The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-06-10

ssssssa VIA Sssayes,s "A yiess ssi Ass e. Aesvs
I've Service tss. TO- that The rrssiasa, esnsSsnsy
hoped and expected that large portion velunssr
onser IN sueent force for active sosons before
the time which you indicated. With the Of secu.
ring this important object the most energetic
had been adopted. Every consideration Of economy and
duty forbade that the troops should If thus collected be
permitted remain inactive by Of absence Of
the Executive, was to direct ihesI Movements
did not deem it improper, indeed considered it
the President had freely conHded the management Of
the war, his views and expectations upon this point
That this Sors hnr N he
me; but vastly more so is the fact, that it should be
made the basis of the most offensive mputation against
the executive government, which had voluntarily Sc
lected you conduct army and determined TO put
at your disposal the amplest means could command to
insure victory and to bring the war to successful and
was also matter Of unfeigned surprise to me, that
you should have attributed to the President the nten-
ton of opening fire upon your rear while fire in
front was opened upon you by the enemy: On what
foundation could such sssumption rest Had not the
Frei lent In frank and friendly spirit just inrusted
you with command, which the glory and interest OF
the country depended to say nothing Of the success of
circumstances your labors Of preparation and
suffer your energies to be crippled for the purpose OF
indulging In liberal imputatons against the man who
had just bestowed upon you the highest mark of his
con6dence7
Entertaining i is most evident the opinion
that snch the motives and designs Of the Executive
towards you and declaring il to your explicit
ing that you DO not desire to place yousefn the most
perilous Of all positions-a fire your from
Warrington and the fire in from: from the M,rieans."
and entertaining them entirely without cause,
ing in his duty to the country he to persist in ais
determination Of imposing upon you the command Of the
army in the sgainst Mexico. He would probably
m:snn Jorstand the obiec vol hai in visx n writ ing
your ieer. and dsoppoint your expectatdidons, he
not believe that il was intended TO affect change his
In tod hV i'm
10 say that you viii be continued your present position
here and will devote your efforts to making arrange
and preparations for the early and vigorous prose-
cution Of hostilities against Mexico.
have the honor to be, very respectfully your obe-
dent servant,
Major General WINFIELD scorr;
Commanding General, &c.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
s Your letter of this dase reeeved at @ sstD
as sat down to take hasty plate OF soup, demands
prompt reply.
upon my letter to you Of the CAST instant Of Official per-
haps dsrespcct to the constitutional command
If YOU have succeeded in mparng that impre sson to
the President. then. by the conclusion Of your letter.
written in his behalf am placed under very high obligs
tons to his magnanimty-lnay not add to his kindness
lin not placing instantly in arrest. and before gene
raj conrmartal may then hope that the President
that cetoo great Difference to the constitution and the
laws Of my country to offer or to design an indignty to
The strongest passages in my condemned letter are
think Hypothetical In i, spoke Of impaticnce'-
the to inn
portsnce ofsccuring myself against danger (illwil
precondemnation) in my rear. and of that most peri
lous OF all positions" to any commander" fire upon
[his from Washington and the fire in front from
the Mexcans" And also spoke Of the necessity Of
mander's) government" in the hope # concating il
Now il there be any offence to the President in these
passages-the intention Of committing which utterly
dscaimit must in candor be found in the meaning Of
the passages quarters and the quarters alluded
qualify all The re-. other, By
quarter but, in the plural high quarters ]" and beg
as an act Of Justice no less myself than the President
ton" your part. and the known open and violent
dsmnaion Of me on the part Of several leading and sup
Congress (nigh quarers( because on an intimation-
not orderl did not fly to the Rio Grande, without
abandoning it to get the could and with
the least regard the honorable pride and dstnc
rivers who, we knew, had done well, was doing WE'LL
and who was quite and his little army would if
prediction in this respect has been fully accomplished
But that did fear and meant to express the fear my
hasty letter of the 2ls that those persons here
rated would later impart their prccondemna
ton Of me to the President. will not deny. My letter
written, in part, to GUARD both the P esdcn and my
self against such result which would have been fatal.
not only to but perhaps, for campaign to the
vice Of the country Hence the details entered into to
show the President and the Secretary of War-neiher
supposed be professionally experienced in tho tschn
cal preliminaries Of a campagn-what had been, and
patiop" There Is no special pleading in this expona
ton II 10 written and offered in good faith in proof of
which to refer to my letter to OF this date sent
in three hours before the reception Of that to which
You speak Of my interview with the President on the
subject OF the intended formidable invasion of Mexico
wish had the time to do justice my recollection OF
the Presidents excellent military comprehension
since often spoken Of the admirable qualities he display
ed those occasions. with honor as far as 1t was in my
power to do him honor
and do not to accuse Of set purpose dscre
dit the commander at FIRST designed Tor the
my that is invade aexico bear in mind with pleasure
the many personal that have for long years.
received at your hands But have for many days be.
levei that you have allowed yourself to be influenced
against me by the camor Of Of the friends whom
have alluded. To that source, and from will of
your own have feared that you made and were
not likely to make the just ami easy explanations my
behalf which might be made. You are also aware Of
other causes of have again ST the de
of the OF that confidence support necessary
my official position-whe,her here or the Rio Grande
have hereto fore explained myself on these points,
which render repetition unnecessary,
Whether it shall! be the pleasure Of the President
send mo to the Rio Grande, (Which would preer)
my duty in either podacn with ali my zeal and ali my
ability.
great haste have the honor e remain your most
Hon. w. L. Marcy Secretary OF War.
WAR DEPARTMENT, May g. 1886
eR Your letter Of yesterday, although left my
hous, last evening" was not received by until this
morning. Though not much of the time between the
date yours the 2lst aud of my reply OF yesterday
devoted to the subject yet was, asjustce 10 you
required il should be- well and the consuc.
ton reluctantly given your letter, h. and only
such your language seemed to me to render unavoid
able As you now explain that letter, the suspicious
imputations OF i'll will" "precondemnation. n&c,
not intended BY you to be apped to the President but in
which warrants this particular application,
nothing in and certainly nothing in the
state Of my feelings which could lead to conjecture
that such an application was designed.
You cannot with more pleasure than do to the
many personal courtesies' between for long
in which they had their origin had undergone any
changc-on my part they certainly had not had hoped
that your knowledge Of my character such a. to
place your opinion beyond the suspicion appre-
hension which you seem to have indulged that was ca
paLc Of being influenced and controlled in my official
it from leading and supposed con6dents Of tho