ridiculous, have all come from our side, and we all know with what contumely and insult they have been treated. CITY OF MEXICO, Sept. 24, 1847. Among other rumors, we hear to-day that there has been a coalition of some of the states north of this, that Señor Cosio has been appointed president, that 12,000 men are immediately to be raised and organized to carry on the war with vigor, and, to make them effective, $1,000,000 is to be levied. Bustamente and Paredes are to command the army, as the story goes, while Santa Anna has leave to retire from public service and from the country if he sees fit. Another report current would make us believe that the Mexican congress is shortly to assemble at Querétaro, and that the peace question is to be talked over with Mr. Trist in real earnest. These are all but mere rumors. Speaking of sending men and means to Mexico, do the people of the United States know the real force which has achieved the recent glorious triumphs here in the valley of this proud republic? I have not seen the paper, but I have been told that a recent number of the Union states that when Gen. Scott would reach the vicinity of Mexico, his army would number 22,000 effective men. If such a statement has been made, one more false or ungenerous could not have been promulgated. Gen. Scott arrived on this side the mountains with a fraction over 10,000 men, of which number at least 4,000 were new recruits. Of this force, so insig- Speaking of Mr. Trist reminds me of a story curnificant when compared with the magnitude of the rent on the 13th. It is said that shortly after Chaenterprise, at least 1,000 were on the sick list pultepec was carried, that gentleman rode up the before a blow was struck. With a disposable height, and on being recognized by a gallant Irish army, then, of 9,000-not a man more-the bold soldier, the latter accosted him with, "I say, sir, attempt was made to reduce a populous and well- it's a beautiful thraty we've made wid 'em to-day, fortified city, and after a succession of hard-fought sir!" The story is worth relating at all events. battles the result is known. The 12,000 paper Although all appears quiet on the face of the men, then, manufactured at Washington by Gens. city, assassinations are still frequent. Our men are Marcy, Jones and Co., must remain where they led off to drinking-houses in the by-streets and in have been during all the recent struggles-either the suburbs, are plied with liquor until they become unenlisted, in hospitals, in camp, or in transitu-intoxicated, and are then stabbed. Nor will this and not detract from such merit as has been gained cowardly system be put down until each house by the 10,000 true men, who have borne the battle's where a murder is committed is razed, and exembrunt and won such laurels for their country. To them all honor and credit is due, and I will procure the muster roll of every regiment that passed the Vente de Cordova if it should be necessary to prove my statement as to their actual number. plary justice dealt out to all its inmates. It has come to the knowledge of the authorities that knives and dirks have been recently distributed to the horde of thieves and murderers liberated by Santa Anna on the night he fled from the capital, and with no other intention than that they might do the work in the dark he had not the courage to perform in open day. By an order issued by Gen. Scott, it would seem that active measures have been taken to ferret out the assassins, and also the miscreants who have set them on to murder. Gen. Terres, who commanded at the Belén gate, has come out with a report of the part taken by himself and command on the 13th. It is pretty much the same old story. He complains that he had not men enough; says that those he did have fought with determination, bravery, and enthusiasm; intimates that he sent for reinforcements, at Not a little joy has been manifested by all at the a juncture when the tide of battle might have been arrival here of the American prisoners-Capts. turned against Gen. Quitman, which were refused, Clay, Heady, and Smith, Lieuts. Churchill, Davidand finally openly accuses Gen. Pedrigon Garay, who son, and Barbour, and sixteen privates-who have commanded his reserve, with running off without recently been confined at Toluca. It seems that firing a gun, or rendering him the least assistance. they were released by the governor, Olaguibel, on He himself speaks of the gross insult bestowed his own responsibility, they promising that the upon him by Santa Anna after the battle-an in- same number of Mexican prisoners, and of equal sult, he says, that he could not resent. We now rank, should be delivered up to him. Those offihave the reports of Bravo, who commanded at Cha-cers who refused to give their parole when all were pultepec, and of Terres, who commanded at the ordered to Toluca, and who afterwards escaped, Belén gate: Santa Anna and