Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/550

544 quorum was present in both Chambers, viz., 73 Deputies and 22 Senators were organized in due form. So the story circulated by the treacherous disorganizers against peace appears to be absolutely false. The opposition of the puros, whose deputies first refused to assemble at Queretaro, was of a short duration. They soon learned that it was impossible, the way things looked, to prevent the dismemberment of Mexico. So there is some recuperative energy in the bosom of Mexico yet, though her future seems dark and dubious; yet there are many breaks in the clouds, and many inducements for her wise and good to hope and struggle on. So our hopes of Mexico and peace prospect are better, but it behooves the present government to be on the alert. The courage and energy of the President and his Cabinet thus far, we may add, has excited in our army nothing short of our admiration.

Monday, May 8, 1848.—This morning, as one of our officers was riding along, with two gentle-looking Mexicans, on the road leading to Cuyoacan, one of these gentle Mexicans snatched his (the officer's) six-shooter from its holster, and shot him through the leg and slightly wounded the horse in the side, at which the horse became frightened and ran off, carrying his rider safely to the city of Mexico. The two pretended gentle Mexicans made their escape.

This is a lovely May morning; the sky overhead is like a magnificent blue vault. Friend Alburtus Welsh and myself took a walk to the orange grove. Here the air is full of the perfume of flowers; the birds are flying around and among the trees and in the warm sun, singing. The whole put me in mind of the many Mays I spent in Lancaster County.

This evening San Angel was thrown into a state of excitement on account of one of the Massachusetts soldiers murdering his wife. Jealousy was supposed to be the cause of the rash act. The murderer made his escape, but a guard is now in pursuit of him to bring him to justice for his cowardly act. The parties are both Irish, and he has been jealous of his wife ever since they were encamped at the Villa of San Angel.