s dreams, seem
to go by “contraries.” There is nothing now
however, left, but for Gen. Scott to capture
and take possession of the city of the Monte
zumas. At what sacrifice of life this is to be ;
accomplished, a very brief period will deter- {
mine. What may be the next act in the drama, ;
may be told when the curtain rises—not be
fore.
[Special Correspondence of the Picayune.]
Puebla, Mexico, July 13, 1817.
An order has :xt length been issued which looks
as though an immediate movement was anti
cipated. Gen. Scott is to commence review- |
ing different divisions on the 15th inst., after j
| which it is thought there will be a general
turn out and then an onward march. The
general impression now is, that there will be
a harder fight at the city of Mexico than any
that has yet taken place in the country, but j
no one can tell any thing with certainty.
In may last letter I intimated that a letter i
had been received from one of the American I
i officers still unjustly retained in Mexico. It
j was dated on the Bth inst., and I give oile of ;
i two extracts :
“Since my last, the preparations for your fe- j
ception here have gone on with great spirit.— j
An army of not less than 23,000 men, well
dressed and apparently well armed, are now in
this city and neighborhood. Handsome pieces
of artillery have lately been cast, while
t their fortifications are nearly completed. The
•i artillery may reach 100 pieces—they certainly
have not less than 60 in number. This dis
j play here is quite imposing, and the nation is
made to believe that the great anxiety of the
United States for peace proceeds from an ap-
I prehension that our army dare not attemot to 1
move upon the capital. The long delay of
I Gen. Scott at Puebla, the arrival of a minister
of peace, and our repeated offers to treat, give
color to the idea in the estimation of this peo
ple that Gen. Scott is fearful of attempting the |
reduction of the capital. We here know per
fectly well the value of the speculations : but
it is nevertheless true that they are rapidly
becoming riveted on the public mind. * * *
i Be assured, there can be no peace made with
| Mexico at this time —Santa Anna dare not, and |
| Congress itill not. Let oux- army but come !
I here and the resources of the nation are cut
off; and the people seeing the capital in our
; hands, peace must follow. * * * * * 1
The strongest defence of the Mexicans is at j
El Penon, three leagues from here and on the !
best road leading into the city ; but the best
approach is by Guadalupe or Chapultepec, and i
the position for throwing shells better from
either. The road to Guadalupe branches
I about one and a half miles short of the Penon, *
j passes round the lake of Tescuco, and is thirty
; miles farther than the direct route. There is
two or three leagues of soft ground on this
road, made so by the recent rains, which may |
, occassion some difficulty to heavy carriages ;
but good judges think it may be overcome. — ;
i The road to Tacubaya and Chapultepec is good,
I and here is the sunply of,water for the city,
which may be cut off. ♦♦****!
have written to the Minister of War here in
I relation to our detention, but can get no an
: swer. I was asked a day or two since
i by Col. Moreno, a Mexican officer, why our
• Government had not proposed to have us ex
| changed r I replied that I had no information
| on the subject, except that according to the
' official statements, both of Gen. Taylor and
j Santa Anna, M e were exchanged the day after
the battle of Buena Vista, but whether anv
steps had been taken to secure a comnliance I
was not in informed. The health of our party
1 is as good as could becxpectcd under the cir
cumstances.”
I have given you all the most interesting
extracts from this letter, and when I state that
it is from an officer w ell informed and on the
spot, his opinion should pass for something.—
His ideas in relation to peace are coincided in
by almost every one here. The dragoons un- ;
der Kearney and Sibley, accompanied by a
white flag, which I mentioned in my last as
j about ready to start,went out yesterday morn
ing towards the capital with a white flag.—
One object of this mission is to procure the li
! berty of the American officers now detained.
and it is hoped it will be successful, even if
; they are sent home byway of Tampico,
Speaking of prisoners, has it ever occurred ■
to you that there arc other Americans in Mexi- ;
I co besides those hold in the capital, who are
certainly so far confined as to be utterly una
ble to leave ? I might give you a long list of J
names and you would find that of your hum
ble servant in the number, who have seen quite
enough of Mexico and are anxious once more
! to breathe the free air of the United States, ■
but to all intents and purposes we are prisoners
here, and there is no such thing as telling
i when we are to be released. To be sure we
are “on the limits;” that is, we can walk about
inside the sentinels ; but he -who goes outside j
of the sound of “Who goes there r” does it at
great peril. The largest liberty is here com
pressed into the smallest possible space, and
that perfect freedom of coming and going we
enjoy at home may be now quoted in Mexico
as merely nominal.