Gen. Rangal were have performed active service here in the different both of them at the San Cosme gate, and it remains to be seen what frivolous excuse they will make for their disgraceful defeat. Of course the blame will not rest on their illustrious shoulders. The American Star," published by Peoples & Barnard, made its appearance to-day in neat form, and the talk is that another new paper, the "North American," is to come out in the course of the week. Meanwhile, the city is rapidly becoming Americanized. From every quarter, staring in the largest capitals, we see such announcements as Union Hotel," "Mush and Milk at all Hours," American Dry Goods," "United States Restau," "St. Charles Exchange," "Egg-Nogg and Mince Pies for Sale Here," and other kindred notices to the passer-by as to where he can be served on home principles. Nor is there to be any lack of amusements, for already the posters announce a bull-fight, a circus, a theatre, and even an Italian opera, as shortly to be produced. We are a great people. Yours, &c. G. W. K. rat, battles. Major Gaines has been serving on the staff of Gen. Scott, Midshipman Rogers on that of Gen. Pillow, Major Borland on that of Gen. Worth, and Capt. Danley on that of Gen. Quitman. The latter was severely wounded on the 13th, but will recover. Among the papers captured at the palace-for in his haste to run Santa Anna left almost everything -were many rich and at the same time most valuable documents. Among them are two letters, one written by Rejon to Santa Anna, and dated at Querétaro on the 29th August, with the answer of the latter, dated here in Mexico on the 31st. In brief, Rejon informs his friend that he has learned with pain that negotiations for peace have been entered into, an act offensive to the army and humiliating to the republic. He contends that the war ought to be prosecuted, and that if the capital cannot be saved, like Puebla it must be abandoned, while the withdrawn troops must contend with the enemy as best they can. Resources, he says, will not be would have been alleviated by the evidence that they had not been beaten so shamefully by a body of men so inferior in numbers to their own grand army. Nor will they think of peace until forced to it by an army so large that there will at least be some merit in succumbing in the eyes of the world. Rigorous measures, too, must be adopted, for any one who runs may read that if the quasi war heretofore carried on is continued, it will be prolonged until the causes which brought it on are forgotten. wanting, as the states, with the slightest encour- | valley of Mexico, the smartings of discomfiture agement, will supply them. He contends that peace will destroy Santa Anna, while war will ever crown him with honor and glory if he but carries it on without truce and with energy. In Querétaro, Rejon continues, the disgust was general when they first heard of the sad negotiations, [furestas negociaciones,] and on the morning previous to the date of his letter a courier passed through from Toluca with communications arousing the states against any authority that should make peace at the capital. Rejon finishes his letter as follows: "With the frankness of a friend I inform you that I am committed to this course. Continue the war, and I will perish by your side!" Bring the matter home for a moment. Supposing that an army composed of 9,000 of the picked men of Christendom should set themselves down before New Orleans, a city of but little over half the size In answer to all this, Santa Anna says that he of Mexico, and that we had 25,000 soldiers and learns with bitter regret the charges which have strong fortifications to defend it-how could we been made against the government for the course it reconcile the entrance of the former into our streets has pursued. He urges that Gen. Scott solicited and squares as conquerors? Of course I am supan armistice, [he does not say what Mackintosh posing an impossibility, but there is not a citizen came out for after the battle of Churubusco,] in between Faubourg Marigny and Carrollton but will order that Mr. Trist might be heard, which solicita- at once see and feel the degrading position in which tion he granted, "because the suspension of hostili- the Mexicans are placed, and will hardly blame ties would give his troops rest, reestablish their mo- them for continuing a contest even against every rale, and give him an opportunity to collect the semblance of hope. But let an army of 50,000 men dispersed and enable him to adopt other measures to be placed upon the line between this city and Vera ensure a reaction!" These are Santa Anna's own Cruz, let the communications be kept thoroughly words. I have not time or space at present to give open, and let the inhabitants here be made to know you the whole of his answer to Rejon, but will pro-and feel that our intention is to compel them to sue cure it for some future period. I