POSTSCRIPT.
SAT1JRDAY NIGHT.
Two New York ships reached Liverpool yesterday,—the Oxford, which sailed on the 1st instant, and the Sarah Sands screw-steamer, which sailed on the 6th. The intelligence is important—hostilities having been renewed in Mexico, and the capital of that republic having been captured by General Scott's army. The accounts are very imperfect and confused; but we shall endeavour to select those which are most intelligible.
The beginning of the narrative is given in letters written at Mexico on the 9th of September, and quoted in an American paper published at Vera Cruz, the Sun of Anahuac- " These letters state, that the propositions made by Mr. Trist were rejected, or at least one portion of them; that hostilities had recommenced on the 8th, in the afternoon; that a battle had been fought on that evening by a few hundred men of General Scott's army and four of the picked regiments of the Mexican army, viz., the Eleventh Regiment of the Line, the Third and Fourth Regiments of Light Infantry, and one regiment of the National Guards, all commanded by General Leon; that the enemy's forces had been badly used up, and that their loss exceeded 2,500.
"The letters say that Mr. Triet's propositions were these—that the citizens of the United States would not have anything to claim from Mexico for damages oc- casioned by this war; that the United States would have the privilege of esta- blishing two factories in Upper California; and that the Mexican Government could, after that time, (the time is not given in the despatch,) if it chose, review this article of the treaty. This was not accepted. "Then Mr. Trist, unclothing himself of his official power, remarked to the Mexican Commissioners that he thought it would be much better for Mexico to cede the whole of Upper California to the United States, for which that Govern- ment would certainly pay 15,000,000 or 20,000,000 dollars. This would probably have been agreed upon if the following article had met with the assent of the Mexicans —that the Texan boundary line should run along from the month of the Rio
Mexicans,—that from the left side to the right side of the Rio Gila. But this last proposition was rejected: the Mexicans would not yield one inch of ground on the other side of the Nueces.
"The Commissioner, Mr. Trist, then asked for forty-eight days to consider, as he saki he was not authorized to accept such a proposition; but the Mexicans replied that they would give but five days, and no more.
'On the fifth day of the conference, the 7th instant, a letter was written by General Santa Anna to General Scott, accusing him of breaking the armistice on some trifling pretext [by intercepting supplies]. General Scott replied, making similar charges against Santa Anne."
Hostilities were at opce renewed; General Herrera, as commandant, called on the citizens to arm for figheiag, sag General Scott made a de- Monstmtiori.
On the 8th, General Scott atteeked the Mill del Rey, or041.1es Mill, in the im- mediate vicinity of Chapoltepec, and a.ccontisg to the Dian() del 041417A9 and the Bole/in, Mexican papers, his arms, was repulsed after a short confliat I in Which he lost about four hundred in killed, and from six to seven hundral in
Wounded, and fell back upon Taeubaya. "It is certain," says the Boletin," that the lire was more intense and brisk than at Chnrubusco. It is impassible to es- certain the loss of either side. Ours does not attestant to 100 killed and 250 wounded. There are a few missinee-e•bearly all not killed or wounded, retiring to Chapoltepec. The enetny, according to the confession of an Irishman, who came over to us in the evening, carried off 400 dead and 600 or 700 wounded?' Ac- cording to other Mexican accounts, 800,000 dollars were captured by the victors.
General Scott now turned his force against the capital itself: we copy a Mexican letter printed in the New York Sun- " Seeing that the city would inevitably, be attacked, General Santa Anna, du- ring the actions, caused a number of trenches to be cut across the road leading to the city, which were flooded with water. On the morning of the 14th, before daylight, the enemy, with a part of his force, commenced his march upon the city. Our soldiers, posted behind the arches of the aqueducts, and several breast • works which had been hastily thrown up, annoyed him so severely, together with the trenches which he had to bridge over, that he did not arrive at the gates until late in the afternoon. Here he halted and attempted to bombard the city, which he did during the balance of the day, and the day following, doing immense da- mage. In some eases, whole blocks were destroyed, and a great number of men, women, and children, killed and wounded. The picture was awful. One deafen- ing roar filled our ears, one cloud of smoke met our eyes, now and then mixed with flame, and amid it all we could hear the various shrieks of the wounded and dying. But the city bravely resisted the hundreds of flying shells. It hurled lack defiance to the bloodthirsty Yankee, and convinced him that his bombs could %it reduce the Mexican capital. "The enemy then changed his plan, and determined to enter the city, where we were prepared to meet him, having barricaded the streets with sand-bags, and provided, on the house-tops and at the windows, all who bear arms, to hurl mis- siles, stones, bricks, &c., on the heads of the enemy." [The account proceeds to describe how the invader encountered a desperate resistance, and how he obsti- nately advaneel, cannonading the palace, the cathedral, and other buildings, with immense damage to the city and immense loss of life.] "Seeing further resist- ance useless, our soldiers ceased firing, and on the 16th of September (sad day !) the enemy was in possession of the Mexican capital. Though we inflicted havoc and death upon the Yankees, we suffered greatly ourselves. Many were killed by the blowing up of the houses, many by the bombardment, but more by the con- fusion which prevailed in the city; and, altogether' we cannot count our killed, wounded, and missing since the actions commenced yesterday, at less than four thousand; among whom are many women and children. The enemy confesses a loss of over one thousand: it is, no doubt, much greater."
A letter on the American side confirms this last statement- " General Bravo was killed. Santa Anna was wounded, and has retired with his shattered forces to Guadeloupe, about twelve miles from the city. "The reports are that Scott lost from 1,000 to 1,700 men killed and wounded." Paredes was reported to be in the State of Puebla with six thousand men, prepared to prevent reinforcements from reaching General Scott.
The commercial intelligence from New York describes the great caution forced upon the merchants and capitalists by the uncertain aspect of affairs on this side the Atlantic, and the increasing probability of the protraction of the Mexican war. The assets of the estate of Messrs. Prime, Ward, and Co. were expected to realize no more than 200,000 dollars, against 2,000,000 of liabilities. Exchange on London had advanced to 9 or even 10 premium. The Sarah Sands brought 40,0001. in gold, and the Henry Clay, which sailed on the same day, was to bring 200,0001. more.
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