A Spanish company of actors is giving a se
ries of entertainments at El Colisco, one of the
i theatres of the place. The horrible drama of
“Lucretia Borgia” was performed on Sunday
night with staitling effect.
The rains continue. Hardly an afternoon
passes without a drenching shower, and as the
j army has no tents, the poor soldiers must suf
fer incredibly on the road to Mexico.
Alluding to the advance upon the capital,
there are certainly individu ds in the army,
and those wffio should be well informed, who
; do not think we shall reach it—M-ho are of the
opinion that peace or an armistice will be set
tled or entered into this side. Negotiations i
of some kind are certainly going on, all pro
bably relating to peace, but the mass know
nothing of the nature of them.
Yours, &c., o. w. k.
Puebla, Mexico, July 16, 1847.
The division of Gen. Twiggs was reviewed
yesterday by Gen. Scott, and made a most
j brilliant show. Gen. Quitman’s division is to I
be reviewed to-day, the cavalxyr on Saturday,
Gen. Pillow’s division on Sunday, and Gen.
Worth’s division on Monday. Col. Garland’s
brigade, attached to the latter, is now absent
in the direction of Perote—one reason why the
division is not to be reviewed sooner. No one
can say with certainty, but the impression pre
vails that the array will move onwards by the
middle of the ensuing week.
I have had time to look over the last papers
from the capital more at my leisure. The edi
tors announce that Alvarez has recently had
several long interviews with Santa Anna at the
palace, but the result has not been made pub
lic.
Santa Anna appears to have had ill luck
with his coaches. One he lost at Cerro Gor
do, and on the Bth inst,, -while visiting the for
tifications around the city, another in which
he -was riding broke fiat down. He M'as mov
ing in great state at the time —-with an ad
vance guard, and numerous generals and colo
nels galloping on either side—and the editor
of El Monitor ridicules the whole affair from
first to last.
llfb same editor announces that extensive
preparations arc being made at the palace for
the reception of the youthful consort of Santa \
Anna, who was hourly expected. He inti- i
mates that her appearance will alleviate and
distiact the illustrious general from other
cares, and further says that while she is by his
side he probably will riot be able to hqld as
frequent conversations with other ladies as :
has been his wont of late, to the great preju
dice of a third person, (the Senora Santa An- I
na he doubtless means.) Rather a hard hit, I
this, and as a guard of soldiers entered the
Monitor office a short time afterwards in search
of the editor, it was probably felt.
Almonte has been sent off to Tulancingo, to |
take command of the post there, but this here ,
is considered as equivalent to a disgrace, and is |
noticed by the editor of El Monitor under the |
head of Persecutions.” Almonte himself com
plains that he has no time to collect baggage I
! appropriate for an officer of his rank, being
hurried oft’ at an only twenty-four hours’ no
tice.
A letter from Durango, dated on the 28th
June, states that Gen. Filisola had started in
j the direction of Saltillo with 600 infantry, 400
cavalry, and 4 pieces of artillery. He was to I
be joined by Gen. Keyes, with the Zacatecas
; troops. This would go to confirm the truth ■
|of a recent letter from the latter cit} r , but no
i one here believes that either of the above gen-
I erals will ever venture within gunshot of Gen.
Taylor.
tinder the head of “ Very Important!" the
RepubHcano of the 9th inst. has the following : !
