Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-07-01
GENERAL SCOTT.

oi' and as the facts dscosod-of which the unexpec
tod discovery led the General to write his and
We must admit unguarded letter. Of 2st May to the Sec
Rotary OF Wharf.-The people who always in tho end are lust
although sometimes and for n season msod will take
that the services ol long and brilliant hfe-hs blood sp
cd battlefield and labors aud ability of M,
iul efforts, ON repeated aud critical
not be tatnshed nor obteracd by the hasiy aud iupu
Give resistance OF frank and generous nature the
mean Vaccinations OF mere party jobbcrs.
We have already taken occasion TO explain some cir.
cumsanccs which led the correspondence of General
| Scott with the War Department, aud we may now add
further Details upon the accuracy OF which entire reliance
may be placcd-a showing how he and gallant
rem in to be circum,enied, aud eventually sac
riced to party calculations aud appointments With
these explanations 1t will hardly seem surprising that
honorable soldier accustomed frankness speech and
directness OF action, should have manifested his
sensibiity to such ploinss. political tactcian would
have avoided the difficulty but brave solder-expori.
enced rs braSe-who in such emergency that in
which the county placed looked only the Of
honorable success to its could not brook the idea
mere party leaders be appointed to the army,
that IN service Of which honor the instinct the impulse
and the precedence sought he given men
whose only claim might DO, that they had been instrument
tai IN securing the triumph OF this or that party
measure.
We have already stated that when the President n,ima-
ted Cen Scott that he command the army in Mcx
leo, that officer gladly and proudly received the
and while awaiting his written orders-without which he
had no warrant Tor going at alemployed himself assdu-
ousy IN arranging aud regulating the details Of the army
he U command.
The OF Congress which declared war to be existing
between the United States and Mexico aud authorized the
raising OF $4,000 tweyemonth volunteers approved
by the President on the 18Th May. When ON tho 18th
this law made known Gen Scott he perceived its
defects and especially that and
battalons would be without sufficient staff and that an
additional second lieutenant would be required to each
company. and he Immediately prepared supplemental bill
to supply hose Deficiencies and pressed upon the
OF the Secretary War; TO the end tina, he might and in
the hope that he would without delay press upon tho
attention OF the military committees % both houses being
OF most urgent nature aud necessity The lSth however,
suffered 10 without any open movement although
the inference is that it consumed arranging the
tails of the highly Objectionable provisions which, as will
be seen, were next day he 18th engraed Cen
bill With the bill thus altered by him, the Secretary
went in person "a most unusual proceeding, 1t is beeyed
TO the Military Committee OF the Senate-the only Wing
member OF that committee, Mr. Cr;,enden being absent
and there caused TO be adopted this mongre BILL known
No 1885, which was thus recommended the Senate and
by that body adopted
The first section thus oisted in by the Secretary upon
Gen SCOTS bill provided for msor generals md four
brgader generals to be added the regular army some
1000 men, susceptible OF being extended all 1876 to 10
- 900 There already service four gener
as-Scott, Gaines Jessup and Woo-besides nine briga.
diers by bTere-ihe gallant and successful Taylor being
one OF the nine. The six generals, universally I'm
ders,ood were 10 be appointed from CIVIL rather from
political, ie-tha Is To from the party. little re-
gusr army amounting present than two d.
visions four bngades and likely amount Of any
time TO than three divisions six brgades would
have numbered nineteen general oicels-whin four of
the greatest number that had any time brevets
and ALL in the of 1912 with army OF 60 900 men
All this, was before news had reached Washington of
Iaylors brilliant the Rio these
were only heard of there about 23d Nav.
Ii seemed then most unavoidable conclusion, that
these regular General be appointed in the
first place, on the spos principle, reward many par
ussns-and secondly supersede Scott TAYLOR and 9th
ers in the command OF the war against Mexico and FIN
ally, at its conclusion, that il designed TO retain in
service the partisan Generals, and dismiss those older in
commission and who had fought their way distinction
and rank No one in Washington, the time doubted
that such was the purpose. Indeed Mr. Senator Benton
IN his speech on the subject OF the appointments
OF he admin
point party Generals conduct the war "Genersls -
said he, are wanted who would look the autAOyitv
which which appointed them. Political talent more than
mere military skill wac needed to conduct invasion
successfully This POLICY, 1t is fair suppose the
chairman OF tho Senate's Military Committee derived
from the Secretary Of War; his visit the committee
room on the 18th, two days before General Scott. rst
letter. written as soon as nc found himself the tolls and
perceived the game that playing.
