Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-11-19
THE DISPATCHES.


Il is deeply interesting, and the True friends OF
that distinguished officer have only one circ cum
stance 10 regret, in perusing H. he has been
betrayed by excitement into an undisnihed re-
mark, which does great injustice 10 himself and
those lie condemns. Ii is but fair that we should
accompany his repoI! with the full and conclu'
sve vndca,ion from the Washington Union
When il is recolected that The Unions slate
merits are based upon the official Information Ct
Gen Roger Jones, devoted friend Of Scott snt
Of The same political sentiments, ii will be seen
that Gen. Scott was not justified in allowing MS
passion TO control his judgment. In this conncc'
ton, We regret 10 see the following statement o.
Vera Cruz correspondent OF the New Orleans
Delta:
seen. Scott has written basty plate Of soup
letter 10 this place-at least, hear SO. tie mos
| unkindly suspects the Administration OF design
inc 20 PROSTATE him. The letter has been made
quite public here, though not published IN The
papers; but trust that il may as il is said to ht
mnv rico. | admire The Generals military gent
us. but that one idea OF his-ot "a fire in his rear
so haunts him, that he is always committing
some folly or other. The Administration has
been exceedingly kind 10 Gen. Scott, and ne IA:
acted molly in The field. The country fully ap
preciaes The value OF his services. he shou't
write less, or write better than he has done IN me
leuer alluded TO-"
Gen. SCOTS splendid achievements in Mexico
had almos, ohli,clact from he public mind tht
memory Of The fatal "plstc OF soup j IS mact
10 be regretted, that his recent groundless excite
menl should have recalled the unpleasant, asso-
cia,icn. Why ,he Government should seek Il
"proslrate" and injure him, we cannot possibly
conceive, for its motives Of interest would iead
10 directly contrary course. But We refer L
the Unions explanation, which is in every way
appropriate aud conclusive:
From lie Uaion
Under the influence Of the feelings when sucf
blaze OF martial glory cannot but awaken, We
lurn. mol without reluctance, 10 single pre-
passage in one Of these reports which VIII no
fail TO attract the attention OF our readers IL
the despatch Of Major General Scott, under dale
of 18Th September, we ind the following Tau
gua2e:
aThis army las been more disguised than sur.
prised that, by some sinister process on HE par
81 certain individuals a, home, lis numbers have
X
beginning a: Washington"
We exceedingly regret to See report 50 go
rious, coming from so high source, disfsufeo
by remark which seems 10 evince some leelihs
I Of jllhumor We will not say iha, The numDrr'
o. the gallant army under Maj Gen. Scott, wnost
! achievements are The theme oi praise and admi
ralion through The world have mol been, in some
degree, oycfs,acd. But that his has been "on'
5y any body Tor sinister purposes, we 90 not oe
| live, and Tor ourselves 10 whom al!usIon appear 7
10 be made, we know The impuiaIion oil any sucn
motive is unjust |. may be that snttlcient J.
lowance in some the calculations OF The strength
OF Gen. Scouts column, has moi been made ioI
The loss ana non.eleclives. Whenever We have
undertaken 10 make statements on This point, @e
| have nvai iabiy sought cur information tom lne
| official returns and estimates in Tie oiilce u Inc
| AGluiant General u The army. We have re-
soricd Tor our information 10 his quarter mol
| only as Lein. in itself The most direct olhcia
| authority within our reach, buI as being also ina
source 10 which, vi all others, Gen. Scott couia
in fairness take the lcas, exception. II Is our du
" also To say, that the statements thus derived
! have always been made (as might, indeed, have
well been cxpcccd) with The greatest caution
| and with the most evident anxiety 10 avoid any
over estimate oil The effective force under Urn
SCOTS command. We understand, moreover
tina, these official statements OF The !oTce ol sh'
army. prepared in the Office Of The Adjulanl Gene
raj. and upon which our own publications on th'
subject have been based, have themselves beer
usually forwarded from that office 10 Gen. Scoil
| Ii is due also 10 the head oi The War Depafl
ment 10 state, that when our intention 10 pub
| lish any statement As 10 The force ol lie army
has been brough, 10 lis knowledge, we have IN
r0riaGiy been met in that quarter also BY mt
same earnest solciluie 10 avoid even the slight
es; possibility OF exaggeraton. In Ibis view W.
have been iapeaiedlyr By The department
az TO the impossibility 81 making: IN any exae
| statements, toll and proper allowance lor inc Va
| rious unforeseen contingencies by which the iorc'
OF the army might be weakened, and we hav'
been continually reminded OF the ploprety AM
e1pcdiency OF making The estimates which W
gave too small rather than too large, wheneve
The avoidance OF all error OF uncertainty was I'm
possible. And we may add, that our positive
statements upon the subject have been uniformly
made in this spirit and with The reservations dc
tated By il.
We have heard from other sources that the ar
nv fell aegfieved n exaggerated accounts her
published OF lis strength, and that il was under
stood in the army that its numbers had been sla
ted much above any statement which we hav
made or seen. Our conclusion was and Still IS
that m,sinto,matioa has reached the army as
the statements made IN our columns. Atall events
we are prepared TO viLdicale The entire good iai
Of our statements, and their general accuracy
We 10 mol recolIecl 10 have seen-cerainly hav
never made--a statement in anywise approach
ing The exaggera,ion complained Of by Gener
Scott We know that We are incapable OF doni
or saying anything with design 10 dim the lus
ire OF The achievements OF an army whose heroi
deeds are, as We verify believe, unparalleled il
the record, ancient or modern, OF military opera
tons"