“The Diario of yesterday announces that ac
; Cording to information on which it can rely, I
the enemy will move from Puebla upon this
capital on Monday next. If this be certain, j
and the rumor false which supposes that 6000
more men are about to disembark at Vera I
Out:, we are persuaded, that Scott is about to
make a boneless although very imprudent at
tempt to force the gates of the capital of the
Renublic. The Mexicans, by only recalling to
mind the brilliant feats of arms which made
their struggle for independence memorable, j
(they must forgot their recent shameless de
feats of course,) will feel in their hearts the
necessary impulse to repel an army sficH as
that which threatens us, which is in truth
I sufficiently contemptible. Os what avail are
10 or 12,000 men, the greater part of them dis
contented, before an armv of more than 20,000
and a population of 200,000? This considera- *
tion alone ought to keep the Americans back; !
but supposing that they dare defy Mexico un
der such a disadvantage, they wall meet with,
j we believe, an exemplary chastisement!”
The idea of the Americans being very im -
prudent is peculiarly rich. In the same paner
we notice accounts of the departure of differ
ent small bodies to work on the fortifications
j at Chapultapec and at the gate of Nonoalco.
I have now given you everything of interest
in the latest paners, at least a synopsis of every
thing. Os verbal reports we have a multipli
city, some of them carrying the evidence of
I 1 heir falsity on the face, while others would i
seem to be entitled to more credit. The ru
mor that Congress had formed a quorum and
i commenced its sessions receives additional con
firmation, although I cannot yet learn that it
iis a well established fact. We shall know in
a day or two.
J And now let me finish With a few spectlla
, tlons of my own —mere speculations, mind
you. All our accounts from the city of Mexi
co, both verbal and through the newspapers,
would indicate that the enemy Is determined
■ upon m «k r ng a stout resistance, and that they
i will do it is the general impression. No than
can well believe otherwise with the lights now
burning openly before him; but at the same
time there may be secret influences at work, to
bring about an adjustment of our differences
with Mexico, which no man out of the circle
of those engaged in the secret can know any
• thing of. I should be far from surprised were
I to learn positively that English influence
and American gold were now at work at the
capital, and that bribery was endeavoring to
' take from the bayonet its legitimate office.—
Sincerely do I hope that such influences may
i not be at work, and that, if they are they may
prove unsuccessful. The idea of purchasing a
a peace of these people must be repugnant to
every true lover of his country—it would be
1 dishonorable on the very face of it, and would
be far from proving lasting in the end. If
Congress is really now in session there are
1 doubtless many of the members ready to do
I anything for money—they have hoard of the
i “three millions,” and the honor and best inter
ests of their country must stand aside if there
is any chance of their pockets being replenish
| ed. Santa Anna, too, will aid and abet any
| movement, so that he can come in for the
i lion’s share; and such are the men bribery and
corruption have to work upon. I repeat, that
I hope that neither English influence nor Ame
j rican gold may be able to effect any thing in
bringing about a peace. It is impossible for
i me to say with certainty that these agents are
at work, but I believe they are; and I further
think it anything but creditable to our coun- I
try to make use Os them. With the Ameri
can flag flying at the palace in the capital, per- |
haps we might hear something in the shape of
i a proposition—the first one—from Mexico.—
I At all events, while we are thus far in the
country, the experiment were preferable to
hiring a beaten enemy to accept our terms.
Yours, vSec., g. w. k.
P. S. —s o’clock, evening.— The rumors of
peace are again prevalent, and the talk now is
that the army will not move for two 'weeks —
some think not at all. Every hour puts a
new phase upon matters, but something unu
sual is now in the wind. You shall learn all
about it in my next.
[Fromthe N. O. Picayune, Sth
American Prisoners in Mexico.
By the arrival of the Fashion, we are placed
in possession of the contents of three letters
from the American officers now prisoners in the
city of Mexico. In Mr. Kendall’s letter of the
14th ult.. in another column, he gives very in
teresting extracts from a letter written by one
of the prisoners on the Sth of July. Those
: interested in the fate of these gentlemen will
i refer to those extracts, while we subjoin here
I letters of a latter date, one from Major Gaines,
the other from Capt. Cassius M. Clay. It will
be observed that Major Gaines fully confirms
all that he have -written of the ingratitude of
Gen. La Vega for the courtesies shown to him
in the United States, by his total neglect of our
officers in Mexico. That his good offices in
I their behalf were repeatedly invoked, we have i
no doubt whatever. Major Gaines’s conclu
sions on this point we adopt implicitly. The
defence interposed for Gen. La. Vega by Lieut.
