Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-04-29

and when answered that he had no bridges, the
honorable Member exclaimed, "the General
ought to have followed them into the river" He
further said, and this is the g!st of the whole
matter, che might add, with the army in com
mand Of Wing General, and with the oppos-
ton Of Wing members on this floor there was
no doubt the war would be crippled" This is
fine Gen. TAYLOR had showed, according to
this intelligent reader of the occurrences Of the
campaign, from Resaca de la Palma to Monterey,
that he was man under whose lead the war
would be crippled l. But Mr. Ficklin is as good
as another to let out Executive secrets, aud to
express known Executive purposes; and from his
declarations in Congress we learn two things
first, that Gen. TAYLOR was known to be
WING; and, secondly, that it was deemed high
ly Important to place the chief command of the
array IN the hands of one who was not a Wing.
On the same day, the game started by Mr.
FickIin was followed by Mr.. THOMPSON, of Mis-
sissippi, another friend Of the President not un-
distinguished in the House. We give few ex-
tracts from his speech:
Mr. TnoMPsov said he deeply regretted that during the
time wG had heon engaged in the contest moro had not been
done lie confessed bis severe disappointment He had
Of Mexico odoctnally cr5pl.dD p" In the
Of last aummo 1000 volunteers had been sent to tho
ono S IN 1% 5 ' %ha 9' ]fP ib s's
vince lhe Wnhl q" - combining, governing mind
lncrr. Wy lit WE Y man at the hcui OF our uf
Nee Ne DID GS ~. 1ss e@aa@fs' 5 sna9'fn
over SET foot 10 a holt lie competent any
could be W es"5 iiH7 pc linn Tie understood tho drill
and maupg -mUt n aup and knew how to attack and
fortified position In an Ills sort of service he had emil
noniy distinguished himself But it required different
OF mind to and masses of men engaged in
shn5 Of tho French had been brave and practical men,
and could meet and conquer almost thing that could he
brought to oppose them But there had heen but one Bona
parto. Mr. r. believed that of these marshas
pcrior to Iac Taylor in bravery military accompshm enis
md skill but that did not prove that he was capable of ling
the place of cOmmander-in chief where strategy tho
groat thing needed. 1t did not follow that because sbor
dnaic officer, had by the death OF those above him, rise to
station high command he therefore competent to that
and good soldier and regular promotion might have brought
him the head of the amy But it did not therefore follow
that when war OF invasion was to be conducted far into an
cnemy's country at vast distance from the scat of COVE
ment and whom from the necessity of the case much must
be loft to the discretion Of the commander, he was fit for the
weight of such commend"
While Mr.. THOMPSON was thus speaking in
one end of the Capitol the BoNAPARTE, who had
so filed his Imagination, was quietly sitting in
his place in the other end waiting for the upshot-
A similar node Of reasoning enabled the Mis-
sssippi momber, having killed off Gen. TAYLOR,
to make equally quick work with Gen. SCoTT
lie admitted that Cen scorr had been great soldier in
1912 but it did not follow that he must therefore, be
soldier in 1916. lie had fought well frontier but
lid not follow that he capable of conducting
pagn the distance OF three thousand miles from the scat Of
government"
And, this being accomplished, the two Wing
Generals of the army having been thus proved
unfit to conduct the campaign in Mexico, and
many voices eXclamng, " Whom do you want ?"
he answered that "he had in his eye very dis
tinguished soldier who had been the subject of
much and gross misrepresentation and abuse. He
alluded to General Butler. He considered hin
fully equal to the task" Now, we entertain all
respect for Gen. BUTLER; we hope he will soon
recover of his wounds, and we thank him for the
truths which he has recently told, in New Or
leans and here; but he will not expect US to as
cribe to him the merit of being Wing; nor
will we. on the other hond impute to him the
venty of supposing himself, young and unpra :
tised as he is as General Officer, fit pers, N
to take command out of the hands of w inie i'd
Scott and Zachary Taylor.
Something still richer and of higher reis h
than this came from another Democratic orat or
in the Housc OF Representatives, on the Goth of
January, viz Mr. Wick, Of Indiana.
