Winyah Observer

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Vol. IX.
©Ii'^t-rlier
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY, AT THREE DOLLAIl.S PER A.NMIM,
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i\o. :|60
E. Waterman. Editor.
Gcor«eto\vn, S. C, Wednesday, May 26, 1847.
E. Wnlerman, Jr., Proprielor,
From iht: N. O. Pieaijnnc, Alay 11.
Gnerriila War on the Rio Crande.
An nttentive eorrespendent at Camargo hn.s enclosed to us the following order, issued by Canales. It was found upon the Alcade offJuerrera, who wa.s at the time in compa¬ ny vvith onc of Canales's captains, and in ooiijiinetion with him, as wa.? siippo.sfd, ta¬ king measures to carry it into efTect. 1 .ieut. Bee, of Capt. Lamar's C'ompany of Rangers, happened to come upon them both, and brought them to Camargo.
Prom this order it i,s manifest that the guerrilla mode of warfare is to be enforced j all along thejvalley__of the Rio Grande. It isinortifying to reflect that a fevv (lj.sorderly men, .such as fled from the field of battle at Buena Vi.sta, and hid them.selvfes in the qiiairies before Monterey, have, by their murderous conduct, given color to the chaf- ^gcs with which Canales commences and lariis his order ; nevertheless, it is almost certain that the syslem would have been put iu, Jira dice upon the Rio Grande, as it has been ill the central States, liad not these out¬ rages happened.
VVe have had full measures oftlie glories of vvar, but, should the guerrilla plan con¬ iinue any length of time, its butcheries vvill be appalling. Tho perpetrators of acts of violence, have, heretofore, sought to palliate their guilt by pleading the assassiiiation of their comrades as an e.vcuse for retaliatibij. There has been loo much of this abeudy. Bul u'liat will bo the scenes of havoc and biuod vvlien a " war without pitty" is the fecogiiizpd ,gaiigo of battle on both sides. j
The order of Canales is peremptory." It ij comm mds his followers to spare neither.age nor   condition.       Every   American   ftnind i within the   territory   of   Mexico, vvhether jj armed ur unarmed, iiiusl be put to the svvord. ii This is more savage even than the guerril- ij lu prnclamation of .Salas.    Canales is a grad- i: uate ofa sanguinary school.   A robber chief by profession and a cul-tliroat by nature, he is just the man to gloat over  the barbarities i ol .such il vvar.     That he vvill -find  e.tciises j' to plunder hi.- own countrymen we have no j' fkiuht, and vve regret to tbink Ije   vvill be the la.st to.-uH'cr from  the mode of warfare he has adlipled.
The defence of the Rio Grande should be under the eireunistances, an object of priiiia- ry con.sideratioii. Thut more troops nre needed there is apparent, without taking in¬ to consideration tho necessities of other di¬ visions of the invasion—
FitONTIKlt Bltlfl.VnK OF Cavalrv, \ Camp in San Augustin, April 4, 1847. ^
1 this day send to the Ailjutant Inspector ofthe National Guards the following instruc¬ tions :
I leiirn, vvith the greatest indignation, that ij the Americans have  committed a most hor- ji rible massacre  at tho rancho ofthe Guada¬ lupe.    The}' made prisoners, in their own houses and by the  side of their families, twenty-live peaceable men and immediately shot them.    To repel this class of warfare, j which is not vvar but atrocity in  all its fury, ' there i.s no other course left us than retaliu- tioii; and in order to  pursuit this method, rendered  imperative-by tho fatal circuin-;: stance above mentioned,  you will immedi- ¦;, ately declare martial law,  vvith the under standing that eight days after the publication jj of the same, every   individual  vvho has not taken up arms (being capable ofso doing) shall bo  considered a traitor and in,staiitly shot.
