fold; we may pay a heartfelt homage to Montgomery, dying within the ramparts of Quebec, and Nathan Hale, suffering death upon the gibbet for the liberties of their country, and yet none of these, eminent examples as they are of patriotic devotion and love of liberty, so lifts up the thoughts, and so elevates our conceptions of enlightened intellect, moral greatness, and true nobility of soul, as a contemplation of the character of Sir Henry Vane. We may perhaps speak in a spirit of too partial eulogy, but we do not hesitate to express the thought that there is not in history to be found the character who in every element of moral greatness will so nearly and so advantageously compare with the great man of all ages-Washington. With a subtler and more profound intellect than Washington, Vane exhibited that same combination of the nobler virtues which dignify and elevate the human soul. Washington, had he stood upon the scaffold, like Vane, might have truthfully appealed to the great God of heaven to bear witness that he had never sought himself in any public capacity or trust which had been imposed upon him. The cir cumstances surrounding the two, their pursuits, the differences growing out of education, country, habit, mode of thought, are such indeed as to prevent anything like a comparison; but it may perhaps be said that he who has most closely studied and fully comprehended Washington's character, will be the best able to appreciate that of Sir Henry Vane. Such a character as his is one worthy to be studied by an American, and one which at least in a republican country, if any where, ought to be appreciated.

We close this imperfect sketch of Sir Henry Vane's career as a statesman by adding, that his estates and honors were subsequently restored to his eldest son, who, after the revolution of 1688, was sworn into the Privy Council of William and Mary. The interesting fact mentioned by Mr. Upham may also be stated, that when the Reform Bill came to the decisive vote in the House of Lords, in 1832, the lineal descendant of Sir Henry Vane, William Harry, Duke of Cleaveland, was found, where his great ancestor had been, upon the side of liberal principles; and though the consequence of his vote was to disfranchise several boroughs which he himself owned-the yearly income arising from which was several thousand pounds sterling-yet that vote was found recorded with the majority in favor of the bill!

MEXICO AND THE MEXICANS.*

THE administration of President Polk was, for the first time in our history, marked by the first aggression upon our territorial rights, by a neighboring nation, stricken with that madness which proverbially preludes destruction. The reckless audacity of the attack, and the stupid obstinacy of the resistance, were alike wonderful; and when we reflect upon all the circumstances of the case, we cannot but suppose that our unsatisfied neighbors were egged on in their strange course by the nations of Europe, which, by their promises of aid, were desirous of making Mexico the instrument of drawing out the strength of the republic, that they might judge in how far themselves might tempt it, in the same manner that a general sends forward a single corps to assault an opposing point, in order that he might judge, by the resistance, of the strength of his enemy at that point. Europe appears to be satisfied, and increasingly respectful. Mexico has suffered far less than she would have done at the hands of England. Our refluent armies have brought, in the notes of intelligent officers, a vast amount of information, of a character entirely new, in relation to that highly interesting country. Many highly interesting works have already appeared, mostly of a military character. The forthcoming work of Captain Davis is, however, of a more generally interesting nature. It describes the routes, the country, the people, their manners and peculiarities, the localities and customs, with much clearness and vivacity. When we consider that they are the hurried observations of an active officer, attached to a most perilous march of an invading army, among hostile people, we are struck with the variety and minuteness of details. The author, it appears, was attached, originally, to a corps of reinforcement for Gen. Taylor, and his first introduction to Mexican soil was by no means propitious.

"As we drew near the coast the winds were light and baffling, and the ship made but little headway; our hearts were all yearning for land, being very tired of the confinement in our close prison-house. Sunday—the last Sunday at sea-dawned bright and clear; and at an early hour the stirring music of the drums and fifes awoke all on board. As soon as the windows of the East were unbarred, and the coming sunlight had chased away the grey of the morning, the joyful cry of land sounded throughout the ship, and in going upon deck, the low sandy coast to the westward was in full view. There before us lay the land of Mexico, the goal towards which we had turned all our thoughts and hopes-there within our view was that land of glorious memories, where our countrymen were in arms to maintain their country's rights; that land which had drank up the best and purest of Columbia's blood, and where we, the brothers of those who had fallen in fight, hoped to win our spurs. There, almost in sight, lay the twice victorious fields of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma ; and in the same country we were about to land upon, were the ramparts and ditches of Monterey, and the plains of Angostura. These things

* Incidents from forthcoming work of Capt. Davis, of the U. S. A.

made that desolate coast welcome to our eyes. The changing winds kept us standing on and off all night, and it was not until late on Monday af ternoon we let go our anchors in twenty fathoms water.