Mejia, a prisoner here, Maj. Gaines rudely dis
poses of. Col. Mata’s defence, it will be borne
in mind, was almost instantly set aside by the
letter of Col. Wilson. We regret that the
very slight confidence we have felt willing to
place in Mexican representations is almost
wholly destroyed by Major Gaines’s letter, and
by recent most inexplicable and fallacious repres
entations made here in regard to events in Mexico.
Others were deceived by these representations;
we were more fortunate, but we struggled to
reconcile them, with perfect good faith on the
part of those, by whom the National w as lately
misled. After reading the letter of Maj. Gaines,
we shall leave to others the task of vindicating
Mexican veracity.
To render the major’s letter clearer, w r e re
published one paragraph from a letter address
ed us by Lieut. Mejia on the 14th of May last: ;
“On the 27th of February, Gen. La Vega w’as
third in command, not ‘military commandant
in the city.’ The palace at the city of Mexico
was besieged by the revolutionary party of the
church and its. adherents. I was with him
and know that not one last the palace for many
days wriio was not shot down by the populace.
Three days before the arrival of Gen. Santa
Anna we left Mexico in great haste to oppose
the Americans at the National Bridge, and the
i revolution was still active, so that we could
hold no intercourse write the castle of Santiago,
where Major Gaines w r as confined, it being
; within the enemy’s lines.”
Now read the comments of Major Gaines
upon this. His letter is" addressed to his broth
er in this city:
Mexico, July 28, 1847.
Dear Brother —I have been lately favored
with the perusal of a letter in the -Picayune,
; dated New Orleans, May 14,1817, arid signed
Eureque Mejia, representing himself as the aid
of Gen. La Vega, and undertaking to vindicate
I that officer against the charge of ingratitude
1 towards the American prisoners confined in
this city.
In this letter it is stated that the Palace
during the revolution was besiged by the
“party of the church and, its adherents, and that
not one left it for many days who was not shot
down by the populace. That three days before
the arrival of Santa Anni (the revolution be-
I ing still active) they left in haste to meet the
Americans, and as the castle of Santiago, w r here
the prisoners were confined, was within the
lines of the enemy, no intercourse could be held
with it.” I have rarely read so short a para
graph containing so many falsehoods. The
! Palaee was never besieged by the revolution
ary party —their position being near the church
called “The Professor,” some four or five hun
dred yards distant; not more than two or
three persons were shot near it; operations had
ceased before La Vega left in haste! the castle
I of Santiago was no more within the enemy’s
lines than any other part of the city, and the
intercourse with it was uninterrupted, being
visited, I believe, every day during the fight
bv our friends. I sent several messages to La
Vega which I feel sue he received, but. wheth
i er he did or not, the damning crime of ingra
titude must forever adhere to his rotten carcass
writh the tenacity of Nessus’s shirt of old. I
dismiss him to the tormenting stings of an
abused conscience (if he has any) and the
merited cdtitempt of his race.
Our army is still reposing at Puebla, and
w'hv it does not advance unon the city excites
1 the astonishment of all. That there is some
good reason for this (to me) extraordinary in
activity, I fondly hope. Facts yet to be learned
will demonstrate, but with the lights I have
the delay is inexplicable. Had our army
marched forward directly after the battle of
Oerro Gordo they would not have encounter
ed an enemy; as it is an army of 30,000 men
have been concentrated here.
That w r e shall gain another glorious victory,
should the Mexicans show fight, there is not
the slightest doubt; and perhaps, after all, a
peace will he more certainly “conquered” and
more speedily than if there had been no de
| lay.
I have heard nothing from homo since A.’a
letter of the 12th March, inclosed in yoUrs of
the 24th of the same month. I need not speak
of my great anxiety to learn something from
you, but I must bide my time. A negotiation
is now pending between Gen. Scott arid Santa
Anna for orir exchange, and I see no reason to
doubt its success; I hope you will write to me
often to Vera Cruz, which will follow the army;
and if I never receive them you will only lose
your time. I have written you so fully con
cerning my business that I need say nothing
| on that subject.
