The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-07-15


u,.sr.as with the military ssihony Of General Scott
Ne sa -,sss "a srss.aes 10 the Courier and other wing
vo,s. tai ihsy ssse that Mi fr-, has assumed for
sm..lfa rxht 10 osaer an arm-ss and otherwise TO IN
,.es WITH. aaa esea direct, the SEPARATIONS Of the army
v.Ars General SCOTS command They cypress warm
smyah, with 1eaeus sosif. Indignation AT thus hndng
himself hey aese. placed b The administration IN
IN, position Of "a subordinate 10 slerk IN the State De
rimeni and rheK profess 70 sss IN this alleged move
men, Of the administration additional evidence Cd hostility
Ga the ys oi the government towards IT, commanding
general Ia the 6eld The Courier and ks9arer indeed,
goes 40 far as 10 assert that Mr. frsi has not only been
guilty Of such Interference with General seois com
mani su, that he has shown a letter Gather from the
Department, OF State. or foa the DePar,msn, Of War,
fully authorizing such course on his part"
In subseqaen, paper tof the sh Instant the "New
York Courier states a follows;
sand then. shS the seal this long catalogue Of
injustice and onfsirp by single the accumulated
OF tho whos, they attempted place both the
General aud his army under the supreme command OF
osrk from Washington Although they knew that. In rs
condition, delay might be ruin the whole agmy Mr..
Trsl had power conclude arnisoe Although Gen
Scott responsible iof the safety OF his force he
s,rcied obs, the orders of Mr. Ts they the
orders Of the Presiden, himself"
We peremp,ory denied the substance OF these charges
We said in positive terms, that the repetition OF these
charges in other journals has led TO make careful in
qury into the matter; and state positively that
all these accusations against the administration of giving
Mr. Trist any authority to interfere in any form, in
the slightest degree with General SCOTS military
mand, are absolutely and totally without foundation"
And now the New York Courier OF Tuesday last,
after repeating our own contradiction, forward to
make the following statement:
"By this guarded language, the Uaon endeavos
belief in certain statements which II dare not make.
We have hesitation in repeating first assertion, In
regard to this matter, and in reaifrmng hef essensai
Truth. Mr. Trst did enclose TO General Scott despatch
from the Department OF War; giving him (Tfs0 power to
conclude armstice with the Mexican government and
General Scott in reply informed MI Trst that from the
perusal that despatch, erdeny the Intention Of
the Department degrade him from the command Of the
mr. and make him subordinate to Mr.. Tra We assert
this tact, within knowledge; and ii the editor OF
the Union speaks the TRUTH when he he has inquired
carefully the and If he has had to pa
psrs now file in the War Department, the fact is within
h knowledge also. Whether the administration did ac-
may give Mr. Trst all the power he attempted to exer-
cse or NOT the Union may consider matter of opinion
General Scott from perusa of tho Sccrcarys letter, had
no doubt OF the intention OF the Executive vltu-
ally smperseds him, by making him subordinate to Mr.
Trt And he at once informed that gentleman that he
could not exercise the power which no had claimed, and
which the instructions of the War Department conferred
upon him. chile he remained at the head Of the army
see that it deny of these statements We at
firm that the Union dare not deny them. We appeal to
the record for their truth; and we shall hold the Cno"
the responsibility it has assumed, in referring to that
record in terms which insinuate though they 40 ho' hse
the fasity of our statement"
And thus it will be seen that instead Of charging the
government with the deliberate purpose Of supersedng
Gen Scott in his appropriate military duties, in their ut
most scope and thus degrading him, the charge now
dwndes into the insignificant allegation that Gen Scott
so understood the letter from the Secretary OF War-he
had no doubt of the Secretary's intention.
We do not undertake to stnte what was or was not
Gen. SCOTS understanding-or rather n'isundersand-
msof the letter Of the Secretary Of War addressed to
him. but we do deny that Gen. Scott has received
letter from the Secretary OF War informing him that Mr.
Trs had authority to interfere in any manner whatever
with his military operations that Mr.. Trst had any
instructions to order armistice.
Let this last position be distinctly understood. We un-
ersand the principle which the government has pro-
ceeded in relation to an amistice, and know that il
has not changed this principle 1t is set forth in the
letter which Mr. Buchanan addressed to Com. Conner in
July, 1896 and that letter runs follows:
Mr. Buchanan to Commodore Conner
DEPARTMENT STATE,
Washington, July "a, 1896
SIr have the honor to transmit herewith sealed note,
addressed the Minister of Foreign Relations Of the Next
can republic, with open copy of the same for your
own From this you will perceive that the President
determined again offer the olive branch to Mexico
The President does believe that any point of national
honor should forbid him from making this TENDER especially
after glorious which have thus far marked the
progress the Should the Mexican government de-
ermne accept offer and upon negotiations, it
may, and probably will, propose you to conclude
amstice during their tendency. II such proposition
should be made, you will promptly but kindly reject 1t,
giving the time every assurance that the President
will do all in his power bring the negotiations to salts
factory termination with the least possible delay.
If an armsce were concluded, the parties would
no, stand nm equal footing The United States at a
heavy expense, have armies in the field and naves
ocean, in successful progress conquer honora-
bic peace Should their operations be arrested by
stce, the negotiations for peace should finally fail
should then lose all the advantages OF an entire campaign
Besides this sacrifice great might be, would scarcely
uequa the evils, in any form, which OF inactivity
could fail nct upon troops the greatest portion
patriotic citizens who have vountee red
their country in the confidence that they would be
vactvelv EMPLOYED. Whilst therefore, the President
cerely desires with the prom ptude,
endly relations with Mexico upon fair and liberal
the war must continue be prosecuted with the utmost
uvigor until deinve treaty of peace shall be signed and
ratified by Mexico.
You will not fall with all the despatch in your power, to
transmit of the Mexican government to this de
psrment
have the honor be, sir very respectfully, your ODE
dent servant,
JAMES BUCHANAN.
To Commodore DAVID CONNER,
Commanding the Naval Forces of the
United Sales in the Gulf OF Mexico.