Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-01-29
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CONGRESSIONAL.

NJ, BENTON asked the indulgence Vi 'ns
s-cat> 10 make an exposition oil Inc cHc"u's'a a.
.,ss unGer which the Presiden. had p'oposea 'hs
anno,n,mcn, O, lieutenant general 10 command
III sr,nv in Mexico. and with which appointment
his name had bee ome connected. IL had oeeh Al
,;maisa he said on the floor of the Senale-hy'
no;he,caily. 10 ne sure but not The less in'eh's'
Div and torcby on thai account that mere 'h'sn
lie an ullerior and cover, design IN 'hc P'ofos'
tion-no,hins less than design on 'Hs la'. e. "
the President 10 appoint his successor. in ~
major from North Carolina, (Mr bauSei} ~ n,i
speech on the lieutenant general oiii, hau 'n'u'sIu
in ina, hypothesis; and as no suprosi''on er m1
h.,,,n,e vnf,nnded or more injurious 10 Tue ffe-
sident or 10 the public service, or coaia aeSeen1
,rom q hisher source; and as nc Mr.. beh'onJ
bannened 10 be in possession o all Inc lae's ne
ceisary to the vindication oi The president; nc vt.
Sired ~ make an exposition which wouiu suo"
no snnnos;rion To be unfounded, ana wouiu saw
The Presidents characle. and inc luo',e ~
from The injury they would sule' ~. ,sa,
ION ,r,s allowed 10 20 out oniaoiclea rom
W." m"' a. The senate. He asked leave, for as
The b;il for the lieutenant general was lad upon
he ,,hle and as he would not have II taken up
(ond wonld not sneak 10 il il II was,) and as ne
did mol choose 10 commit the ifTesularity o. ndhs
inc n speech On some irrelevant BILL ne must
throw himself on the Indulgence oil Inc oena'e
or.leaye 10 make The exposition OF iac's wn'e',
the case required, and which Inc insihi'iopS VI
The Senator from North Carolina rendered ne
cssssrv Leave was given, and Mr.. Benton
proceeded / feel myself called upon by The re-
marks Of the Senator from North Carolina
fMr Radeerl 10 vindca'e the president rom
Tho unconstitutional and dangerous design Which
the hypothetical observations oil tnat senator
wouH ALI, ibuc 10 him; and shall do SO IN
the simplest form of narrative, repeating 10 Ihe
Senate ell that has taken place between ihe ffe
nc
and thereby enabling The Senate and inc Peo
ME 10 iudge OF the Justice OF the accusalion-
II was al The beginning oil the month OF Sep
remher last. and 10 the moment that was abou
setting ont to the West, that The President sent
for me, and informed me that ne had done so ior
the purpose OF offering me hgh appoin'fnenl
He named it, II was the mission 10 france,
then becoming vacant By the return OF the gen.
lleman (Mr. King, of Alabama) so long an or
nament 10 this chamber deemed Inc appo'n'-
msnt and for reasons which had induced me 10
decline high appointments from Presidents jack
son and Van Buren,. Mr.. Polk was kind enough
10 ask me 10 take limo 10 consider; but answer
ed him ,ha, there was no need for time, that Inc
answer would still be the same, after any length
of consideration; and So with thanks for the ho-
nor he had done me- The appointment 10 Inc
French mission was defni'ively declined. This
was The beginning OF september las; SO mat, al
that time, II is certain that The President could
have had no such design as has been atrIouled
10 him by the Senator from North Carolina-no
design TO make me his successor by virtue oi MI
li,ary ieats 10 he performed on The low lands or
the liable land OF the republic of Mexico. On
The contrary fertile maeinaton-such as
the Senator from North Carolina so haPPi'
" possesses-mishl have seen or thought
he saw in This proposed appointment,
SORT of political eporaton-somtlhns like an
eXilins and burying in foreign court-lol pur-
pose the very reverse of what the Senator from
North Carolina has supposed. say an inven-
live imagination might have seen, or thought ii
saw all this Possessing no such imagination
saw no such thing. And taking the offer in The
sense in which il was made. as eminen,ly homo
rable in itself, and signal evidence Of the Presl-
dents confidence in me, and good will tor me,
made him my thanks for il privately, as l now do
publicly; and the affair was dropped. This,
repeat, was al the beginning OF September last
only three months uefore The meeting OF Con-
eres.: 50 that, al that time, il is quite clear Inc
President had no such momen'ous and 'eaTtul
design as The Senator from North Carolina has
attributed TO him. Up TO that time-up 10 the
frs, day of September, in the year l846-the re-
nnbl,c was safe. Immediately alter refusing Inc
mission 10 France, went 10 the West was gone
until The month OF November, and ka! 10 CON-
,nunica,ion of any kind, direct or irdrscl, nor
upon any subject whatever, with President FOX.