If you have ever heard anything of Harry,
or my horse Black Hawk, let me know. [Har
ry was a faithful servant and Black Hawk was
a favorite horse of the major’s. They were
not with him at Encarnacioil.j
Yours, affectionately,
JOHN P. GAINES.
Mr. A. L. G vines. New Orleans.
The negotiation alluded to by Major Gaines
we presume was the subjeat of the despatches
; forwarded by the hands of Capt. Kearny, of
the Dragoons, whose excursion as far as Rio
Frio is mentioned in Mr. Kendall’s letters in
another column. We riow append the letter
of Cant. Clay, a conclusive defence of the
i surrender of La Encar lacion, if it needed a
! defence.
Letter from Cassius M. Clay.
City of Mexico, July 15, 1847.
To the Editors of the Picayune —l have till
now refrained from making anything public
I touching our capture. The probability that it j
might become the subject of legal investiga
tion, seemed to me to be a sufficient reason
among others for silence.
But since the merits of our surrender have :
became the topic of discussion, any further de
ference to personal delicacy becomes criminal
injustice to those who have a right to claim of
ms, their intermediate commander, whatever
protection my humble ability can afford them.
I therefore merge the imputation of egotism
j and self-elation in the higher necessity of dis
! charging a duty to the living who do not, and
the dead who cannot, speak for themselves.
If the failure of our superior officers to ex
change us after three successful battles, and
the capture of many prisoners of war, is ne
cessary to the public service, requiring the
soldier never to surrender, but in all cases to
lay down his life, without regard to the ine
quality of numbers or the resulting good of
the sacrifice, then without a murmur I submit
to the sentence. But if this policy becomes I
not general, and is not deemed usual and ne- j
cessary in w ar, then or. the part of myself and
my brave companions in arms, some of whom
have gone from the loathsome prisons of Mex
ico, where praise nor blame can never reach
them, I protest against it, as a condemnasion
writhout a trial, and a penalty without a crime.
You term the surrender at Encarnacion an
“honorable capitulation.” It is so. The mass
of mankind judge of things by their apparent
success or failure. With them victory is glory,
ams defeat disgrace. But with enlightened
minds it is better to deserve success than to win
it. Yet paradoxical as it may seem, I say that
the expedition to Encarnacion not only de
served, but achieved success.
Lieut. Col. Field. Surgeon Roberts and Maj.
Gaines will remember that on the night pre
ceding the adventure, it was urged that the
reconnoitering party should consist of a large
body writh artillery sufficient to hold the ene
my in check, till the arrival of reinforcements,
or strong enough to retreat with its face to the
foe. Or else it should be a small body wriiose
i loss would not be materially felt by the army,
a part of whom we might calculate from the
superior speed of the horses, and bettor ad
dress of the men. w r ould return with the ti
dings of the enemy’s position and force. The
last alternative we were compelled to adopt,
and the result w'as as foretold. We found the
enemy and sent back toord of his approach. —
Whether this reasoning be in accordance with
military science, or no, and how far the suc
cess of the glorious battle of Buena Vista was
owing to this timely warning, I leave abler
strategists than I to determine.
But why anticipate capture? The country
through which we had to pass was a grass
covered plain, shut in by mountains, where
| there was no growth of w’ood to conceal us.
j We w’ere compelled to go to fixed and well
known places for water, surrounded by ran
cheros who ever ready and not slow- in
giving timely notice of our approach. The
night before reaching Encarnacion, we had re
| solved, according to the Spartan maxim, con
; tinually to change our camp to avoid surprise,
and to move, if necessary, twice a night to
prevent the peasantry's knowing our where
abouts. That we camped two nights succes
sively in Encarnacion, the cause in part of our
■ capture, was rather the result of fortune, than j
design on our part. For we had, on the 22d,
advanced ten miles in the direction of Sail illo,
intending to attack two hundred men whom
we learned were stationed there, but night,
storm and darkness coming on we were com
pelled, having no guide, to return, against the
protest of some and our previous rule of ac
-1 tion, to Encarnacion. The idea of putting out
picket guards in a plain of twenty miles di
ameter, intersected by roads in all directions,
iis absurd. And had a picket guard given an
I alarm in the night, the result would have been
the same, for we would not have left our cat
tle till morning, till we saw the enemy and
knew their force.
