The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1847-04-17
CANTON mnss1ssrPPI SATURDAY, APRIL IA, lsa7.


must answer the righteous indignation of a
whole nation. The lives of thousands Of
American cilizens--lhe life and the fame of
such man as Gen. Taylor--are not to be
lightly endangered or sacrificed. That public,
whose impulses, however they may be mised,
ale always generous and honest, viii sit, as a
national inquest. upon SO foul murder, and
drag, not only to judgment, but to condgn
punishment, whoever may be found guilty Of
an offence SO enormous.
But, before we enter upon the inquiry, who
has been instrumental in thus abandoning our
army prey to six times their number! the
question is asked. is not Gen. Taylor hlmseii'
in some degree at least, responsible for the
hazard in which he is placed? This nterroga-
tory we have, fortunately, the means Of an
swering with entire certainty. The cores
pondence between Gen. TAYLOR and the War
show acho is really responsible, demonstrates,
beyond all doubt, Gen. Taylor is not. We
propose to show, chronolog caly, how this is
made out
The first intimaton that Gen. Taylor receiv-
ed from the War Department, of any design to
detach part of his forces for an independent
operation, was conveyed to him in despatch
dated, in the Union, October %, In this des-
pa CHI the Secretary asks Gen. Taylor's opinion
as to the expedency of detachng part Of
! his force for expeditions down the Gulf. Cur
readers will rec olect the letter Of Gen. Taylor,
which we published few days ago in the
Patriot and in which reasons the most conclu-
, sive for maintaining the integrity of his COM
mand are given But, IN the same letter, Gen.
Taylor found it necessary to protest against the
blunders of the Secretary and his unusual and
unwarrantable interference with the operations
which he alone had the right to direct The
protest in his letter calls to mind that made by
: Gen. Jackson in 1917, against similar breach
of military discipline by the then Secretary Of
War.
This despatch bears date the 18Th of Octo-
Der, and in due course of mail, would reach
Washington in about thirty days; say by the
| 18th of November. A reference to what oc-
Cured at Washington about that time, will
! show one of the effects Of the manly and
, straightforward course of the veteran General.
: His despatch reached Washington on the 18th
: or thereabouts. On the 18th Gen. Scott was
| sent Tor, and ordered to Mexico, to take the
t chief command. 1t is true, the Secretary says
e in his reply, that Gen. Taylor's letter was moi
e received until the 20th; but the object OF hi
particularly of dates. which is no where eis'
: observable, iustifes a suspicion, which ha
0 heretofore been limited in this paper, that i
/. was to conceal the fact that Gen. Taylor's let
: ter had given so much offence as to lead ito the
n assignmentof Gen. Scott to the chief command
' of the Army in Mexico. And additional force
' is given to this conjecture from another pas
? sage in the same letter. The Secretary says;
''Ihe President hariag decided to send Gen Scott
10 the seat Of ,gar, communicated this determine
ton to hina on the 1871 inst"
Nothing is more common than for olsen
genuous and uncandid man to betray design
to deceive, by the art he has adopted to conceal
it. The care with which Mr.. Marcy assures
, Gen, TAYLOR that his despatch was not received
until the Goth, and that the President had pre-
f rioatsly decided to send Gen. Scott to Mexico,
, is sufficient to beget the suspicion, at least,
f that he was fearful Gen. T. might infer, that
the sudden appointment of Scott was owing to
, his refusal to allow his reputation and plans to
) be made the sport of laundering Secretary
three thousand miles from the scene of his
operations. ut be this as it may, il is certain
that the appointment OF Gen. Scott was most
sudden. Ga the l4th of September, his ear
, nest request to be sent TO Mexico was refused
IN manner scarcely civil, and he himself ad-
f mits that it was not until the 18Th of Novem-
Der that he had any ''intimation'' of the Presi-
dents intention. What had occurred in the
interim-what new revelation Of Gen. Scott's
!, merits, or what developments Of Gen Tay-
lor's want of capacity had taken place, does
not appear But the effect of the measure in
controlling the events OF the campaign, was
decisive. Although Gen. Taylor had been
consulted by the Secretary although he had
demonstrated against the withdrawal OF his
troops-vet, on the very day on which the Sec
retary acknowledges the receipt of the rcuon-
STRANGE, he informs him that Gen. Scott had
boon directed to make demonstration down
the Gulf, and on tie same day, Gen. Scott ap-
prises him, that he ''ciH be obliged to take from,
him most Of He gallant officers and men, regulars
and volunteers, ,cfont he Gen. Taylor,) had so
long, aud so MOLLY commanded" But, that full
Justice may be done to this part of the subject,
it is necessary to republish this letter Of Gen.
scott's, entire. Here it is.
I PIrdtc and Colf5ea!ial.l
New YoRK, Nov. %, 1916.
Ny dear Gcnsral:-I left Washington late
in the day, yesterday, and expect to embark
for New Orleans the 30th inst. BY the 18th OF
December may be in that city, at Point Isabel
the 18th, and Camargo, say the 23d-in order
to be within easy corresponding distance from
you. 1t is not probable that | may be able to
visit Monterey, and circumstances may prevent
your coming to me. | shall much regret not
having an early opportunity of facilitating you
in person upon yeur many brilliant achieve
ments; but we may meet somewhere in the
interior Of Mexico