"We anchored within about a mile of shore, the shipping in view; and a little to the north, and more distant than Brazos Santiago, we could plainly see the works at Point Isabel, with the American flag flying over them. Upon the island we could see long trains of baggage wagons arriving and departing, loaded with provisions for the army-steamers plying about communicating orders to the different ships, and troops disembarking and encamping in the sand. High winds prevented us from landing until the following Tuesday, when a steam tow-boat came off to us early in the morning, and before the middle of the afternoon the troops were on shore.

"Brazos Santiago, the first land we saw and landed upon in Mexico, is a small island in about latitude 25° north, and a short distance above the mouth of the Rio Grande. The reception we met with there was anything but flattering, and almost enough to cure any one of the 'pomp and circunstance of glorious war.' However, we were green as yet, and our hearts were filled with patriotism, or something else, which answered every practical purpose. We had not yet seen the Elephant,' and it would never do to murmur before we had learned the first rudiments in the science of war. Therefore, we did not exactly grumble, but can assure you that each one kept up a tremendous thinking. We hoped-and soldiers are always hopeful creatures-that there were happier times a-head. The island of Brazos had been made a depot for army stores, and therefore assumed some importance. It would be a very hard matter for any one to find a more dreary and forlorn looking place. It is an island of fine sand, hardly above the waters of the Gulf which surround it. Nothing that has life, or looks green, can be found growing upon it, neither is there any fresh water. The heavy Northers' have piled the fine sand up in great ridges and heaps, which gives the surface an irregular appearance. When the wind blows this sand is driven about in great clouds, and almost darkens the atmosphere. Several frame buildings had been erected for quarter-master's purposes, and a very large amount of government property was collected there. The island could then boast of one hotel, which was by no means a very inviting establishment; it was nothing more than an old Mississippi steamboat, which had gone ashore high and dry, and bore the name of Greenwood Hotel,' where mine host' came it over his customers to the tune of four dollars a day, and no extra charge for fleas, musquitoes, and dirt.

"Here we encamped late in the afternoon, and made arrangements to pass the night. Where we pitched our camp the loose sand was about two feet deep, which gave us the benefit of a soft and easy bed. By the time the tents were up, and the stores from the ship were brought on shore, the men were tired enough to lie down to sleep, without waiting for their supper, or asking any questions. But a few who never lost sight of their grub' under any circumstances, procured some coal from the quarter-master, and, before they retired, cooked their pork and made their coffee. Soon after dark the whole camp had sunk into repose, none very much charmed with their new lodgings. Some time in the night a heavy 'Norther' broke with full force upon this lone spot, the water of the Gulf roared, and the wind fairly screamed and yelled as it blew across the

island. Towards morning I awoke, and it was some time before I could realize where I was. The immortal spirit which never sleepeth nor slumbereth,' had winged its way across the waters to my far-off home, and the imagination had been busy in the dream-land. In a few minutes, however, I was fully sensible of my situation-I was buried under the sand. This was neither the romance nor the poetry of life. At first I was inclined to be in an ill humor, and complain of my bad luck; but when I found how much more comfortable I was than many of my neighbors, I felt thankful indeed that my tent had not been blown to the opposite side of the island. Some were holding up their tents-some chasing them through the sand-some digging themselves out; while others, no less unlucky, but far more philosophical, and with a meek resignation to the fate that awaited them, quietly composed themselves to sleep again, after giving a parting blessing to 'Uncle Sam,' and everything belonging to war. At this time a Peace Society could have been formed, without much difficulty or opposition.