Seventy-one, men and officers, all told, held
Gen. Minon and three thousand regular and
veteran troops, as numbered by himself, at bay
from dawn till noon of the 23d day of January.
Without half as many rounds of shot as there j
were opposing foes, without water, without
provisoris, one hundred and ten miles from
camp, without the remotest probability of rein- |
| foreement, we unanimously determined to ex
act “the most honorable terms of capitulation
known to nations,” or sell our lives like men
who held the faith that honor is the only ne- j
I cessity.
Holding a Mexican chief of equal rank with
our commandant as hostage, Map Gaines and
Gen. Minon concluded the following terms of
capitulation:
First. The most honorable treatment as pris
' oners of war known to nations.
Second. Private property to be strictly res
pected.
Third. Our Mexican guide to receive a fair
I trial in the civil courts.
When we remember that Taylor fought at
Buena Vista at a liberal computation one to four,
and had his hands full—.and that we stood less
than one to forty-two of the enemy under their
most gallant chief, I hazard the assertion that
in the history of the Mexican war there will
I have been no exhibition of nobler gallantry
than was displayed at the capitulation of En
carnation.
Accept assurances of m3' lasting gratitude,
that you have, with Mrs. Homan’s in the
“Captive Knight,” entered into a prisoner’s
griefs, and magnanimously vindicated our
claims upon our country’s justice. For all
that is generally deemed remunerative in war,
falls to the lot of others —but
“The worm, the canker and the grief,
Are ‘ours’ alone.”
Ever your ob’t. servt.,
C. M. CLAY.
[From the New Orleans Picayune , Bth instant. .]
Late and Interesting" from Tampico.
The schooner William and Elizabeth, Capt.
Beach, arrived here from Tampico, which place
she left on the 30th ult.. Capt. Beach has fa
vored us with the following intelligence:
It will be gratifying to the friends of Lieut.
Taueyhill, who accompanied Col. Deßussy’s
expedition, and was left wounded, mortally
as was supposed, at the Calabozo, where the
expedition was ambuscaded by the enemy, is
still living. An express from him arrived at
Tampico, stating that he was doing well, and
requesting that his clothing be sent him. It
was expected that a Mexican lieutenant of ar
tillery, a prisoner at Tampico, would be ex
changed for him.
It had been ascertained that Gen. Garay
had fourteen prisoners in his hands which had
been taken from Col. EJeßussy’s party, which
reduces by that number the number first sup- j
posed to have beeii killed in the expedition.
Gen. Garay has, it is said, a force of not less
than 3000 men within ten miles of Tam
pico. He cuts off almost entirely the sup
plies from the country for the Tampico market
and has effectually stopped the trade with the
interior.
Oil the 29th lilt., an expedition consisting
of the U. S. schooner Petrel, Lieut. ComT. i
Moore, with a detachment of marines and an
artillery G-pounder in addition to her arma
ment, was towed up the Pantica by the steam
er Uridine; The object of this expedition was
not publicly known, but was supposed to be to >
intimidate the Mexicans and prevent them
from cutting off Gen. Taylor’s despatches 1
should he be at San Luis Potosi and desire to I
send his communications byway of Tampico, j
The Mexican despatches for the interior have
all been stopped.
On the 27th, it was discovered that some of
the privates of the Louisiana regiment had
been in the habit of stealing cartridges and
selling them to the Mexicans. Over sixty
pounds was found concealed in a Mexican out
house, with a proportionate quantity of balls,
Sc c. Two men of companies D and H were I
under arrest, and it was thought that more
were implicated. The cartridges had been
sold at 124 cents a piece.
Since the erection of sheds for the troops !
they have been remarkably healthy. What
ever sickness existed among them was mainly I
in the detachment of Pennsylvanians.
The U. S. propeller Major Tompkins was to
sail soon for this port.
North Carolina.
