Talbot and others, left San Diego February 2oth, bringing important intelligence. At Taos, the Court had condemned a large number of the insurgents. Eleven had been hung, and many whipped. Six were hung the day Lieut. Talbot passed through Taos. These executions created great excitement among the Mexicans, and efforts were making to stimulate insurrection, and raise volunteers for a rebellion."
resulting from the annihilation of their commerce. Every seaport of the Republic, whether on the Atlantic or Pa- cific, has been occupied by American forces. Hence, the Mexicans have been denied the privilege of exchanging their surplus productions for the necessaries and conveni- ences they had been accustomed to receive from foreign countries. Not a Mexican" vessel floated on the ocean ; of course, all imports and exports were in the hands of for- eigners, and subjected to such duties as the invaders thought proper to impose. Those duties, moreover, in- stead of being appropriated as heretofore to the common good, were seized by the conqueror for his own use. Nor was his rapacity to be thus satiated. The ordinary muni- cipal taxes became his spoil. Thus, for example, a Cai> tain commanding in the city of Metamoras, issued his rescript requiring " the owners of all stores, groceries, bil- liard-tables, hotels, eating-houses, brick-yards, gambling- houses, cock-pits, and manufactories of liquors," to pay at his office, each month the taxes on their respective esta- blishments. The Commander-in-Chief thought proper personally to direct and control the squeezing process. On the 15th December, 1847, General Scott issued an order beginning with the portentous announcement :
** This army is about to spread itself over and occupy the Republic of Mexico, until the latter shall sue for peace in terms acceptable to the Government of the United States.'* He then proceeds to decree that, " On the occupation of the principal point or points in any State, the payment to the Federal Government of this Republic of all taxes or dues