"By the time reveille sounded, the whole camp was under the sand, and it was really laughable to see the poor fellows digging and dragging each other out. Then breakfast had to be cooked; and here let me remind the lady portion of my readers, that the kitchen cabinet was not fully organized. However, the fires, after some trouble, were kindled, and the camp-kettles and mess-pans put on; the pork was soon sliced, and the coffee pounded fine with the butt-end of a musket, for the whole regiment did not boast such an article as a coffee-mill. The wind blew, the sand drifted, and we tried to cook breakfast; the sand put out our fires, thickened the coffee, and seasoned the pork. It was all very good; hunger made the mixture sweet. This was neither a time nor place to be fastidious; and those who were ceremonious, or stood upon etiquette, were sure to go without their share of the rations. This first introduction to the life of a soldier was rather too practical, and the enchantment which distance had lent to it was fast fading away before our eyes; all hands came to the very wise conclusion, that playing soldier looked much better on paper than any where else. However, we were in for it, and though rather tired of our bargain, made up our minds to submit quietly to what we could not avoid."

We pass over a graphic description of Matamoras, and the events upon the Buena Vista line of operations, proposing only to give a few pictures, with which the book abounds. The following will awaken painful sympathies for the victims of the stern code of military law. The lesson was, doubtless, of service in a country where the standard of honor is by no means high :

"While on duty in Jalapa, I witnessed the shooting of two Mexican officers for breaking their parole. The day of their execution, the sun shone out in all its beauty over that lovely city and valley, seemingly in smiling mockery at the tragic exhibition which was about to take place. An order was issued the day before, for all the troops in and around Jalapa, except a small guard for camp and quarters, to attend the execution. The ceremony was to take place in the Plaza of San Jose, in the north-eastern part of the city. The troops encamped at Cadeño marched into town at eleven o'clock, and united with those of the garri son. The city wore an entirely different appearance from that of the day before, when two Americans were hanged; and hardly a person was to be

seen the stores and places of business were closed, and the dwellinghouses shut up. Gloom seemed to hang over Jalapa, as if in mourning for her two sons about to be executed; and as our regiment defiled through the deserted streets, no sound was heard but the measured tread of the men on the stone pavements. The troops took up their position in silence, being drawn up on three sides around the place of death. The Plaza, too, was changed in appearance from yesterday; the housetops and open grounds were not crowded with an anxious multitude of lookerson, as before, but were now vacant, except the soldiers in the square. Not a Mexican was to be seen-none had come to witness the execution of their countrymen-the officers and soldiers were the only ones to behold the sad spectacle. The gallows had been removed from the ground, and upon the spot where it had stood, were drawn up the shooting partytwenty-four riflemen, in dark green jackets, and resting on their arms. The coffins were brought into the square, and placed on the side-walk alongside the barracks; they were painted black, and diversified with numerous white stripes, running lengthwise.

"We had not been long in waiting, when the mournful sound of muffled drums and fifes, playing the Dead March in Saul,' broke upon our ears, and announced that the prisoners were coming. The procession entered the Plaza at the south-west corner. The two officers were dressed in full uniform, their eyes bandaged, and each supported on one side by a priest, and on the other by a friend, under the escort of a strong guard of infantry. They walked with a firm and manly step, and seemed to heed nothing but the spiritual comfort which the priests were administering to them. When the procession entered the open space inside the troops, the escort halted, and joined the regiment it belonged to, while the officers and their friends kept on to the place of execution. The condemned were conducted by the Provost Marshal, who walked with them from their quarters, to their coffins, and seated upon them, frorting the shooting party already drawn up. They then knelt down, and for a few moments were engaged in prayer, when they arose and signified they were ready. Their friends, and such of the American officers as knew them, now approached and bade them farewell. My position was very near, and I watched them closely; yet during all the preparations for death, I could not see the least symptom of trembling or fear. When they spoke, their voices appeared as firm as usual; their conduct throughout was manly and soldier-like, and even their enemies admired the firmness with which they met death. The Provost Marshal next tied their hands behind their backs, their military caps were laid on the ground beside them, and their coats unbuttoned and thrown open. They sat upright on their coffins, which were within about three feet of the barrack wall, repeating without ceasing their prayers. The riflemen were now ordered to load their pieces, and while that was being done, every eye was fixed upon them and the prisoners-not a word was spoken, not a man moved. The Provost Marshal then stationed the shooting party about eight paces in front of them, and stepping a short distance to the right, gave, in a firm and loud tone of voice, the words-' Ready'-' Aim'-' Fire!' At the last command, one short, quick report, broke the silence, and the two officers rolled over on to the ground dead, without a struggle or a groan.

They never breathed after they were struck, and apparently passed