Mr. Wick said; "Then the Executive had submitted an
other plan to Congress- that Of appointing general officer to
command tho whole Of our forces II the field Mr. w sho, Il!
not atienp 10 ,e "io nau o9en nrSen ior "a
he base OF whose operations the Grande at the
devise to CONTROL should Ike there II impossible he
Executive could do here therefore it necessary
person Of lieutenant general What Mr. w. said in I'll is
matter said without advice from any head but his
nut ne N1Ulu SLY lUl Vc why oHh u
should have been created. Who commanded army in
Mexico? WERE hey members Of Tie party hieh respo
sJe for the If The and for the itself? IN,
woN Did the opposite party feel itself responsible or
the result of this war in Mexicoi Not at all: it n
their they not Unidentified with party, ut
opposed to it. No ~hdt ~as there 10 eremg WAg gene al
from tho feelings If tie Uhg party? Mr. W. spoke now a'
philosopher nnd practical man and he asked why sho Id
not these officers feel their party felt: No doubt III cy
would obey the orders given them their measures w re
ere not responsbe-they would mighty good reas
give why they could not succeed Now ought this tn
be; Mr. w. would tell gentlemen, before the country, be-
fore the wodyos, and before God for he heard a la'
the Wings were responsible for the of tho
and could be made either for the general
conduct of the any single battles and therefore he id
that Mig shODld not command The army Let gentlem
make evil Of it if they could lie said because
doubted tie patriotism or the courage of the Wing genera
far from it, but because the principles of human nature
at work IN them Just as iaey were ~ other men they wo Id
not devise aid in dovsng single measure to forward the
success Of They would execute the orders OF
Democratic President and execute them to the letter.
would they do thing that was on its face but
had they the feeling in their breast that all they desired ho-
ped for public connected with the of this
contest; No at all they 9sre Hhigs and this was judging
them ony by the standard by which all other
of Judgment lie believed they were no worse than other
and no better Who would leave the army in command
dsapproyed of the war or who would have OBJ
lection to got the Administration into trouble
These quotations prove to demonstration that
the whole party understood it to be the Presi-
dents object aud adopted it as their own, 10 take
the command Of the aEmy out of Wing hands.
II it were possible to confirm or lorfy this truth,
it could be done by referring to another and still
more distinct act of the President himself The
President had failed in his repeated endeavors to
prevail upon Congress TO establish the Office of
Lieutenant General; but, with the object still in
view of superseding Scott and Taylor, Mr.. Ben
ton was APPOINTED Major General; and the
question then arose whether, though JUNIOR of
| fcer, the chief command could not be placed in
his hands. This question, as we well know, was
the subject of several Cabinet deliberations
The result was adverse to the Presidents wishes.
It was found that such proceeding would be a.
qainst law, and void. The Presidents mortiica-
ton at this discovery may be best expressed in
his own words. In his letter to Mr.. Benton he
says:
Immediately AFTER your nomination Major General had
5nen unanimously confirmed by the Senate carefully
ned the question ghetfr possessed pe pOer aesga,,
you JUNIOR Major Goacrai-o he ct cOnHeEdg the Grl
IN the fsL The result Of this examination Is, eOHsisat
ed 10 Snp settled conviction my mind that such powe1 has
moi been conferred upon me by the existing lave.
am fully sensible OF tho excited patriotism which eau,
alone have induced YOU IA asss sss'oft sacrifices {,
which YOU would bee subjected IN asst ming Zen the chic
comnnnd Of the nJny Mexico aud Huly appreciate ht
reasons YOU have assigned and neA mdg tor prsre gol
from acceptmg y0Hr appointment as n1r ReierGt IT. o.
be leAoction such should he your decision, shall a7
uW'th deeP regret"
Another remarkable ebullition of the spleer
and isalously of the party towards General Fay
Tor is manifested in the proceedings Of Congress
respectnr the Vote Of Thanks. When com
plimcut is 70 be paid, generous mind performs
the duty cheeriuy promptly, and therefor,
Il ,ft Il, 10,