The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-08-16

last and Jealous friend of General Scott just as it pro-
fessed to be the firm and ardent supporter of General
Jackson up to the time when 1t received from the Bank
of the United States its too famous loan of 52 900 We
therefore invite the attention of the wing press generally
and of the friends OF General Scott in particular the
recent pursued by that Journal towards that dis
tinguished officer while far from home the service OF
his country foreign battlefield.
On the 9th instant just after the Courier had finished
its remarkable discussion of the misunderstanding be-
tween General Scott and Mr. Trst, there appeared its
columns an editorial article in relation to General SCOTS
discharge of the volunteers in his army after the battle OF
Cerro Gorlo from which we make the following extract
"We have all along commended that the upon
the city of Mexico should have been made last autumn
and that if Soft there had been wisdom in national
conclusive would have been in possession OF tho city OF
Mexico and peace would have been conquered
before the LIST Of July last.
" This having been neglected by the administra
ton anCen Scott having late day been permitted to
capture Vera Cruz and march to the INTERIOR ii OBJ
ery Of sense, that after the battle OF
lordo he had only forward to insure the
possession of the capital of Mexico, and an immediate
eace Aad equally apparent to the phofe country,
that the force then under his command quite Sufficient
for his purpose Yet, to the astonshment OF everybody,
General Scott instead of advancing with his victorious
army and being received, as he would have been WIN
open by the error-stricken inhabitants OF Mexico de
before the expiration of their term Of srpce and then
waited nearly three months for ep iepes to do the work
which he could have accomplished in twenty days with the
force under his command! THIS scdal measure the Uioi
now preend was the act General Scott and of the
administyat We do believe it knoc Scott too
,ceH TO beliepe for that he could hare been guilty OF
such foiy-asany should sdy1nd the result ctu Dear
Us the dsclaration The discharge OF his army was
made on the ridiculous plea that they entitled to be
discharged in time reach their homes before the expa-
ton of their of services and this decision we under
stand was made by Mr. Secretary Marcy in February last
The decision made, too for political purposes, and TO
manufacture political capital By the party making 10 That
General did could have made such decision, IS
absolutely impossible First because he wanted the services
of these march upon the city OF Mexico and would
Eve think he had possessed the power have compelled
their advance with him, in defiance OF the decision OF the
War Department; and secondly, he knows that according
to the weestablished principles of our governneneS-
abshed and acted upon for fifty class of soldiers
entitled their discharge in time to reach their homes
before the period of their enlistment
On the very next day august 1oh) we quoted the
whole of the Couriers article and replied follows to
the charge contained in it, that the volunteers had been
discharged by General Scott in obedience to decision OF
the War Department. We said:
eve have disposition General Scott We
will not examine force of the which induced
him discharge the volunteers before the expiration OF
their service. We will apply to him the language
which the New York Courier alphabetically employs We
will not draw the inierences which that paper makes;
nor will animadvert upon the folly insanity of
which the Courier supposes him to have been guilty in this
case its hypothesis fails But venture to repeat,
that the Courier mistaken that Mr.. Secretary Marcy
expressed such decision General Scott gaze such
instructions General Scott the month of February
any before the General had issued his general orders of
May 4h, The discharge Of the nnfesrs General Scott
doubt first anxious to retain them, and he threw
cold water upon the wishes of The volunteers. But when
advanced Jaapa his views appear have changed
and the lh of May he issued the following general
ders which we take from the print before
We followed up this passage by quotation at length
of the general orders which General Scott directed the
discharge of the volunteers, and stated the considerations
which induced him TO discharge them. In reply to
this the Courier of Friday last cites the above alcsed
sentence, and says;
This is too guarded by half and does the ques
ton. We said
SO The discharge of his army made on the ridcu-
lous plea that they entitled be discharged in
reach their homes before the expiration of their term
vice and this decision understand, made by Sec
rotary Marcy in February las" "
8" Now we inquire of the Union whether such decision
or one effect, made by War Department,
or President previously the discharge of the volunteers
by Gen. Scoul The question is easily answered. and
desire simple yea or nay
But whether yea nay has the Union yet
whoever is responsible for the discharge OF those troops is
certain be censured by this press think they merit
it! Friendly to General Scott prepared to
cens,e him quite strongly zoe haze the administration
If he had carant for his sending apay his army cien
their services necessary to the Of the
paign But we pause for reply to question"
Ii is wholly untrue that denial is too guarded" to
meet the Couriers charge That charge is, that Gen.
Scott discharged the volunteers in pursuance of decs
ion of the War Department that they were entitled to
their discharge before the expiration of their of en-
stment; that this decision made by Mr.. Secretary
MARCY in February last; that it SO made for po
cal purposes, and to manufacture political capital" and
that without such decision at Washington it is abso
lely impossible" that Gen. Scott could have ordered the
discharge of his before the expiration of their term
Of enlistment, inasmuch such step was "sucidal
measure" of "folly" and insanity"
In reply to all this have stated positively that no
such decision by the War Department was made known
to Gen. Scott, and such instructions given him. either
in February at any time before the discharge of the vol
uneers was directed by him in his general orders Of May
4th. We repeat this declaration; and since the Cour-
Ter" thinks it not explicit enough, undertake further
to state positively that neither the President nor the War
Department has decided that, under existing laws
the volunteers entitled to claim their discharge before
the expiration OF their full term of enlistment.
And now we say, that when the Courier published
the violent language which have quoted in relation to
the discharge of the volunteers by General Scott and
when, without particle of proof, it brought its
false charge against the administration of having de-
cded in favor of that measure that journal might have
known and doubtless did kuop that thu act which it