The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-03-26
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
Cerrsspondencs-Co~ts~uxd.
Mr.. Irist 10 Major General Scott.
Enclosure in No Al

SR; Your letter OF the 9TH instant aneCed 70 me al
Vera Cruz, and transmitted by Captain kearney, has met
at this place. on my way 10 the headquarters OF the
United States army in Mexico, where my instructions
quire TO be- and for which set out from Vera Cruz
Yesterday in company with Captain Grayson of your
staff, gentleman 10 whose kind attentions am already
much indebted
else time for proceeding TO headquarters should proba
ably have decided upon remaining al Vera Cruz until
could obtain some definite information respecting the
aspect which things with reference 10 the OBJ
ect OF my mission, had ii not been for the information
conhdentally communicated TO by the governor OF
Vera Cruz confirming (as your letter again does) the
correctness OF the impression which found generally
prevalent there, that, after the passage OF this we'll
guarded train, all communication between army and
the sea board would probably be off, and remain
closed for some time This consideration, joined with
my utter want of all of Judging what moment
aluncure might be likely 10 occur when everything, so
Tar as regards the establishment of peace between the
two countries would depend upon my being the spot
ready to carry out my Instructions without the loss OF
a single day, determined me to set out forthwith My
short stay at Vera Cruz had, consequently to be EN-
poyed in making the requisite arrangements Tor leaving
with the train, he departure OF which was to take place
on the morning after my arrival though !. da moi occur
would have BEEN the examination OF files OF the Mex
lean papers for the last five six weeks, whereby alone
my entire ignorance of all political events since the cap
ture of Vera Cruz and indeed for time previous,
could have been dspelled; for found all officers
that city engossed by the urgent demands upon their
attention, which every instant arising, that the only
intelligence elected by my inquiries was that everything
was in the utmost confusion, and that new President
had been elected in the place OF Santa Anna and in utter
disregard of his title to that Office under the election OF
last year.
No one acquainted with the history of this country
could pc surprised at such proceeding and took for
from your letter that this President is merely "Pes
ident I'D INTERIM" not intended to supersede Santa An
the latter being still 'the nominal President-in 9TH
words, the recognised head of the government.
The frantic DEGREES of the Mexican Congress which
you mention, had never before heard Of, although il
your letter had found still al Vera Cruz, it would
most certainly not have had any such effect that of
lettering me from proceeding into the interior. and
ing me TO abandon all idea that my there might
possibly be OF use In themselves, such ksome proceed
lngs could have had no force whatever upon my mind
forming estimate of the probabilities Of peace and,
my TO Judge Of the weight to which they might
have lost sight of the fact that ii from the Merican
Congress that these brute fumnations had proceeded
ves of the people. and with God and liberty" for their
motto, had allowed their country to be crushed under
domestic military tyranny, far more grinding than the
Janissary oppression, inflicted upon the Greeks by their
MOsem conquerors.
Upon despatchng to you the hurried note written few
hours after my arrival at Vera Cruz did all
tcpae, sir, that written correspondence
between or that any communication whatever would
be made your part until should have the pleasure of
congratuiatng you in person upon the brilliant success
which has attended your movements Your letter, how
ever, is which cannot remain unanswered. 1t i'm
poses upon me the duty at to reply to it by writ
ten correction OF the misconceptions which, to my very
deep regret no less than exceeding SURPRISE have from
some other, taken possession of your magma
uOn upon the receipt OF my letter.
- The first OF these importance is the evlnced by
me remarks IN the course of which you 81 see that
the Secretary of War proposes degrade by requir
ing that the commander of this army, shall defer to
you, the chief clerk of the Department of State, the
question of continuing or disseminating hostilities"
Upon this point, sir have to state, that the order
veyed TO you the letter of the Secretary OF War did
originate with that officer, but emanaed from him who
if the constitution Of the United States be anything but
army and Of the whole armed force of the United States
In whatsoever quarter OF the globe il may be directed to
operate In the present instance this fact is positively
known to mel and had it not been So | should still,
slight is my acquaintance with military affairs, have
taken for granted for do not recellect TO have
heard of instance in which important order issuing
from the War OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES all, manifesty
founded upon executive determinations respecting
foreign RELATIONSHIPS ascrbed to any other source,
sought to shelter itself under any such cover as the pre-
tence that was regarded as the mere act Of the Sece
tary of War.
Commodore Peny-to whom the same identical order
issued through the Navy Department, and with
whom had a conversation on the subect-did not in
il anything at all extraordinary This. however, may
have been caused by his being less habuay vigan of,
or less gifted with discernmen In regard to- the honor OF
his branch OF the public service Or perhaps this want OF
on ms Fart may be bs to ms not
sequence to be excessive and the influence OF the
Secretary of the Navy to be overwhelming, that for
the mere sake of aordng indulgence to the personal en-
Wy and maevolence of the latter the very vest shape
in which these base passions manifest themselves,
most important measure OF the government belonging
the Department OF State, and having reference to the
functions Of the War Department. was deliberately
planned and decided upon, and confidential diplomatic
agent despatched post haste from Washington, with
communication for the Mexican government!
Thus much in regard to the author OF the degradation
supposed by you to be involved in this order With re
spect the degradation ITSELF and the imagined necessity
of your deferring to "a military question:, the fol-
lowing passage my instructions instructions which, in
making the full explanation referred to in my first letter.
my intention to submit for your perusa will suf
fee 1t shows that 'he question of continuing dis
continuing hostilties far from having been in any
manner committed to my discretion, is one which the
President in the discharge of the duty which he owes to
country has judged proper to entirely to the
chief executive authority of government: " If the
contingency shall occur, the happening of which, as
provided by the third article of the proposed treaty. hos
tes required TO be suspended, you will, without
delay, communicate this fact to the commanders of our
land and naval forces. respectively the Secretaries of
and of the Navy having already issued orders to them
for the suspension of hostes upon the receipt of such
notice frsm yourself"
1t is here seen that the object of the ORDER thus pro-
visopally issued to the commanders of land and
val forces simply, that they shall TO wage
upon Mexico, on the of certain contingency
This contingency, as it intended that you should be
fully informed by the exhibition of the proposed treaty
Immediately upon my reaching headquarters, is, the ra
cdton By the Merriam government of defn,fice treaty
establishing peace betceen the tco countries No power or
discretion whatever, shadow OF any such thing, is
vested in with respect to the suspension OF hosti
ties So far this measure is connected with my mis-.
cannot take place. except the occurrence OF state
M A frp7fV nj