Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1847-05-08
II these marshaIs were superior to zsck Taylor

but that did not prove that he was capable Of
hllDg the place OF q commander in.chief where
strategy was the great thing needed Ii did not
follow that because a subordinate had. by the
death Of those above him, risen 10 a station Of
high command he was therefore competent to
that station. He might. twenty years ago, have
been brave man and good soldier, and regular
promotion might have brought him to the head Of
the army. But ii did not therefore follow that
when war OF invasion was to be conducted far
into an enemy's country AT vast distance FROM
The seat OF government, snd when, from the ne
cessity Of the case, much must be left to the dis
cretion OF the commander,, he was fit for the
weight Of such command"
While Mr.. Thompson was thus speaking
in one end Of the capitol. the BonaDarte,
who had so filled his Imagination, was qui.
city sitting 10 bis place in The other end,
waiting for the upshot.
a similar mode Of reasoning enabled the
Mississippi member, having killed off Gen.
Taylor, to make quick work with General
Scott
"He admitted that Gen. Scott had been great
soldier in 1912; but it did not follow tha! he
must, therefore, be great soldier in 1916. He
had fought well on our own frontier; but it did
not follow that he was capable OF conducting a
campaign q: the distance Of three thousand miles
from the seat Of government"
And, this being accomplished, the two
Wing Gen'rs of the army having been thus
proved unfit to conduct the campaign in
Mexico. and many voices ezclaiming
Whom do you WANT" he answered that
she had in his eye very distinguished sol
der who had been the subject of much and
gross misrepresentation and abuse. He
alluded to General Butler. lie considered
him fully equal TO the task Nov, we en-
terrain all respect for Gen. Butler; we hope
he will soon recover of his wounds, and we
| thank him for the truths which he has re.
! Gently told, IN New Orleans and here; but
he will not expect US TO asCriEe to him the
merit Of being Wing; nor will we, on the
other hand, impute to him. the vanity of
supposipg himself, young and unpractised
as he is as General Officer. a f, person to
take command out of the hands of Win
field Scott and Zachary Taylor.
Something still richer and of a higher
relish than this came from another Demo.
cratic orator in the House Of Representa-.
tives, on the goth of January, viz: Mr..
Wick, of Indiana.
Mr.. Wick said: Then the Executive had
! submitted another plan to Congress, that OF ap.
pointing general officer to command the whole
Of our forces in the field. Mr.. w. should not
attempt 10 give the reasons which had been urged
for and against this proposition. 1t was necessa.
ry 10 conduct a war the base of whose operations
was the Rio Grande, at the distance OF $500
miles. The genius TO imagine, to combine, 10
devise. to control, should be there 1t was i'm.
posi- ole the Executive could do it here: therefore
1t was necessary and proper that he should have
a representative. Who commanded our army in
Mexico? WERE they members Of the party 0hici
'Cas responsible for the success Of the rar and for
the trar itself? They were not Did the oppo
site party feel itself responsible for the results Of
this war in Mexico? Not at ALL i, was not their
war; they were not identified with it as party,
but opposed 10 it. No,o, ,chat ,cas there to ez.
empt a Wig General from the feelings of the
Wig party? Mr.. w. spoke now as a phioso,
pher and practical man. and he asked why should
not these officers feel as their party fell? No
doubt they would obey the orders given them: #
their measures were successful the glory was
theirs; il they led to defeat they were not respon.
sibe. What Mr.. w. said in this mater
he said without advice from any head but his own.
He would tell gentlemen before the country, be.
| fore the world--yes, and before God, ('Or he
heard il al) that the Wings were not responsible
for the success Of the war, and could not be
made so, either for the general course and conduct
Of the wal, or for any single battle; and there
fore he said that Wig should MOI command tie
army. Let gentlemen make evil Of it if they
| could. He 1aid so, rot because he doubted the
patriotism and courage Of the Wing generais; fer
from il; but because the principles Of human
nature were al woIk in them just as they were in
other men. They would not devise or aid in de.
visiuG single measure TO forward the success Of
the contest, They would execute the orders Of 9
| Democratic President, and execute them 10 the
letter; nor would they DO any thing thn! was IN,
patriotic on its face; but had they the feeling in
their breast that all they desired or hoped loI as
public men was connected with the success OF
this confess! Not at all; they 5cers Wigs; and
| this was judging them only by The same standard
| by which all other men were to be judged. The
principles OF human nature formed the rule OF
judgment. He believed they were no worse than
other men and no better. Who would leave the
army in command Of men who disapproved OF the
war, or who would have no objection to get the
Administration into troublel'
These quotations prove TO demonstration
that the whole party understood il TO be the
Presidents object, and adopted it as their
own, to take the command Of the army
out Of wing hands. If it were possible tc
confirm or fortify this truth, ii could be
done by referring TO another and still more
distinct act of the President himself The
President had failed in his repeated endea'
vors to prevail upon Congress 10 establish
the Office of Lieutenant General; but, with
the object still in view of superseding Scott