Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1847-03-18
GEN. BENTON

Yves suppose the mere fact Of having boen nominal cd
as Major General vi" aflix fr life the title 10 the Sen
aiof ron Nj souri, though he enpycd the commission
9at io three days 1t is some promolion however ttu
lar, TO be called General instead If Colonel
We PUBLISH thecorrespondencc between the newly made
General and The President. II is einnenty chlrac!er
sllc OF bdh The arrogance, sclfshncss and concet Of
me one are moi more slklnsy dis layed than the shrink
ing from responsibility Il the other Benton coolly
eiis The President that lie has appointed him Major
neneTal without iIs solicitation. This is probable
! eneu9h-ile lafgan between them was that he should
be Lieutenant General and clothed with vice reu,l
powers lie tells him also that In sub rllnate com
mand he could do good IN the army and that his re-
s,ncc might be mschleyou.. This we think also ex-
tfemely pTotable and commend the Generals an
probation OF himself and the circumstances under which
he would have been thrust into tho service We NAV
not coincide with him IN the opinion that he would have
done better at the head &C the arny-tut there are
hundreds n Tie country who would make as good Gener
ais of Division
We have rarely seen finer specimen of self conce;,
Than tho idea set firth, that because he was known
to dlsappr0ss oi Gen T.yLoRs plans and likewise If I'M,
expedition against San Juan dc Ull)o III, er bi
presence would operate rs an implied censure upou the
Two Generals, and might give rise 10 discon ont Woo
he ac'"a'cd by disnIcrcsed and glowing patriotism in
stead OF selfish political ambition he w,uld have =,
once gone 10 the field and excrted the n;li,a,v ,,l
which have been, somewhat gatuituusly he'd IN him;
and, showing the first duty OF the s5lder n,o,o,, nm,
Jealous obedience to ordors said nothing about hs ow
u any ether, plan q the campaign Instead cf this o no
rempiorly demands not only the command il, biof b, ,
be invested with the powers ola nepo,ia,or Ibo
scheme the Lieutenant Gencralshin uos ro,,o,, !,
party and selfish ends aud IL is most f rtona,. G ,l
try that the fImnoss Of the Senate preven,od ,h -
from being placed und.r the command of mora
'aa'' VINO nsver sci squadron in the field and IN
100 al me expense Of tie feelings aud rank Of IT e5
soe'sss'oi 'oheras On the other hand the. presideu,
was "iili's to surersede Generals Scorr and r,x,op
PROVIDED ongrss shared the responsibility By PASSING
al act authorizing the creation Of higher military ranL
man any known to service This schor,o f,iIaa l
o'"''nsiandlng the President made him Major Gen
efai' Whether II was intended rs mere Commitment
with the full hnowc,g pc that he would ma, accom-, ~
hce or whe her he President really INF, ndcd ,o civ.
Tue command IN chief. we need not stop to discuss. O,
p sition in unexpected quarters it is said made M D..
o' nj reconsider his resolution set ASIDE III, G,ner,l
in the field and lie tcgan 10 Examine tho ,o.,;.,
says whether he had the power to confer ,b u
IN chleinpon Junior MAJOR General. The result, was
CONVECTION that oN'silus law. did invest him with
the power.
There is nothing in the "c,istnp laws I'll, is ,,uo
which expressly confcrs such power--Iu, !, u.s 49,
the laws, hut party considerations and nnblic
which prevented The appuinlm, nj. Had he pr,,l.,,
eh'sc" to Ike the responsibility If outraging puIc So,
hmen'' we contend ,hore nothing in III, laws ~ roam
'aNons o' 'fe amy, which would have prevented hin,
from placing Benton at the head Of the ,os H. a..,
not have forced Scorr, er GuYys ~ ,r,, :,
serve under him but he could have drtacb,d ,l -
ou'cd mem 10 the seat OF Government lie ni0b in
deed, have donc, IN the case Of ScoTr and J.y,or
what he did with respect to GuSrs-,laced ,b.,a
under arrest and assigned their command to iunr III
cef' Tbs is Of frequent occurrence in tho N,y.
scarcely an instance can be found Of the apont,ner, a
captain to the command eta squadron which 10 NO, :;
oefoeauon Of the rgh:s Of an oldlr officer Comn,nd
FERRY has just sailed to supcIsede Com Co>x.p no :,
Is reported The right OF seniority tocnrovp,,,t il ,I
aelu, OF alioa, Is not absolute. All ooycrnmcn,. n,
and do use discretion and Tie fault with o,. -
any is that mere seniority is too mucb rooorJa m,
age ana rank and the fitness ofhe ,f1irc, .ro ,l
ed 10 ih'donco selection We repeat. therefro Tim,
II was wlthlnth Presidents logiiin ate IN, we, +,
assigned I oil. BENTON to the command of tho ,.,
h!-hTSt ordering home Sco1r and T,y,op W. .-o
glad Tor the welfare and honor Of the ceuntr, and Tho
my That re did rot-hut VIC deny that he was noIloJ
f'm dong So fy any existing laws or rcpula,ons uo
Was restrained IN Tar', probably, by mlc o,inp--b,
''f' Is no doubt that political alous, had npch 10 L.
win his decision Whatever the motive We rqio:c. ,,,,
ie" III "hom the country Las untounGtd c,nfdncc ara
- Il maj" al the head Of the army, and that it is to he
saved from The dangerous precedent u being placod ,or
inc command OF strong party man. fer ayowodlv
po' poSeS' and that man utterly inexperienced in military
affairs III ''''''a'y
1T correspondence was Immediately printed by Gen
tNroN ana sent, IN the firm Of a circular n ,ncnb,r
u me senate and late House Of Representatives Xbs,
displays 6loatcd arrogance and exquisite VANITY ,h
Wv ''ua'0f' Tie c. rTespon'ence docs no crcdi,
VIC PRESIDENT, as it shows that. avowipp, do
' pace NM at the head of the army, he lactcd n.
~ ,' !" assume Inc requisite responsibility
residents as well as Kings; may have svori,.s ,oo
powerful and we feel assured Nj. Pork is relieved -,
H"A' may be considered rupture between him and bs
'',a'rai inosd from Mssouri even though WHO Con
,"s are TO WIN whatever aurcls may be gathered i,
Mexico s"'''eo III