have thought all for terms, and there will then be an excuse for along the "well-merited" of his country really de-them, which in their eyes will hold with the nations sired peace, reasoning the while that he was to be of the earth, to come to an amicable arrangement. well paid for it, and that he knew he must be de- At present all the territory we possess in Mexico is feated again, in the event of another battle; but I comprised within the range of our guns. This we now begin to have some misgivings that he was can have and can hold, against any force the enemy humbugging us all the time. If he really had Mr. | can bring; but until our army is increased to a size Buchanan's ultimatum to Mr. Trist in his pocket, sufficient to command the territory on our line of as has been stated, he well knew that there was no operations, we can have no peace. The Mexicans earthly chance for an amicable result to the nego-are now bewildered, not subjected; they think there tiations. Let his real intentions, however, have been what they may, self was at the bottom, and his poor country unthought of. To show the man's avarice, I have been told by those who know Mexican affairs well, that since Mr. Polk allowed him to return from Havana, he has contrived to pick and steal nearly a million of dollars, which is all safely placed in the hands of his foreign agents or friends. Yours, &c. G. W. K. has been some grand mistake in all that has oc- CITY OF MEXICO, Sept. 26, 1847. Assassinations continue. No less than ten murdered soldiers were found this morning in the vicinity of the quarter of San Peblo, and eight on the previous day. The fault lies partially with our own men, who straggle from their quarters and get intoxicated at the first pulqueria or grog shop; yet In my last I stated that Col. McIntosh was sinkthe fact that even in this state they are set upon by ing under his wounds-that brave officer died last gangs of armed ruffians shows that a feeling of re-night and is to be buried to-morrow with all military venge and deep hatred obtains against us; and the frequency of the murders would prove that a regular system of assassination has been organized, the wire-workers very likely some of the priests and leading men. One great reason for this is the almost insignificant force under the command of Gen. Scott. True, he has had enough to achieve victories and capture the city of Mexico, and for this reason many may think that he has sufficient men. But such is not the ease. The very smallness of our army is more degrading to the pride of the Mexicans than any defeat that has befallen them. Had an army respectable in numbers, compared with the enterprise undertaken and accomplished, entered the honors. He fell pierced by two balls while gallantly leading his men to attack the Casa Mata on the 8th September, and his system, suffering under wounds received in former battles, was not able to overcome the shock. Yours, &c. G. W. K. CITY OF MEXICO, Sept. 28, 1847. We have rumors without number from Puebla to-day. One is that Santa Anna has been killed in an encounter with Col. Childs in the vicinity of that city; another story would make us believe that he has been taken prisoner, after defending himself for sometime at the paper mill called La Constancia, in the neighborhood of Puebla. The accounts say hat Col. Childs was reinforced by Maj. Lally, and | positively of Col. Garland, Majors Wade, Waite, hat he immediately entered the city, drove out the Loring and Gladden, of Capts. Mason, Walker, guerilleros and surrounded the mill above named. Danley, and of Lieuts. Foster, Shackelford, SelWhat credit to place in these rumors I know not; den and Lugenbeel, and I mention them as being but if Santa Anna is really a prisoner, it has been some of the most severely wounded. intentional-he has given himself up. If he has been killed, it has been what the Mexicans would term one casualidad, a sheer accident, for no such intention ever entered his head. As a prisoner, Santa Anna knows perfectly well that he can humbug Mr. Polk with ease, and all his friends besides. We shall know the whole truth of the matter in the course of a day or two. It is said that the Mexican congress is to assemble at Querétaro, on the 5th of October-next week -and that Peña y Peña has gone out to be installed as the acting president. I have heard Mexicans say that the body has many members who will deliberate manfully and seriously in favor of peace; but my opinion is, that a majority of them will talk of little save honor, and ditches, and glory, and last extremities, and ruins, and of being buried under them, and kindred nonsense. Some of them may be bribed, or hired, to espouse the peace side. We shall see. Rejon, in his letters to Santa Anna, told him that if he would continue the war, he would perish by his side; but they say that when the armistice was broken, he remained at Querétaro and forgot all