ISIartial lavv being in force, you are bound to give no quarters to any American whom you may meet or who may present himself to you. even though he be without armis. You are also directed to publish this to all tho towns in this State, forcibly impresiiing theiji with the severe punishnnent that shall || be inflicted for the least omission of this order, li
'VVo have arrived at that state in which J our country requires the greatest sacrifices; 'j her sons should glory in nothing but to be- ii come soldier.s, and as britve Mcxicansto 11 meet the crisis.    Tlierefore, if the  army of'I
invasion continues, and our people remain in the towns which they have molested, they deserve not one rny of sympathy ; nor should, any one ever cea.'se to make vvar upon them. You will send a copy ofthis to each ofyour subordinates, and they are nuthorized tn pro¬ ceed iigainst the chiefs of there .squadrons or ngainst their colonels or any, iiiIkm', evctt a- gainslme. for any infriiciioii of this order— the only mod(> of salvation left. The eneiny wages war against us nnd even aa'airist those peaceabie ciiizens who, actuateii iiy improp¬ er impulses, desire lo remain quiet in their houses. Even these thoy kill, witluuit qinir¬ ters ; and this is the greaici,i Civnr they may expect from thern. The only iilternative left, us under these eircumstanees, is refaliii- tion, vvhich is thc strong right ofthe qfiended against the ofTending. To carry this into eflect attach yourself to the authorities. Your failing to do fhis vvill be considered a oiime of the greatest magnitude. All the ofricers ofthe troops aro directed to a.ssist you in car¬ rying out this order, and it is disfiiK'tly un¬ derstood there shallbe no exceptions. Nei¬ ther the clergy, militiary citizens nor other persons shall enjoy thc pri'ViJodge of rcinain- ingpeaceable at their homes. The vvhole of the corporation shall turn out with the citi-. zens, leaving iwlely as authority of the town one ofthe members who is over the age of si.xty years ; at the same time, 'ifall ofthe members are capable of bearing arms, then none siiall be excepted ; leaving to act S'mc mil' who is incapafile Of miliiary sur- viei'. Von yourself must be an e.\ imple to oill l'l:-:, by conforming tu tbis requisition. And 1 s,-'iid this to you for publication, and charge you lo see it executed in every parti- culan, and communicate it also In the com¬ manders of tho s<]uadr(ins in your city, who will aid you in carrying into eflect these in- striietioiis ; and iu fact you ure directed to do all and .everything which yoiir patriotism may prompt.    God and Liberty !
ANTONIO CANALES.
troops were acliiaily giving vvay fo the over- ;, head, so that he vvas a very formidable com- wbelmino' number of the foo.    The mere.] batant.'    Il is said that   in his palmy days,
ij presence of Grn.   Taylor,  however, turfieJ ii tho current of events, iind gave us victory in-
whilo driving his cab, a clumsy carter drove against him, and, as   Uslial   accused Hervio
slead'of defeat. The '• Lilllo Corporal" vvas ji of being in fault, at vvhich ottr hero sprang (111 the Hiniind, anil his soMiers thought no iJ from hfsseat on lb the back ofthe man, and more of retreat. j'gave hirn a most terrible thrtishing.    His
.Such is the history of Baeiui   Vistn; and i^ feats of .strength in his monkey characters all who read  it  understaiidiiiCTly, must con
Tlie Baltic of Cerro Gordo.
We were mado accidentally to sny yester¬ day, that this seems to be the most brilliant aft'air of the .War. Not so. General Scott accomplished all that Napoleon or Welling¬ ton could have accomplished nnder similar circumstances; and so at Vera. Crus. But those alTiiii's eannotbe compared to Buena 'Vista. That vvas, altogether, a very difTer¬ ent concern, and ofl'ered an opportunity fbr distinction whieh very rarely occurs in wholo centuries of vvar. Moniei-ey, Vera, Cruz, and Cerro Gordo, are ofthe same class of battles—where the victors did all that men conld accomplish—all that circumstances would permit. But Buena Vista is another Marathon; it is sui generis—it stands alone ainong the many wonderful d'efences vvhich history records, and in ull biiiiuiu probability centuries may elapse before ,iii opportunity oftering for such unothorsigiial triumph. We lookin vain for anything of the kind in the battles ofthe Revolution or the war 'of 181',i ; and even European History offers nothing sujierior, ifthere be anything lo equal it.
