The North-Carolina standard., 1847-02-03

Or he had done me, the appointment to the rcHch
mission was definitely declined. This was the pc
ginning of September last; that, that time, 1t
IS certain that the President could have had no
such design as has been attributed to him BY the
senator from North CaTolina-no design tolnake
me his successor by virtue of military feats to be
performed on the low lands, orsthe table; land OF
the republic of Mexico. OR the contrary, fertile
imagination as thes.senator from North
Carolina so happily possesses--might have seen,
or thought he saw, in this proposed appointment,
SOFT Of political deportation like an
exiling and burying in foreign court-ior Pur.
nose The verv reverse Of what the senator from
North Carolina has supposed. say an inventive
ima ginatou might have seen, or thought It saw, all
this. Possessing no such Imagination, saw no
such thing. And taking the offer in the sense in
which it was made, as eminently honorable IN IT.
self, and q signal evidence of The Presidents con-
6dence in me, and good will for me. made him
my thanks for it privately, as now do publicly i
and the affair was dropped. This, repeat, was
at the beginning of September last-only three
months before the meeting of Congress; so that
at that time, it is quite clear the President had no
such momentous and fearful design as the senator
from North Carolina has attributed to him. Up
to that time-up to the first day Of September, in
the rear 1S46-the republic was safe. lmmedi-
ately after refusing The mission to France went
off to the west, was gone until the month of NO
vember, and had no communication OF any kind,
direct or indirect, nor upon any subject whatever,
with President Polk This makes all safe a.
gain for two months more. returned TO This city
in November, where my family was, and here
Congress was soon to meet The day after my
arrival called upon the President: and here we
approach the dangerous ground For in that
first interview, he actually asked me my opinion
about the future mode of conducting the Mexican
war. For reasons not proper now to be stated,
but of the validity Of which the country will some
day have an opportunity of Judging, the President
saw fit to ask me my opinion upon the future mode
Of conducting the war. This request did not strike
me as being anything strange or unreasonable
either unbecoming in him to make, or for me to
comply with. In my senatorial capacity was his
adviser on many great questions,
those of peace and war inclusive. In my politi-
cal capacity, was the supporter of his admins
ration, and ready 10 give him my opinion on any
subject. As chairman OF the Senate's Committee
On Military Affairs, and accustomed, in that char
,cter, to communicate on military subjects with
all administrations for about quarter ofsa centu-
" last past | saw nothing in the nature of the
request he had made TO implcate either of us.
Ho asked me for my opinion as TO the future mode
If conducting the war. / gave it 10 him, first in
Speech face to face, and afterwards in writing.
And here it is [holding up roll of papers,I for
chose to retain the original for myself while
sending a copy to him. Here it is and at the
proper time The public shall see it, but not now
or do not belong 10 the school that makes pub
ication for plans of campaign-even rejected
oIans-in time Of war. The President approx
ID the plan and it so happened that the nature
If the plan required a head to the army-one
head to the whole body-to unite and COM
oine the whole into one harmonious and consistent
movement II so happened, also, TINT enough
vas known Of the ideas of the two highest in rank
If the officers Of the army 10 know that their plans
we're different; and it is maxim OF fundamental
observance in war that no general is to be re-
1ured 10 execute a plan which he disapproves.
A new commander became indispensable; and as
my new major general would be subordinate to
all now in commission the solution of the Difficult.
" lay in the creation Of a new rank, superior TO
hat Of a major general, and inferior to the con-
stitutional commander-in The creation of
he rank Of lieutenant general, as had been done
IN the year 1898, at the time Of the expected war
with France, was the solution of the difficulty.
This rank appeared to be the natural and regular
derivation from the Presidents own political and
military character and the proper connecting link
between him and the army. AS President, he
was both the civil head Of the government and
the military head Of the army. He was COM
of the army and navy and of the
militia or volunteers in the service. They were
could not go to Mexico to command in person
paramount duties required him to remain here.
He could not send orders from the closet in this
CITY, That was folly of which there had been
no example since the time that the Prince Eugene
(of Savoy was accustomed to return unopened,
at the end of the campaigns all the orders which
The Aulic Council was accustomed to send him
from Vienna. The President was bound to COM
mand he could not go 10 Mexico TO command in
person; and he could not command from Wash
ington The solution of the difficulty, which re-
ronciIed all contradictions and permitted the ex-
ercse of all duties, civil and military, was the ap
polntment of military deputy-a legntus-a
ocum tenens-a lieutenant 10 take the place Of
he constitutional commander nchief in the field
10 give orders in his name, and to take the re-
sponsibility of plans and movements, while the
generals at the heads of divisions or columns,
would only have the responsibility of execution.
This for reasons too well known to require rehear-
'a in this chamber, it was thought would be en-
irey agreeable to the generals Of highest rank in
our army in Mexico; it would secure their rear
1t home, and leave them free to contend with the
enemy in 'front.' 1t was not intended to diminish
he fighting vocations of the two generals, but to
reconcile aud accomplish two desirable objects
,ameIy, the execution of the Presidents plans
md the release ofthe major generals from respon
.ibility for plans and movements.
This was the view of the office of Lieutenant
general: as TO the proposed o6i:er, there was no
preach Of military rule law etiquette or propriey
IN the proposed appointment The office was orr
ynal, and belonged TO no person. The President
had right to nominate and the Senate to confirm
whom they pleased. Personally, Iwoud take no
.oncern in II ouly osEad tho Dresident