Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-04-17


forces into Mexico, by order OF the President had
every where acted with prudence and sagacity as
well as bravery had fought three several battles
against odds, and been successful in all and now
stood high in the confidence of the Army, and
waiting only Tor orders and proper reinforcements
to advance further. AT this uncture the President
sent to Congress his famous message of January A
ls47, recommending provision to be made for the
appointment of a Lieutenant General. The object
of this recommendation was not concealed. 1t was
to supersede General Taylor as well as every other
officer in the Army, by appointing an officer o.
higher grade; and the person intended to fill this
higher office as all know, was member of the
Senate, of Mr.. Polk's own party, and whose sup.
port OF Mr.. Folks measure, in party estimate oi
its importance was absolutely essential General
Taylor was thus to be checked, in mid career
and hencetorth he was to be under the direction oil
an officer of higher grade, just transferred from
civil life; as was also his superior, Gen. ScoTT
when he should take the field.
"An efficient organization of the army" SAYS
the message, composed of regulars and volunteers
whilst prosecuting the war in Mexico, it is be-
lleved would require the appointment of General
Othcer, to take the command of all our military
forces in the field" ~ recommend that
provision be made by law for the appointment OF
such General Officer, to during the war; .
Translated out of official language and express
ed IN plain terms, descriptive of well-known pur-
poses and wishes, the foregoing recommendations
: to recall General Taylor but he is acquiring a
: very dangerous degree of distinction. | think it
quite best to supersede him, by making Mr.. BEN
TON Lieutenant General, and thus placing him
: where he will naturally keep Zachary Taylor in
: the back ground"
Now, all this was as well understood and COM
pretended by the Presidents friends and followers,
in Congress, as any other political party purpose
whatever. The whole party with very few ho-
norable exceptions put their noses to the ground,
snuffed the scent, and opened with as loud cry as
if the game was already near enough to be seized.
Thus one of the party orators in the House of Re-
presentatives, Mr.. FIcKLIN, of Illinois, on the 9th
OF January, denounced Gen. Taylor for not follow
ing up the battles of the Rio Bravo by cutting the
Mexicans off; and, when answered that he had no
bridges, the honorable Member exclaimed, " the
General ought to have followed them into the
rivern' He further said and this is the gist of
the whole matter, " he might add, with the army in
: command of Wing General, and with the oppo-
sition' of Wing members on this floor, there was
no doubt the would be crippled" This is
fine. Gen. TAYLOR had showed, according to this
reader ofthe occurrences of the campaign,
from Resaca de la Palma to Monterey, that he was
,Ia~,, h.. Al ~
But Mr.. Ficklin is good as another to let out
Executive secrets, and to express known Executive
purposes and from his declarations in Congress
we learn two things-frst, that Gen. TAYLOR was
known to be WING and, secondly, that il was
deemed highly important TO place the chief COM
mand of the army in the hands of one who was NOT
a Whg.
On the same day, the game started by Mr. Flick
lin was followed by Mr.. THOMPSON, of Mississippi,
another friend of the President, not undisnguished
in the House. We give a few extracts from his
speech: ..
tMr THOMPSON said he deeply regretted that during the
time had been engaged in the contest more had not been
done. He confessed his own severe disappointment He
had expected that before this time we should have seen the
power of Mexico eifecually crippled" "In the
course Oh last summer OO0 volunteers had been
Rio Gande and the whole Of them 900 had been kent
on the banks of that pesena What did this e,Ince
The want OF great combining governing mind there. What
we wanted was at the head Of armies who was ca
BILE OF planning and conducting campaign We did not
want in that station fighting soldier. He admitted
that Gen. TArLoR was valiant fighting general ever
set foot IN field. He competent any man could
be IN subordinate position. He understood the drill and
management OF troops and knew how attack and to carry
orlhed position In all this of he had emneny
distinguished himself But required different of mind
10 arrange and govern masses OF engaged in combined
movements to prosecute campaign Many Of the marshas
OF the French had been brave and practical men, and
could meet and conquer almost any thing could be brought
to oppose them But there had been but one Bonaparte
Mr. T. believed that of these marshas were superior to
Jack Taylor in bravery military accomplishments and skill
but that did not prove that be capable Of filling the place
OF where strategy the great thing
needed Ii DID not follow that, because subordinate officer
ha Ivy the death OF those above him, risen station of
high command, he therefore competent to that station
tie might twenty years ago, have been brave man and
good sode aud regular promotion might have brought him
to the head OF the army But did therefore follow that
when war OF invasion to be conducted far an
my country, at vast distance from the Of government
and when, from the necessity of the case much be left
to the discretion Of the commander he fit for the weight
of such command"
While Mr.. THOMPSON was thus speaking in one
end of the Capitol, the BoNAPARTE, who had so
filled his Imagination, quietly sitting in his
place in the other end waiting for the upshot
similar mode of reasoning enabled the Missis-
siDDi member having killed nH %,