Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-07-23
From the Cincinnati Chronicle.
GEN. SCOTT AND THE ADMINISTRA-
TION

The attempt to degrade Gen. Scott and deprive
him Of all opportunity of winning additiona
laurels, by the administration, has been repeIleC
with spirit by that gallant, high.minded officer
Congress expressly refused the request of Mr.
Polk to send a civilian to Mexico to take com
mand and direct the movements of the army
But the President has attempted to effect that OBJ
lect by different process, and in a manner lal
more repulsive to the feelings of the Comman.
der-in-Chef. He has sent Mr.. Trist a clerk in
the State Department, with power to supervise
the movements of Gen. Scott, TO control his ac
ton, and dictate to him the policy TO be pursued
This, to say the least, is an insult to the General
to whose wisdom the campaign has been con.
fided, and who had thus far conducted it with
signal ability and success. And Gen. Scott in
repelling it. has shown himself worthy of the
! high position he occupies.
The movements of Mr.. Trst, on his arrival
in Mexico, and his reception by Gen. ScoIl, are
thus related i'll the New York Courier:
"Unless we have been entirely misled by our
Southern correspondents, Mr. Trist's first STEP
on his arrival at Jalapa, was 10 request General
Scott to transmit 10 its destination sealed packet
addressed to the Mexican Secretary of State
WHICH, llG CllClOSCu 10 anu OIL the COll-
tents of which he gave him no account. Gen.
Scott promptly informed him that he declined to
do so--but that he should retain the letter, sub.
ject 10 Mr.. Trist's order. His reply TO Mr.. Trist
was of course in writing, and was so emphatic
and explicit as to leave no room for misappre-
hension. This letter, we kn0W, is now on file in
Washington; and if the report that has reached
us of its contents is incorrect, the Union, by pro-
curing copy oft, can set US right
"Mr. Trist or more properly the Executive,
of which in all this he is simply the TOOL, was
thus bahled in his first attempt to throw upon
Gen. Scott the responsibility of whatever propo-
sition TO the Mexican government his sealed pack
ct contained. He then informed the General
that he had come to Mexico Vih full authority
to conclude an armistice with the government
of Mexico-to suspend all military operations,
and TO make all necessary arrangements preli-
minary to the negotiation of a treaty of peace.
This fact has already been asserted in letters
from Mexico, published in New Orleans and
elsewhere; and we are assured by private advices
that it is strictly true. Mr.. Trst, moreover,
submitted to General Scott letter from the Sc
cretary of State or of War, confirming in every
respect the statement he had made, and directing
him to recognize, in its fullest extent, Mr.. Trist's
plenary authority.
"Gen. Scott thus found himself under the or
ders of the Department, virtually, though not
formally, deprived of his command, and made
subordinate to a clerk in the State Department.
He at once informed Mr.. Trist that he should
not permit him to interfere with the operations
of the army under his command; that under the
circumstances in which that army was placed an
armistice was strictly matter of military policy,
and that he should recognize no suspension of
hostilites to which his assent as Commander
in-chief of the forces in the field, should not be
previously given. At the same time he wrote TO
the Secretary of War, repeating his declarations
TO Mr.. Trist, and assuring the Department that
he should retain the actual command of the ar
my, until formally recalled.
"Ths correspondence is on file at Washing
ton; and although we do not pretend to give the
language used by either party, we appeal with
confidence to the documents for full confrma-
ton Of this statement of their purport."
That Gen. Scott has acted with q proper spirit
in this matter, no unbiased mind can Doubt
Had ne submitted to the interference of Mr.. Trist