Caswell county.—The vote in Milton stands
—Kerr 78, Venable 101. The Milton Chroni
cle says:
Since the above was in type, we learn that
Venable’s majority is in the neighborhood of
: 700—Ker received 298 votes.
I The vote in this county for governor, last
year, stood —Graham 2GO, Sheppard 996.
Pekson county.—Venable’s majority 233.
Graham and Hoke —Hoke’s majority 375.
Graham and Sheppard—Sheppard’s majority
117.
New Hanover county.—The following is j
the vote in the town of Wilmington :
Hall, 103; McKay, 620; Bryan, 74.
Washington County.
1815. 1817. I
(W.) (D.) (W.) (D.)
Donald, Clark, Donald, Lane, j
Plymouth .*••• 135 37 133 34
! Lee’s Mills 42 35 43 50
Skinnersville 85 41 26 40
Cool Spring 135 16 128 22
347 132 330 116
132 116
Maj. for D0na1d....215 184
• Kentucky.
2d District. —The contest between Todd,
(whig) and Clarke (dera.) very close—the re
turns only for the Ist or 2d days.
3d District—also very close between Wad
dill (whig) and Peyton, (dem.)
sth District. —Thompson’s majority over
Wickliffe, said to be 700 or 800.
6th District.—Lately represented by Mar- I
j tin, (dem.) there were two whig candidates, i
It is thought Adams is elected.
7th District.—Duncan’s majority about
363 over Merriwether (dem.)
Fayettte District. —Morehead several hun
dred majority.
10th District. —Gaines (whig) estimated
to be elected over Desha by about 210.
Lynn Boyd supposed to be re-elected by
1,500 majority.
Bowling Green, August 4, 1847.
To the Editor of the Union:
With great pleasure I inform you that this
district will be represented in the next Congress
by a democrat. This is the. last day’s poll,
and we are certain of success. B. L. Clark (a
Polk electoral candidate) had 200 majority
i over J. F. Todd the first day in this district,
I and, from partial statements received since,
| the majority will materially increase. We set
lit down at 300 at least. This district was re
i presented in the last Congress by the Hon. 11,
j Grider. The convention question receives
almost a unanimous vote, and I have no fear
but what it will carry by a triumphant maj ori-
Vours, respectfully,
Augusta, ocar gi a .
'SATURDAY MORNINsI AUGUST 14.
FOR GOVERNOR
HOM. G. W. TOWNS.
OF TALBOT.
Democratic Nominations for Senators.
sth Dist,—Lowndes and Ware—Gen. T. Hilliard.
7th Tattnall and Bulloch —John A. Mattox
Bth “ Striven and Effingham —W. J. Lawton.
9th “ Burke and Emanuel— W. S. C Morris.
12th “ Thomas and Decatur— Wm. H. Reynolds.
; 13th “ Baker and Early—Dr. Wm. J. Johnson.
14th “ Randolph and Stewart—William Nelson.
17th “ Macon and Houston—John A. Hunter.
20th “ Twiggs and Bibb— W. W. Wiggins.
25th “ Jones and Putnam— James M. Gray.
96th M Munroe and Pike—Col. Allen Cochran.
28th “ Merriwether and Coweta—Ore. Warner.
31st " Payette and Henry —Luther J. Glenn.
32d “ Jasper and Butts— Col. J. C. Waters.
38th “ Clark and Jackson— Samuel Bailey.
39th “ Gwinnett and DeKaib—J.\s. P. Simmons.
i 40th “ Paulding and Cass— Francis Irwin.
i 41st “ CoM) and Cherokee —Wm. H. Hunt.
43d Habersham and Rabun—Edw’d Coffee.
41th “ Lumpkin and Union—Elihu S. Barclay.
The Southern Central Agricultural Asso
ciation.
The Atlantac Luminary of the 12th inst.
• tys —“This association held its annual fair yes
terday at the Stone Mountain. Those present
wore from every part of the State; and the
number was estimated at from twelve to fif
teen hundred. The specimens produced for
exhibition were very creditable considering
the recent establishment of the association.
The former officers, we believe, were re-eleeted.