about fighting. Valiant man is Manuel Cresceneis Rejon! but he has a prudent way of manifesting it in the hour of peril. Paredes was here in the city a few days since, without followers, and has gone north, perhaps towards Guadalayara, his old and favorite ground, to stir and influence the minds of the people against the Yankees, and try his hand against them. He is, no doubt, one of the bravest and best generals Mexico has ever produced. Gomez Farias is at Querétaro, but we do not hear what he is doing. Gen. Herrera is also there, and if any leading man in Mexico is in favor of peace, he is the one. His influence, however, is confined almost entirely to the moderados. Mr. Wells, the partner of Hart in the army theatre, died here a day or two since. He may be recollected in the United States, not only as a pantomimist, but as a dancer and actor of some distinction. Capt. Pemberton Waddell, of one of the new regiments of infantry, is also dead. The wound of Gen. Shields, although painful, is improving. A musket ball struck him in the left arm at the storming of Chapultepec, but binding a handkerchief round it he continued with his men until everything was calmed. Gen. Pillow has almost entirely recovered. Since commencing this I have heard another rumor to the effect that Alvarez and the congress of Puebla have risen upon Santa Anna and put him to death. This can hardly be credited. Alvarez is doubtless in that direction. He took especial good care to keep himself and his pintos out of harm's way during the recent struggles in this vicinity. The loss in the different divisions in the storming of Chapultepec and capture of the city on the 13th is as follows: In that of Gen. Quitman about 300, in that of Gen. Twiggs 268, in that of Gen. Pillow 142, in that of Gen. Worth 138. Owing to his previous heavy loss the latter only had about 1000 men engaged in the last battles. As I know it will be of great interest to their friends, before closing this letter I will state that the wounds of almost all the officers are doing well. I can speak I send you a few papers and documents of interest, which, I trust, will reach safely. Had I an opportunity, I could furnish you with a volume of letters, papers, &c., all found in the palace and other places, which would be a rare treat to our readers. You shall have them all in good time. I send you a species of diary, from the 30th August up to this date, in the shape of letters, written from day to day. In the main, I believe I was correct in my surmises, although not always right. I write in great haste, as the courier is just starting. Yours, &c. G. W. K. SANTA ANNA AND HIS DESIGNS. THE position of Gen. Santa Anna is certainly a very anomalous one. Notwithstanding his great capacity, his unsurpassed energy, and his thorough knowledge of his countrymen and the best modes of controlling and directing their feelings, he has but a slight hold upon their affections or their respect. He is cordially hated by a large class of the best citizens of Mexico, and by the great mass his intentions are looked upon with constant suspicion. Hence the necessity for the continual efforts Santa Anna is compelled to make to disarm their suspicions, to impress them with his disinterestedness, and his entire freedom from ambitious views and tyrannical designs. His late resignation of the presidency of Mexico we look upon as an act of this nature-dictated in fact by no sense of patriotism, but by a selfish calculation of his own personal interests. There is nothing very enviable in the exercise of political authority in Mexico just at this moment. Dark and dismal is the prospect for a statesman there. If he be a true patriot, he has all the prejudices of his countrymen to oppose. There is hardly a chance for him to restore to the nation the blessings of peace, embittered as are all classes against us. But times of danger and difficulty are not the moment for a true lover of his country to shrink from responsibilities, from braving public opinion, from perilling personal interests and aims for his country's good. Santa Anna is precisely the man thus to shirk his duty. He found his popularity diminishing, his enemies denouncing him as a coward and a traitor, his best friends suspecting his intentions, and his power to control congress gone. He resigns his office. His ample authority is devolved upon an eminent civilian, who can hardly be suited for a crisis in public affairs like the present. Whatever odium may fall upon the government for not warding off the distresses which are now sure to be visited upon Mexico, Santa Anna will escape. Retaining his command in the army, and his hold upon the soldiery, he will await the course of events. The public clamor aroused by his continued reverses will ere long die away, or be diverted against the man who may chance to hold power when the United States turn upon Mexico their full energies. As affairs