American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-06-10
Important Correspondence,
GEN. SCOTT AND THE COMMAND OF
THE ARMY.

pondence, III relation to The tender 10 General
Scott, of the command IT the Army destined to
operate against Mckee. AS these documents
are looked for with great interest, we give in
to-day's paper the 'dessage, with portion of
the correspondence. The remainder shall APP
pear tomorrow:
To tie Senate Of The United States:
commune ate herewith report from the
Secretary OF War, transmitting the correspon-
donce called for by the resolution of the Senate
of the 18th INST, with General Edmund r.
Gaines and General UinGeM Scott of the army
of the Unit States.
/ The repC it of the Secretary ofWar, and the
ACCOMPANY ng correspondence with General
Gaines, col tain all the information in my pos
session in citation to calls for "volunteers or
militia in } the service Of the United States
Shy any hficer Of the army without legal
"authorll therefor, and Of the "measures
which III been adopted Gin relation to such
officer OF roops 50 called into service"
In ad lion to the information contained in
the repoi of the Secretary of War, and the ac-
company ing correspondence with HAlaior Cen
eral Scott OF the United States army, upon the
subject of his taking the command of the army
of occupation on the frontier Of Texas"-I
state, that on the same day on which approx
ed and signed the act of the 18th of May,
lS46, entitled can act providing for the pros
ecution of the existing war between the United
States and the republic of Mexico" | commu-
nicated to General Scott, through the Secreta-
ny Of War, and also in a personal interview
with that officer, my desire that he should take
command OF the army on the Rio Gtande, and
Of the volunteer forces, which informed him,
it was my intention forthwith to call out to
march TO that frontier, to be employed in the
prosecution of the war against Mexico. The
tender of the command to General Scott was
voluntary on my part, and was made without
any request or intimation of the subject from
hun. 1t was made in consideration of his rank
as commander-in-chiefo the army. NV COM
munications with General Scott assigning him
the command were verbal, first through the
Secretary of War, and afterwards in person.
No written order was deemed to be necessary.
General Scott assented TO assume the com
mand, and the following day had another in
terview with him and the Secretary of War,
III relation to the number and appoItionment
among the several States, of the volunteer
forces which were to be organized and held in
readiness subject to a future call should it be-
come necessary; and other military prepare
tons and movements to be made with a view
to the vigorous prosecution of the war. 1t was
distinctly settled and we'll understood by Gen.
Scott, that he was to command the army in the
war against Mexico, and so continued to be
settled and understood, without any other in
tention on my part, until the Secretary of
War submitted to me the letter of Gen. Scott
addressed to him under date of the 2lst Of
May, a copy of which is herewith COMMUNE
Gated. The character of that letter, made it
proper i'll my judgment to change my determi-
nation in regard to the command of the army;
and the Secretary Of War by my direction, in
his letter ofthe 25th of May, 1916, copy of
which is also herewith communicated, for the
reasons therein assigned, informed Gen. Scott
that he was relieved from the command of the
army, destined to prosecute the war against
Mexico, and that he would remain in the dis
charge of his duties at Washington. The COM
mand of the army on the frontier of Mexico
has since been assigned to General Taylor
with his brevet rank ofmaj recently
conferred upon him. JAMES X. POLK.
WAsHINGToN, June s, 1916.
We insert that portion of the correspon-
dence relating to General Winfield Scott,
which is as follows;
WAR DEPARTMENT, June s, 1916.
Sir; In compliance with your direction,
have the honor to transmit herewith such let
tiers and documents as are in this department,
to enable you to answer the resolution Of the
Senate of the 9TH instant, requesting inOrma-
ton. First, in relation to unauthorized calls
OF volunteers and militia into the service OF the
United States by any officers OF the army, &c.
Second, the correspondence between the Sc
cretary of War and Major General Scott, on
the subject of his taking the command of the
army of occupation on the frontiers of Texas,
sc. And third, the correspondence between
General Gaines and the government, from the
LIST of June, lS45, to the present time, upon
the subject of volunteers or militia ordered to
the frontiers of Texas.
The information requested in the first and
last branches of the resolution, is mainly fur
nshed by the correspondence herewith submit
ted between this department and Gen. Gaines,
who the only officer fthe army known to have
called for volunteers or militia without legal
authority within the periods specified The
first unauthorized call by that officer was made
on the governor of Louisiana on the 9TH of Au-
gust, lS45, for two companies of volunteer ar
tillery, (about 200 men, which were muster
ed into service on the list of that month, and
Immediately sent TO Texas, to report to Cen
eral Taylor at Corpus Christi. AS soon as in
formation of this call was made knowR to the
department, General Gaines was reminded, in
a communication addressed to him, that autho.
rity to make such calls were vested only in the
President; and that "the urgency which would
tolerate or excuse the assumption of this au-
thority by military officer in command at
distance from the seat of government, in anti
cipation of the Presidents action, must be one
indicating great and imminent peril TO the
country-a peril so great and so imminent as
to leave no reasonable doubt that the President.
with full knowledge of all the circumstances
of the case, would have felt it to be his duty to
resort to such aid" As the call had been
promptly responded to, and the troops sent to
their destination before the action of General
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