Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1847-08-26
From me Washington Union, august l6
HE IndiScreet attack Of the New York
Courier and ENQUIRER upon Gen. scott


courier and Enquirer upon Gen. Scott.
Inc New York Courier and Enquirer has long pro-
JeSSea-and, for augh know still projesSes-to be
the fast and Jealous friend of General Scott; Just as
II protested 10 be the firm and ardent supporter Of
General Jackson up TO the time when il received from
the BANK OF the United States its famous loan of
So2,UOO We therefore invite the attention of the
Wing press generally, and of the friends Of General
scott IN particular, to the course pursued by
That Journal towards that distinguished officer. while
lar from home in the service of his country Oh
foreign battlefield
On the 9th inst, just after the Courier had finished
It's remarkable discussion Of the misunderstanding
between General Scott and Mr.. Trist there appeared
In It's columns editorial article in relation to Gen.
Scots discharge Of the volunteers in his army after
me battle OF Cerro GOrdo, from which make the
following extract:
We have all along contended that the movement upon
he CITY OF Mexico should have been made last autumn
aud that if sO-f there had been wisdom in national
would have been in possession Of the Of
Mexico and permanent would have been conquered
before the lst Of July last.
This having been neglected by the admnistra-
ton and Gener Scott having late day permitted
TO capture Vera Cruz and march the interior, IL OBJ
rfOas 10 ereTy sense after the battle
CTrO GOrd0 he had only to move forward to insure the
possession OF the capital Of Mexico, and immediate
peace And At 1as equally apparent TO the tUhole country
thGt The force then under has command quite sufficient
J0T has purposes Yet 10 the astonishmenl Of everybody
General Scott, instead Of advancing with his vicorus
army, aud being received, he would been, with
open arms by the teTrorcken inhabitants Of Mexico, de-
H6eTafey discharged than half Of has force sir
tceeks before the expiration Of their Of aud
then nearly mouths for etr Ierf to do the
work which he could have accomplished twenty days with
The iOfce under his command This suicidal the
Union pelends the Of Gen Scott and of the
ADMINISTRATION We do believe kR0U Scott too
GreH 10 betiere for Moment that he could hare been gully Of
such tOyiRsdnity should Sdy-dnd the result wiH bear
as out an the declaration The dcha Of his army
made on the ridiculous plea that they entitled TO be
discharged IL time reach their homes before the exprs
tOu Of their terms Of service and this decision, under
stand, made by Mr. Secretary Marcy February last
The decision made, too, for political purposes and
manufacture political capital by the party making it. That
General Scott did could have made such decision is
absolutely impossible Fs because he wanted the services
OF these men TO march upon the city Of Mexico, and would
1--WE think If he had possessed the power have compelled
their advance with him. in defiance OF the decision Of the
War Department.; and secondly he knows that according
tabhed and acted upon for fifty yeasno class Of soldiers
are entitled to their discharge in time TO reach heiI homes
befOIe the period Of their enlistment"
On the very next day august 10tl) we quoted the
whole Of the COurier's article and replied as follows
to the charge contained it, that the volunteers had
been discharged by General Scott in obedience to
decision of the War Department. We said
We have disposition General Scott We
Will not examine the force of the which induced
him to discharge the volunteers before the expiration OF
their service. We will not apply to him the language
which the New York Courier alphabetically employs We
Will not draw the differences which that paper makes
the Courier supPoses him to have been gully in this
case ITS hypothesis fails But venture 10 repeat that the
Courier as mistaken; that Mr.. Seereta Marcy expressed
such decision TO General Scott gaze such
TO General Scott an the month Of February at any time
before the General had issued has general orders of lqv an
for the discharge # the rOlunieeTs General
doubt al INST anxious 10 retain them, and threw cold
water upon the wi hes Of the Volunteers But when he
advanced TO Jasps his appear have changed aud
on The AN oil May be issued the following general orders
which we take irom the print before US
We fIlotved nm fh1S Dassaua bv c,of,.iop
length of the general orders which General Scott
directed the discharge of the volunteers and stated
The considerations which induced him so to dschal ge
them. In reply to this, the Courier of Friday last
cites the above Italicsed sentence, and says:
This is too guarded by half and does the ques
tiOn. We said
The discharge Of his army was made on the ridiculous
plea that they entitled be discharged
reach their homes before the expiration Of their Of
service; and this decision understand, made by
Secretary Marcy in February last ~
Now enquire Of the Union whether such decision,
one TO that effect was not made by the War Department
President previously the discharge Of by
General Scott The question is easily answered, and
desire simple yea nay
But wheIhe yea nay, has the Union yet that
whoever is responsible for the discharge Of those troops
certain TO be eensured BY This press if think they merit
it Friendly 10 General Scott prepared 10
him quite strongly haze the ADMINISTRATION
# he had tCGTTdnt for has sending array has army
their services most necessary 10 the Of the cam
P0ign. But pause for a reply question:
1t is wholly untrue that denial is too guarded"
to meet the 60 Courier'S" charge. That charge is.
that Gen. Scott discharged the volunteers in pursuance
of decision of the War Department that they were
entitled to their discharge before the expiration IF
their term of enistment that this decision
by Mr.. Secretary Marcy in February last that it
made " for political purposes and to manufac-
political capital - and that without such a de-
csion at Washington, it is absolutely impossible Z"
that Gen. Scott could have ordered the discharge of
his men before the expiration of their of enlist
ment, lnasmuch as such step was "suicdal
measure " of - folly 4" and " insanity"
In reply to all this have stated positively that
no such decision by the War Department was made
known to Gen. Scott, and no such instructions given
him, either In February at any time before the dis
charge of the volunteers directed by him in his
general orders Of May 4th. We repeat this decara-
ton and since the - Courier" thinks it not explicit
enough, we undertake further TO state, positively.
that neither the President the War Department
has decided that under existing laws the voun-
eerS entitled to claim their discharge before the
expiration of their full term of enlistment
And now we say, that when the - Courier " pub
lished the violent language which we have quoted il
relation to the discharge of the volunteers by Gen
Scott, and when without particle Of proof il
brought its false charge against the administration
having decided in favor of that measure, that ourna
might have known, and doubtless did knou, that tn,
act which II condemned so furously was solely tn,
act OF General Scott, done without the knowledge o
the administration, and exclusively upon his owl
military discretion and responsibility the command
ing General For the Courier we'll knows that wher
a General in the field issues general ORDER in pur
suance of any decision or instruction from the Wa
Department, such decision or instruction is always
IN due course of official military business, ethel
recited at length, specially referred to in tn,
Of " IL he basi Con