The second inerpolsed Of the same bill mo
le5) provided for calling into the service Of the o. States
with ths twelve months volunteers and 10 command
men, hi number OF militia MAJOR Generals and Br gu
diers.
On the 18th, Gen Scott accidentally heard of the fret
section OF this bill aud early the Goth received prn-
ted copy OF IT, With tins IN hand and aware OF the Sc
croIary's visit tho Senates Committee he immeda,.ly
waited the Secretary OF Wnrand betweo Oh them pass
ed conversation something this effect as il has been
related doubt with substantial accuracy in Wash
ingon.
Gen. S. Why, Mr.. Secretary, this first section adding
six Generals 10 the regular army1
The Secretary You know that we have called for sou,o
twenty odd thousand twelve-month volunteers and NAV
have occasion for the remainder Of tho $4,000.
Cen ". That is the answer | expected would be given
TO the public but here your second section proyidng
the full number of militia Generals for tho command of
those volunteer No sir apPrehend tho new Gen.
erals designed supersede Taylor myse and others
in the command against Mexico and at the end of this
war TO dsplace all the present Generals who NAV moi
consent to put democracy above God and county,
The Secretary Gen. Scott no assurance against
either apprehension and the latter already aware of all
the Vaccinations which had been going on against him
from the time (May l4h it known he 10 90 TO the
Rio GTande.
Meeting again business the same evening NAV 2O)
the Secretary undertook To lecture Gen. Scott for not hay
ing lown To the Rio Grande many weeks If Tot months
shetd OF the Twelve month volunteers he take with
him, although he had then been by night and by day in
cessaniy engaged work with the Secretary for the
week preceding the commencement OF this lecture and all
that time not day had been suggested Designated for
his departuronUt word of dissatisfaction was uter-
by tho Secretary, nor line Of orders instruc-
ions written Tor the Of Scott the distant
and most important command! Nay, SCOTS letter TO
Taylor OF 18th May, which submitted TO- reys-
ed and approved by the Secretary expressly stated to ay
Tor that he (ScotD did not expect command
before portion nj least of the twelve months volunteers
could reach their desnaon-probaby before the mid
| die Of August.
The Secretary snd General Scott were in like manner
constantly working together up o'clock in the evening
OF May 25th when General Scott had gone home for half
an hour, literally TO take hasty dinner, when advantage
taken Of that short absence by the Secretary TO trans
init his letter OF that date conveying the Presidents cen
sure The Offices of both in the building; they
had been much together during the day. the Secretary
that General Scott at the time labornR under ndispo.
siuon; that he wss assiduousy work. amidst constant
and unavoidable interruptions preparing the details Of the
future movements he knew too that no order had
been given TO General Scott depart for the command
and that the General himself understood that he was not
expected to assume the command until eyiss should
be in the field and yet under this Of facts sach were
the mode and the time adopted by the Secretary to trans
| init that letter
Moreover three hours before tho receipt Of this letter Of
the Secretary taking from Scott tho command against
Mexico, Gen. Scott had up his first Of the 25h
instant stating that from the progress by tho Secrc
'ay and himself m preparing the heavy reinoreemonts ire
gul1r and mis) to march against Mexico no fScou e1-
peced 10 be ready by the 25 Of May out to fsgu-
late the Of those Icnfocements to pecede and
70 commnnd them their arrival the Rio Grando. Not
at ell anticipating such letter he received few hours
before from the Secretary Scos motive in appsng him
that IN three days he would be ready start was in part
70 enable the Secretary TO have tho necessary written
dcrs drawn upon such occasion properly Cabinet A.
lar-i0r tho government u the commander on such
| portant aud distant service.
We have already extended this notice 20 much that We
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