This makes ali safe again fur TWO months more
[ returned 10 This CITY in November, where my
family was, and where Congress was soon 10
meet The day after my arrival. called upon
The President; and here we approach The DANCE
rous ground for in tha, first interview, he &C
tualy asked me Inv opinion about the future mode
al conducting the Mexican wa:. For reasons
.oi nroner now 10 he stated bn oi the valiciiy OF
wbi.h the country will some day have an oapor-
tnnly of iudein the President saw hi 10 ask me
nv opinion upon Inc future mode oil conducting
the war. This request did not strike me as being
any .hing strange or MISUNDERSTANDING uhoe-
coming in him 10 make, or Tor me TO comply WIN.
Ia nv senatorial capacity, was his coustu-
onal adviser on many great questions, those ni
peace and war inclusive. IN my pol!'ica! capa-
civ. | was the supporter OF his administration,
and ready 10 give him my opinion on any SUBJECT.
As Chairman al the Senate's Committee On Mill
tary Affairs and accustomed, IN iha! character, 10
communicate or military subjects with all ac-
,ninistrations for bout quarer OF a CENTURY last
past, saw nothing in The nature oil Inc reques.
he had made 10 impica,e either ofus. tie asked
me for my opinion as 10 the iulnTe MODE OIL con-
1lncting The war. gave il to him. first III speech,
lace 10 face, and afterwards IN writing. AND
there il is [ho'ding up roll OF paper, Tor chose
n retain the o.gna, for myself, while sending
copy 70 him. Here il is !! and a, The proper time
The public shall see il, but not now; for DO not
bs)one 10 the school that makes publication oil
man. of a,en-even rejected plans-in time
.. war. The President approved The plan; and II
81 ha opened that The nature OF the plan required
head 10 inc army-one head 10 the whole body
~ nn;e and combine The whole into one harmo-
Mons and consistent movement. IL SO happened,
also that enough was known OF the ideas oil The
fhc Two highest in rank oil the officers oil The army
To know that their plans were different; aud J! IS
amaxim of fundamental observance IN war lnal
no general is to be required 10 execute plan
which he disapproves. a new commander De-
came Indispensable; and as any new major gene
raj wonld be subordinate 10 all now IN commls-
sion. The solution of the difficulty lay in the crea-
ZION OF new rank, Superior % that OF major gen
erai. and inferior 10 the constitutional command
erin chief. The creation of The rank Of lieuleD-
ami general. as had been done in the year l79S,
a, The time Of the eYpec.ed war with France, was
The solution of The difficulty. This rank appear
Of IN he the ,aiural and regular derivation from
The Presidents own political and military char
ac,er. and tie proper connecting INK between
him and The army. AS President, he was both
he civil head OF the government and The military
head of the army. He was comGander-ln-ch!si
of the army and navy, and Of the militia or vol
unleers in service They were all then IN service,
and in foreign country. lie could not go 10 Mexi-
20 to command in person paramount duties re-
ouired him to remain here. he could not send
orders from The closet in this city. That was
folly OF which there had been no example since
The time that the Prince Eugene Got Savoy was
accustomed TO return unopened, al the end OF The
campaigns, all The orders which The Anic Coun-
q; was accustomed to send him from Wen
ma. The President was bound 10 command :
he could not 60 10 Mexico 10 commi nd in person,
and he could not command from Washington.
rrha souiion nj the difficulty which Yeconciled
all contradictions and permitted The exercise OF
ali duties. civil and military, was the appoint
men: of a military depu'y-a lega'us-a locum
,snsns-a lieutenant 10 take the place Of the con-
slmulional comma nder-in-ch;ef IN the field; to
Give orders in his name. and TO take the respon-
sihlny OF plans and movements, while the gene,
rails at the heads OF divisions or columns, would
only have The responsibility OF execution. This,
fnr reasons too well known TO require rehearsal