The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-02-03
Major General Taylor and the Administers
tion-nIlIltarx orrespondence.

II was announced yesterday by telegraph that
Mr.. Thompson's resolution has prevailed in the
House of Representatives, and of course, all the
correspondence that has taken place between the
War Department and Gen. Taylor from the time
he took his position at Fort Brown, opposite Ma
tamoras until the storming and taking Of Monte
rey, will be produced and published to the world,
excepting that which may be detrimental to the
public interest
The object OF this resolution is probably to clear
the government of the imputatons thrown upon
II by the wing pres sand wing politicians through
out the country; and as it was introduced by a
member of the democratic school of politics, it
is reasonable enough to suppose that he either
felt sure, before hand, that nothing will appear
that can at all initiate against the ad-
ministration strengthen the suspicious of
General Taylor's friends, to its designs
in regard to that officer, or that the member who
introduced the resolution is one of the purest
patriots of the age, and has called for the
correspondence merely to place matters in
clear light before the public, without any refer
ence to the wings or democrats-the years 1913 or
1852.
This correspondence will, without doubt,
cause great sensation wherever it is read, not
only among General Taylor's friends and the
friends of the administration, but also among
those of General Gaines, General Jessup, Gene.
raj Scott, and, perhaps, other military men. 1t
must, necessarily, have reference to General
Jessup, incidentally, because that officer holds
The office of Quarter Master General, and was,
and is, according to the Union. invested with
extraordinary and full powers in his department,
which he was directed to use, as emergencies
should arise and because, also, the in
direct charges which General Taylor makes
gainst the administration, would refer to
that officer as much to them.
We are extremely sorry at this unfortunate af-
lair. We hope that it will act caution to mill
tary men hereafter to be careful of what they
write, or at least of the persons to whom they di-
rect letters containing their private thoughts
Every military man has of course as much right
to entertain his private opinions of men and mat
tiers as people OF any other profession; but it is
extremely lmpolitic to commit those thoughts to
paper and send it to distance, to be inaiscreety
published by indlscreet friends who received
them. We have had one lamentabe instance of
military men indulgng in the cacoethes scribendi
too freely, by which one of our greatest heroes
one who has reflected lustre on his country-was
Invested of one half Of the glory attached to him
by his services against his country's enemies.
We hope, however, that nothing will appear in
this case at all derogatory to General Taylor.
His brilliant conduct in the war with Mexico has
endeared him to the American people, and it
ould be with feelings of regret and modification
to see anything calculated to lower him in the
slightest degree in their opinion.
One thing is certain in regard to the forthcoming
correspondence. 1t will, to certainty, either
make or mar General Taylor as candidate for
the Presidency. We sincerely hope that it will
not injure him for any position; but if it should
have a tendency SO TO do, and be the means OF
fading as much as breath, the bright laurels
that encircle his brow, in the estimation of any
portion of the people, no matter of which party,
we will not envy the feelings of the indiscreet per-
son who gave to the press the first letter that pro-
duced the difficulty
We can yet hardly believe that General Gaines
published the letter that is now creating so much
conversation throughout the country.