The next fair will be held at the same place
on the second Wednesday in August, 1818.
The proceedings will probably be publiched in
fulHnour next. ”
The Weather, Crops, &c.
We have seen a sugar cane from the planta
tion of Mr. Despanet Do Blanc, of this par
ish, says the Attakapas Gazette of JulySlstt
on which we counted 14 joints; it is 54 fee,
high, 4 of which have the appearance of be
ing ripe. There are on the same plantation
50 arpens of cane, of the same dimensions.—
We do not recollect of ever seeing such large
cane at this season of the year. Generally
throughout the parish the crops arc remarka
bly fine.
The Savannah Uepublican, of the 12th in
stant, says —“We learn that the flood in the
Ogeechee has not abated, the prevalence of
easterly winds operating, having prevented
i the escape of the immense quantities of water
to the ocean. The road to Darien is impassa
ble; the mail of Monday has not yet been able
to leave here. The loss on a portion of the
Ogeechee is very heavy, as it is estimated at
not less than 75,000 bushels of llice. Four
hundred acres' of one crop is irretrievably
lost.”
The rain of which we spoke in our last (says
’the Winyah Observer, of 11th hist.) lias con
tinued another week to the great annoyance of
as many as are endeavoring to father com
blades; The great rain which we noticed as
having fallen here on the 2d and 3d hut. ap
pears to have been general. We have official
accounts from as far West as Alabama and
East as North Carolina. All the intermediate
country from the mountains- to the sca-sffiorc
has been deluged, and the water coirrses swol
len to ah uririsu il height. The Fee Dees,
Santees, Black lliver, Waccamaw and Sampit
are frill- We apprehend great damage to tlxc
rice crops, high up the two former rivers—es
pecially as the rice at this season* of the year
| will be destroyed if covered 24 hours. We
may expect the water to be at its highest rise
in the neighborhood ort Thursday, Friday and
| Saturday.
The Petersburg intelligencer says—“We
have had eight days of almost incessant rain,
accompanied by a close and sultry atmosphere.
Upon the corn, generally, the rain will hav e a
most beneficial effect, and judging b’y the? crop
I in this region and a portion of North-Curoli
na, which we have recently visited, the yield
i this season will be unusually abundant. It Is,
however, to bo apprehended that a good deal of
i corn has been injured or destroyed by the
j overflowing of the low grounds on the lower
Koanoke. It is thought, that there has been
too much rain for tobacco. Although noth
ing approximating certainty can yet be known
about the crop, it is believed that it will fall
below an average one.”
The Chambers (Ala.) Herald says—“ The
i Hon. G. W. Towns, the Democratic nominee
I for G overnor of Georgia, it is said, has taken
the stump to canvass the State. Towns is an
excellent stump-orator, and we imagine this
1 will place Gen. Clinch, his whig competitor,
who is an all-fghting and no-speaking sort of
a man in rather a bad box. Some of the whig
editors of Georgia seem to betray some little
| apprehension lest this method of conducting
the canvass should trump the whig lead, and
take the trick for Governor.”
T say, Jemy, lend me your newspaper.’
‘I can’t do it, you wouldn’t lend me your new
coat ’tother day, you know.’
‘Nonsense, that’s another tiling; I only want
to read it to the ladies.’
‘Can’t come it, Jerry, I only wanted to wear
| your cat to see the ladies.’ — Ex. Pa.
Large Fire iu OTaysuille, Kentucky.
A most destructive fire occurred at Mays
vill, (Ky.) on Wednesday last. The Cincinnati
Commercial says: “The flames commenced in
the three large warehouses owned by Gen.
Collins, which were ent’ :ely consumed; and
such was the heat and the rapidity of the fire,
in its destroying course, that three other buil
dings (frames) were also destroyed. The lat
ter were owned by Mr. Newton Cooper, and
occupied by several families. A quantity of
| hemp and bagging, belonging to the Maysville
Manufacturing Company, and amounting, in
value, to about $22,000, was destroyed. The
entire loss by this fire is estimated at between
thirty and thirty-five thousand dollars, of
which about ten thousand is known to bo
covered by insurance.”