Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1846-07-29
THE TWO PLANS.
Rev. L. H. MooaB,
w. B. HEwIrT, ESQ.
8. w. PATTERSON, M. D.
On THE MILITARY CAPACITY OF GENERAL AND sEcRE-
TARY CoNTRAsTED.

on THR MILITARY CAPACITY OF GENERAL AND sECRE-
TARY CoNTRAsTED.
Immediately upon the recognition of the present
Mexican war by Congress, the President intimated
TO Gen. Scott. his design to appoint him to conduct
it. The Gen. at once struck out has plan, which
was to apportion and call out the quotas of troops
from the different States muster them into the
vceas soon possible set them to drilling in their
camps, and in the meantime forward the necessary
stores, means of transportation, sc. as rapidly as
possible. When all things we've ready, which he
calculated would be the first of September, he would
put himself at the head of the Army and move to
Mexico. This was strictly in accordance with COM
mon sense and military usage. When Gen. Taylor
moved from Corpus Christi, he opened campaign;
the battle of Palm Ravine closed it honOraby to our
arms That action was one of those decisive engage
ments, after which the vanquished must repair his
losses by levies and project new plans OF action
the conquorer must be content with wharever adj
vantage he has the means of securing Taylor, with
out further ORDERS or means of following the enemy
could only secure Matamoros. In that latitude we
talk of an army not as usual in cinter but in summer
quarters To those of foresight, then, it should have
been evident, that inevitable circumstances rendered
il certain that Matamoros must be the summer quar-
tiers OF our victorious troops and the point of depar
ture for the next Autumn campaign, when Gen Scott
should arrive with his heavy achievements This
would have kept the volunteers in their own States,
where their health would have been secure their sub
stence easy and cheap and their absence from home
less irksome ;whle drill and dcipline would have been
As well secured. When the season of opening the
the campaign should arrive the troops would have
been put in notion commissary stores and means of
transportation would have been prepared and doubt
less another career of victories, if not the mere ap-
proach of powerful and well organized army, would
have secured an honorable peace. But the President
and Secretary had different idea of fighting. Ac-
cording to their notion, 'upon word, accoutred as
he was, Gen. Scott should have jumped into his sad
die and "put" for the Rio Grande. They would call
out the volunteers, and send them on after him, as
they best could for they had not made up their minds
a. to any means of conveyance; the first OF Septem-
Der was altogether too distant; something must be
done before that time, and if Mr. Scott did not like
20 90 and do it, aHd was afraid they would not sup
port hlm-and if he was afraid that he was intended
in the bill which the Secretary had caused to be
brought up authorizing the President at the close Of
the war to discharge a certain number OF Generals
iryespecre Of date of their commissions, be had bet
tor not GO That's all the idea Of campaign We can
find in the head of the Secretary President, and
they have acted accordingly. The consequence is,
General Taylor is overrun with tioops without sub
sistence except as they purchase Is from the enemy
and totally without means of Transportation, not to
mention that the is not yet far enough advan-
ced 70 take the field with safety to the health of the
army-4hough only the inability to move keeps II in
camp. July is now nearly past. August if not Sep
tember will end the army still at Matamoros, and if
it move sooner than lhe latter mont. 1t will move
hastily and to great extent unprepared. We be-
lieve that esery man now distinguish the merits
of the case, and is wiling to admit the correctness
of the views Of Gen. Scott. For the present state
Of the army we extract the following from corres-
pondont Of the National IntelHgencer.
AS soon the alarm of war was rung through
the country Volunteers FASTENED here from VARIOUS
quarters, ust there is now on this frontier some