Congress shall take upon Itself the Office of elect
ing men to THAI important ard high office.
Comnrun icafioas bet,ceen Gen. Santa Anna and


Col Childs al Pucbla.

observation-disclosures ARMY.
{"character_count": 3490, "word_count": 608, "ccnet_language_score": [0.9538999795913696], "ccnet_perplexity": [1416.5], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}
Col. Chiids, al Puebla.


HEApoGARTERs-MEx ARMY.


have taken possession of this city with the
army, under my command, for the purpose of ope-
rating upon the several points fortified, and oc-
cupied bv your EXcellency, and also with the
view of beratng its inhabitants from the domi-
nation of the forces Of the United States from
whom they haVo already suffered too much
But before commencing any operations of mill
tary character, | have considered ii my duty to
act in obedience to the impulse of humanity, and
consequently request that your ExceIlcncy will
please evacuate this city within certain and
peremptory space OF time, it being known TO you
ut the same timc that you can depart with all the
,.-nors of ,.ar. either to form junction with
Gen. Scott, or tho forces o: your country at Pc
ro;e. according as II best suits your pIeasore'-
But should this courteous request OF NINE DC I'M
needed by your Exccllency, then, although 10 me
it is painful alternative, shall commence 20 as
sault your positions, the consequences of which
act will be felt by your garrison, because there
exists in the Vicinity of your Excellency, an army
Of 5000 men who determined that the rights
of their nation shall be maintained and respected.


God and liberty headq quarters in Puebla, Sept.
25,h, lS47.


ANTONIO LOPEZ DE SANTA ANNA.
To Senor Col. d. Thomas Chds, commander of


the United States Army, situated in Loreto.
HEA ooUARrERs, CRY OF PUEELA. MExIco,l


September 25, 1917.


To his ErcelIency d. Anionio Lepez de Santa An


ma. neral-m-Chief Of Tie Mexican Army in
| front Of his city:


Sir had the honor of receiving, at 2 o'clock
this afternoon your Excoency's letter of this
date. In it you pleased 10 notify me of the
fact that YOU had taken possession Of this city. for
the purpose, as you declare, Of restoring TO the
full enjoyment of their liberty its citizens who
have hitherto suffered so much from the United
States Army. You likewise were pleased to Of
fer certain stipuations 10 this garrison, provided
that it would, within fixed time, abandon the
point Of defence winch il occupies. With
regard 10 the assertion of your Exceencv, which
implies that the inhabitants of Pueba have been
maltreatcd by the United States troops. wholly
deny II. On the contrary, ! assure you that the
property aud privileges Of all have been maintain
ed, and respected with the greatest scrupulnus-
ness; indeed, much so has il been done that its
parallel cannot be found in the annals of war
And | would most willingly leave it 10 tho most
intelligent and impartial portion of the population
Of tho city TO decide, from which of the two
tending parties they have received the most inju-
ry and moIcslation; whether ii is from tn cir own
coun,rymon or the troops of the United States.


With regard to that particular part of your Ex-
! tcellcncy's letter which demrndS the surrender,
within fixed time, of all the positions now occu-
pied by the troops under my command, can only
saygin reply, that having been honorcd with the
duty of guarding and protecting them. ii is equal
~ my greatest wish aud paramount obligation TO
preserve them to the last; and am fully salts liod
that | shall be abio to defend them successfully.
inasmuch as / have at my disposal all the resour-
ces essential to lis full and complete accomplish
ment.


THOMAS CIIlLDS, Col. u. S. Army
| Civil and Military Governor.
! There appears 10 have been some difficulty in
the Massacha setts Regiment, judging from the