The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-11-23
THE COMMANDER OF THE FORCES

Ii seems 10 US that the merit Of Gen
Scott, IN gaining the late astounding veto
ries before Mexico, has not as yet received
its fitting tribute from the public pre- S
His political opinions NUT necessarily ever
debar him from receiving the suffragcs OF The
Democratic party for .he chief nasisiracy
of the Union. But this circumstance cannot
prevent us from seeing that this great SOL
dier has deserved exceedingly well frhe
Republic, and acquired very strong title Ia
The iervent gratitude Of his counirymen
Perhaps, indeed, TO man whose hairs are
already slvered in The service Of bis country
the due appreciation and acknowledgment o
thatserVIc may prove more acceptable re-
ward than the hish hest office that could be
conferred upon him. At all events, the least
that can be done is 10 award just honor and
praise, in no slnted or niggardy measure. to
those WHO have no other remune alton TO ex-
pectfu their brave deeds. The battles oil
Contreros and Churubusco certainly rank a.
mong The most brilliant military achieve
ments Of the age. A little band OF eleven
thousand audacious invaders have defeated,
with immense slaughter, an army Of thirty
thousand troops, drawn up in position OF
their own choosing. on their own soil. 10 de-
fend their affairs and hearths.in the very hear
Of their country. But it was not alone the
lndomitable valoI Of our troops hich 6isiin-
gulshed these battles. They were 10 an
equal degree marked with all tho skill, sci
ence, and foresight ola mastery strategy.
In turning the rocky aud almost impreg-
nable passes of Penon and Mexicscino. forii-
fed with terrific batteries, upon which the en-
4. ow1o,IaI he i.har ,f L.
Scott displayed the most consummate gener.
aIship. 1t was not the mere avoiding or
vading these formidable posts which cousti
tuted Its merit. Ii was, that bis cool and
practiced eye disceIned at a glance that a
massage could be cut through dense forests
and tangled defiIes, and heaps of huge rock,
where the enemy never dreamed that such
an exploit was conceivable. Ii was repeii-
lion of the same skilfuI out1ankiug maneu-
yre by which he had before spared so much
valuable life at Cerro Gordo-a movement
which rendered all the laborious preparations
an6 defences ofIhe enemy useless, and which
Santa Anna himself pronounced 10 be mas
" aud worthy ofNapo!eon. 1t has been the
crcwniue merit of Scott that, while he has
every where been victorious, he has also ev
erv where husbanded his forces. Daring
and intrepid to the last degree where those
qualities we're called for. he has at the same
time been careful never wanionly TO waste
the lives Of his troops in unnecessary storm
ines or reckless assaults. Under almost any
othsr general, his mere handful Of troops
would long since have melted away from re-
peated collisions with inert but overwhelming
masses. With humanity not less conspic
uous than his bravery, Scott has always alb
stained from any indiscriminate slaughter
even OF a sangu.n ~ and meiciless foe.
1t was great thing to have mastered the
renowned fortress OF San juan de Ulua-a
second Gibraltar-with so triling loss oil
life. The victory over Santa Anna at Cerfo
Gordo, in the manner as well as in the mag
uitude of the achievement, was daring and
mastery exploit. 1t was also great thing
"a sight, in fact. full of moral grandeur
when four thousand two hundred taiteied
and way-worn soldiers under his command
entered the magnificent city of Puebla, and.
With all the confidence Of conquerors. stacked
heir arms and laid themselves down 10 sleep