But .says u corre.spondent. Gen. Scott, had he been there, wouid have accomplished the same great vvork. Not so in our judgement. Gen Scott would mobly have done his duty ; but neither he nor Gen. Taylor, couhl have made that defence without lhe prestige oi the gallant achievements of Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma and Monterey. There lay the secret of Taylor's success, ffe po.s.sesses the exl-rctonliriary prnver, so seldom hestoii'al vpon mnn, of inspiring his nrmy with the conviction that wh,;re.-HE IS, DEFEAT IS IMPOS¬ SIBLE I The French vvere invincible when' Napoleon, vvas in the field, until after his Rus¬ sian campaign. It vvas only necessary to know that the " Little Corporal" vvas in the fight, to set the men to calculating at ichat ho'hr the victory would be vvon I And so it was at Buena Vista. Thc veteran and gal¬ lant VVool, did all that Scott orany man could have done in the early part ofthe day ; and yel   when  Taylor came on the  field; his
code that'evsn Tavlor would not have won that j^lorious field biit^for his previous victo¬ ries. .No otiier Geiieriil couhl have saved our army on that occasion : an;l he saved it and ci'own'?d the country with glory, by rea¬ son nf'what he hail Jireviously iiccpijiplislied. We repeat ihi'A;'hin', that tbis success at Buena Vi.stii, is miHiily atliii'Mitable tn the | fittt ol'his pos.sesshig^tho extraordinary quali- j ty of impriLssing his m'-.'n vvitii a confidence of ! success which admits of no defeat, and vvhich , has sn rarely been piissesscfl by man ; nnd vve intend no disi'espec'i to oihei's vvhen vve ,say, that he is the only man living, who could have won tho battle,—whieh is certainly vvilhout any parallel in wiolern history, and which Tn all Iiuman probability, will stanti isolated and alone on the page of history for centuries to come. Next to it in the history ofthe present war, stand the glorious Imttli's of Sacramento and Resaca dc la Palma. As we have said before, Vera Cruz, Cerro Gor¬ do, and iMonterey, vvere nobli,: victories, in which tbose in command vvon all the glory It was possible to achieve : and that they did not win more, vvas no fault of theirs, but siin- ply lack oi opportunity. •' Opportunity" was the watch word of Decatur, and evei'3' sol¬ dier vvell knows hovv rarely it occurs. To Taylor and to Doniphan it hns been awarded but even Col. Doniphan's gloriou.s affair sinks into comparative insigiiincance when compared vvitli Liieiia Vista.—N. Y. Cour. i^- Enquirer.
are vvell known.    A very good cast   oflho entire figure   has been  made.—.&, paper.
Hervio'Niwio,
The Man Monkey and   G n-i me fly D'lssecled.
Every body must rememboi' this curious specimen oilh^.genrs homo, vvho hns exhibited himself often in this city. His real name vvas Harvey Leach, and he vvas 11 native of Con¬ necticut. He died in London on tho 16th ult., bequeathing his singular body lo a celebra¬ ted surgeon for dissection, anil we Jearn from an .article in " the London Literary Gu- zette," the following striking facts, elided by_^the operator;
" The head is remarkable fine in form, and the expression intelligent and benign ; the chest shoulders, ami arjns form a perfect model of strength and beauty ; the arms are exceedingly muscular, and the hands very well and strongly formed; when standing thf arms could reach the ground easily, so as to bci employcii in progression or leaping; in the place of legs, thrt'e are two limb,«i, the left about eighteen inches from the hip to the point of the toes, the right about tweiity four from the same points.' The feat are natural. The easiest mode of explaining the nature ofthese limbs is to -say, that it seems as though the thigh bones and muscles had dis¬ appeared, and tho knee joints been raised up to the hips ; the bone on the ono side is tol¬ erably like a leg-bone, on the other it is com¬ pressed into an immensely strong bone of triangular form with the base upwards, and knit to the hip vvith very strong ligaments. These limbs are furnished with the muscles vvhich slioiiid huve belonged to the thigh, and those of the leg are much increased in size; the rnusclesof the calf being compara¬ tively small; on account probably of his mode of walking, coiitribiite to give the limb the look of a lion's fore arm. Nearly dou¬ ble povver must have been obtained over the feet by this arrangement; and this vvoiiM acjountfor his extraordinary fcatsof leaping, such as following a honse at full speed on the hands and feet, and suddenly  spiinging
A Frenclininn's
Tribute to Religion and Chr'istianily.
