Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1846-06-18
From the Western Continent.
GENERAL GAINES AND
GENERAL SCOTT.

tern DIVISION Of the Army. This act
OF recall, on the part of the President,
which seems to US fully justified under
the circumstances, has given rise to
considerable discussion in the public
prints as well as in private circles, and
to avery animated debate in the Sen
ate of the United States. The circum-
stances, to which we refer, are by this
time well-known to the people, and il
IS unnecessary to recapitulate them at
length. II is sufficient to observe that
the acquisitions of General Gaines for
regiments of volunteers and his APP
pointments of various staf-officers,
were IN strict construction, illegal and
contrary both to the spirit and letter of
the Constitution. Moreover, Gen.
Gaines appearsto have acted solely on
has own responsibility, and without au-
thon'y from the War-department. His
motives, however, are not TO be i'm
pugned. Whatever may have been
the indiscretion of his conduct and the
iFregularity Of his proceedings, he was
impelled by fervent patriotism and a
strong desire to bring into action suf-
ficient force to drive back and conquer
the enemies of his country At the
same time it must be confessed that
the old General is wanting in discre-
ton, and scarcely prudent enough,
however high may be his courage and
RESOLUTION, to be entrusted with the ex-
erclse of a power, that may involve
many innocent persons in its conse-
quences. His orders from the Adju-
tant General are distinct and impera-
tive, and he will doubtless obey them
as becomes soldier who appreciates
the Importance Of military discipline.
He will, within a few days, report him
self at Head Quarters at Washington,
and offer, doubtless, some satisfactory
explanations of the independent and
somewhat extraordinary course he has
seen fit to pursue. In the mean time,
he is not without his defenders. He
has warm, personal advocates in the
Senate, who have not failed manfully
to defend his conduct and to assail the
Government for its treatment of so dis
tlngulshed and meritorious an officer.
Among the foremost of these advocates
is MIR. johnson of Maryland, who dis
puted with Mr.. Webster on the eleva-
ted and tenable ground taken by the
latter. Mr.. Webster was, as usual,
strenuous for due and exact obser-
vance OF the provisions of the Consti-
tuition, deeming them paramount to
any considerations Of particular ma
ture, springing from the exigency of
the occasion. His remarks seem in.
directly to convey an approval of the
measures which the President had
deemed it his duty to take, and to ex-
hibit new proof of that lofty superior
lty to mere party opinions, which the
lllustrlous Senator always indicates
when the interests ofthe country are at
stake. Wise men, whatever may be
their political bias, cannot, we think,
fail to coincide with his views, and TO
look upon the foundation, upon which
he would place the question at issue,
as the safest and most secure. 1t is that
foundation, upon which the fabric of
of our national prosperity has hereto
fore been firmly builded, and the only
one, which can resist the gales of fac
ton or the storms of war. fss
Simultaneous with this movement
in reference to General Gaines, and
more than its parallel in importance, is
the present determination of the Presi-
dent not TO bestow the command of
the army "about to be raised to con-
quer a peace within Mexico" upon
GENERAL SCOTT. This command,
together with his commission as Brev-
ct Major General deservedly bestowed
by Congress, has been conferred on
General Taylor, the brave and saga
clous leader by whom our late brilliant
victories over the Mexicans have been
so gloriously achieved. In this mat
ter, also, we cannot do otherwise than
approve of the course pursued by the
President. Indeed, we cannot see in
what way, consistent with his own
dignity and the high trust committed to
HIM, he could have acted otherwise. -
This would became az evident to the
minds of our readers as to our own,
did the limits Of our journal allow US
to present, IN e2tenso, the whole of the
correspondence between General Scott
and the Secretary Of War, which was
promptly laid before the Senate by
the President on Monday last. A
history ofthe transaction may however
De sufficient to show that, if General
Scott is at present serving his country
with zeal and ability at Head Quarters
in Washington, instead Of being en-
route to take the command of "the arr
my about to be raised to CONNER q