grow more and more desperate, and the necessity is felt of having a man of energy to direct them becomes more apparent, Santa Anna hopes to be again called to the helm; but he is not the man to resume power until the want of a vigorous leader is felt so deeply that it will assure him a controlling and paramount influence over the destinies of the country. Santa Anna has the weakness to fancy that in any favorable turn of affairs. Could he perform one the elements of his character he bears a strong successful and brilliant military achievement, his resemblance to Napoleon. He has had the audacity countrymen would be ready to deify him. This he to avow this in various forms more or less dis- can hardly expect to do, but there is nothing which guised. He studies to imitate the emperor in his may not be effected in Mexico by the arts of intrigue outward acts, and it would hardly surprise us if in which Santa Anna possesses in remarkable perfechis late resignation, upon the close of a campaign tion. He seems to us vastly superior to all his which had been totally disastrous for him, he imag-countrymen in energy and ability, and where these ined he was running yet further the parallel with qualities are so much required as in Mexico, a very his great master in the art of war. He is quite long period can hardly elapse before we see him capable of this weakness, and we shall be surprised again reinstated in the exercise of the supremc if we do not find him in after years dwelling upon power of the state and more absolute than ever.— the events of Churubusco, Contreras, Chapultepec, Picayune. &c., as Napoleon may have reviewed the series of unparalleled exploits on his own part which preceded his first abdication. As to Santa Anna's designs, it is somewhat singular that it should have been so generally believed in the city of Mexico, in Vera Cruz, in Tampico and by some here, that he intended to escape to a foreign country. From Tampico they write that Central America is to be his place of refuge; from Vera Cruz the story came that he designed embarking or had embarked upon the British steamer of the 1st inst. in disguise; while in the city of Mexico the most current report was that he was making his way to Tehuantepec, thence to escape from the country. All agree that he was bent upon leaving Mexico. Yet we put no confidence in any of these rumors, nor in the imputed intentions of Santa Anna. We believe he will remain in Mexico so long as he may do so with personal safety. He thirsts for power and for money. Avarice and ambition are the ruling elements in his character. There is no country where an unscrupulous public servant can peculate with such impunity as in Mexico, and the promptings of his ambition must lead him to remain close at hand, to take advantage of NEW BOOKS AND REPRINTS. Landreth's Rural Register and Almanac, for 1848, has already had the great sale of more than twenty thousand copies. It contains notices of valuable Fruits; Kitchen Garden; Flower Garden; Live Stock; Farming Utensils; new Improvements; a Calendar, &c. &c. We congratulate our old friend on so good a book. Its cost is small, but we do not know how small. Messrs. C. S. Francis, & Co. have completed their neat Edition of the Arabian Nights' Entertainment. Ewbank's Hydraulics and Mechanics is coming out in numbers, at 25 cents, from Messrs. Greeley & M'Elrath, New York. In addition to its obvious utility, it contains so much curious and entertaining matter, that, odd as it seems, it is quite a book of amusement. Messrs. Gould, Kendall & Lincoln regularly continue the beautiful reprint of Chambers' Miscellany of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge. The character of this excellent work is truly contained in the title. SCRAPS.—Mexican War, 318; Singing in New England Churches, 322. The LIVING AGE is published every Saturday, by E. LITTELL & Co., at No. 165 Tremont St., BOSTON. Price 12 cents a number, or six dollars a year in advance. Remittances for any period will be thankfully received and promptly attended to. To insure regularity in mailing the work, remittances and orders should be addressed to the office of publication as above. Twenty dollars will pay for 4 copies for a year. COMPLETE SETS to the end of 1846, making eleven large volumes, are for sale, neatly bound in cloth, for twenty dollars, or two dollars each for separate volumes. Any numbers may be had at 12 cents. AGENCIES. The publishers are desirous of making arrangements in all parts of North America, for increasing the circulation of this work-and for doing this a liberal commission will be allowed to gentlemen who will interest themselves in the business. But it must be understood that in all cases payment in advance is expected. The price of the work is so low that we cannot afford to incur either risk or expense in the collection of debts. LITTELL'S LIVING AGE.-No. 184.