The celebrated and beloved Chatiiubriand, vvho may be said to be the founder nfthe present school of literature in France, is rnp¬ idly declining in health, and, always distin¬ guished for his piety, he seems to gather fronv it a holy comfort in his pathway towards the grave. 'W'riting to a young poet vvho had requested lo he allowed to dedicate a book of poems to Ilim bespoke as follovvs, in all the pleiiituile of Christian reverence, abiding' trust, and moral truthfulness:
Ifl Ciiuld begin my life anew, I should not write ii single line and vvould vvish to die un¬ known ; but I shall ever be u Christian asi alvvays have been and even more than I ev- ! er vvas. All things considered, there is but one thing in life—religion. It is religion that gives order and liberty to the world, and after lift; a better existence. I too have had, amidst the sorrows of my life, moments of indifi'erence ; but in advantage to the end to which I shall >i()un arrive, my steps have be¬ come more firm and I have the more confi¬ dence in the increase ofmy moral strength, as niy iiiinil has lo.sl nothing ofthe vigor of youth ; I have roiniiiiied what I always have been.
In politics, I have believed in liberly; I wished lo see it established by means of roy¬ alty, because it seemed to me, that emana¬ ting from fhe principle of authoiity, it vvould be less an object of dread und better regula¬ ted. If kings would not have it so, it is nol my fault; and I have often predicted to thern their fate, vvlien thcy hyve mistaken their ' vvay.—Novv kings fall; I remain faithful to tlienj from a sense of honor ralher than from opinion. ' This, thr n. i,-)'my position ; I arn , preparing to dio u free citizen,—a faithful valiant and a sincere Christian, Chrisiiani- ty will ,?hape the future condition of this vvorld ; and it is by means of Christianity, that after a lapse ofone or twi> centuries, the ancient form of society which is now in a state of decomposition, willbe renovated.
Iiain Unknown before the Flood.
May I request (tbrough the medium of your columns) from my clerical brellteren, the statement of any reasons they may have to ofTer, in refutation of an opinion I hold, that rain vvas unknown in tbe vvorld til! the tirno of the deluge. This opinion I ground on Gen. ii. 5, 6, compared vvith C^en. ix. 13 and 14. In the former passage we are told that" the Lord God had not cati.^d it to rain upnn the earth, bpt thn He "watered tho whole face ofthe ground by a mist, that went up from the earth, and in the latter pas¬ sage, it is intimated that the rainbow v\-as seen for the first time not till after the deluge. Hence it appears to me easier and safer to suppose that thei* htid been neither rain nor rainbow before the flood—than to suppose, that the fall of rain 1 ud been an oi'dinary oc¬ currence for upwards of sixtnen hundred j'oars, without the rainbow being frequently seen, ns it is now ; and the conclusion to vvhich I arn led, that previously to the uni¬ versal deluge, there had been uo rain ; but instead ofit " there vvent up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of tha ground," aud that, consequently, not till af¬ ter the deluge was the rainbow seen, when the  Lord God said unto  Noah, " I do set
my bow in the cloud, and it shall come lo ou its back like a rnonke}-^, or juinpiiin-ten ll piis.s," etc. Wharformof words can, indeed, feet in the air, His mode of fighting, too, 'i more plainly intimate, rather, I vvould say, was most original; he used to spring-in the , declare, that it was then so " set," were oh¬ air, .and at the >:af)i\e iuefuiif jiiiiil the nia«t * jects alike unknown before the flood ? Had. terrific,   blow on  iii.; "'bnvvar''  iintagoniM'.s ' the   rainbow  been manifested   before  th«