-20 NOVEMBER, 1847. From Chambers' Journal. may THE NOVEL-WRITER'S WORLD. THERE is a point of view from which fiction ɔe studied with advantage, but from which I never had the pleasure of seeing it contemplated. There might, I think, be derived from this department of literature a great sense of thankfulness that the actual world was not, as the fictitious one is, of the novelist's creation. It is very true that the fictionist makes a number of much more entirely virtuous men and women than the author of nature has done; but then comes in the sad drawback that they are thinly sown, and mixed up with such a set of horrid people of all kinds, that they are of no manner of use but to be married at last, or at least to live happily all the rest of their days after the novel is concluded. The question is, if a world composed of a few Mr. Allworthys, and Lady Bountifuls and Lord Trueloves, in connection with a host of such indifferent characters as the novelist deals in, would answer. I say not. The villain of the piece would to a certainty have us murdered, or at least cast in a ruinous lawsuit, before Mr. Allworthy could come to the rescue or hear of our case. Virtuous innocence would have no chance, for it would be found that that system of making a heroic peasant of the name of William Hawthorn spring out of the wood, to play off an irresistible sapling cut from the last hedge, would not work in real life. It would always be ten to one against the worthy fellow coming at the proper time. I have great doubts, moreover, if those admirable reduced widows, who live in cottages or fifth floors, with paragons of daughters, would find themselves saved, in any considerable number of instances, from executions, by the happy return of long-lost sons with fortunes from india. The unparalleled inhumanity of the landlords of all poor widows' houses, in novels, would be too much for that set of amiable characters, and the consequences would be extremely distressing. One great result of our having the novel-writer's creation established, would be a putting down of that vast class, the "good enough people." Now I much fear that we should not do nearly so well in this world if we wanted that class. They serve an immense number of useful purposes those good enough people. The most of the new generation are brought into the world and educated by them they raise the corn, furnish the butchermeat, and import all the groceries required by mankind, not to speak of many other professional services. I don't know but they pay nearly the whole of the taxes. What we should do without such serviceable, albeit commonplace citizens, I cannot pretend to imagine. The novelists, indeed, Another result would be a very general separation of the inclination from the ability to be liberal and generous. In the actual world, of the people who are able to be generous, there must be a very considerable number who are likewise disposed to be so; for how otherwise should our public charities be supported, not to speak of private benefactions, which we may also presume to be numerous? But if the novelist's world were established, all who had any money in their pockets would immediately become to the last degree selfish and hard-hearted, and there would be no liberality except amongst the coinless. It would obviously serve a poor purpose if we only found we could get names to bills from persons who had no credit at the bank, or invitations to dinner from individuals forced to live upon potatoes and point. It would help marvellously ill to get us over a difficulty, if every one we applied to were to say, "My dear friend, I have all the wish in the world to oblige you, but I am myself at my wit's-end for half-a-crown." It would only be tantalizing to find the desire of advancing our fortunes exclusive to those who were themselves out of suits with fortune. Better, we would think, that all were iron-hearted alike. But the positive inconvenience of living in a world where rich people could in no way be bled, must strike everybody so forcibly, that it is scarcely necessary thus to dilate upon the subject. A world without heat, or light, or water, or some other of the great physical elements of existence, can be contemplated with some degree of patience, but not a world without a rich relation, or a friend susceptible of being squeezed. It seems to me also very clear that the actual character of our relatives and associates in the world is greatly superior to what the novelists would give us. In the actual world, one often has a decent enough sort of uncle—perhaps half a father to one, supposing real fathers to be wanting-always sure to have an exhibition of lamb and sherry at his nephews' service on Sunday afternoons, and pretty sure to help handsomely in the outfit of nieces for marriage at home, or for expeditions to go and reside with married sisters in India. Now this the novelist would entirely deprive us of, giving us, in |