The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-05-12

BlpoSly dHu ldlSely dCCuseu VI HdIlCe
and conduct unbecoming an officer and |
gentleman" in the matter Of the gen
eral order No. 349, on the subject OF
putting letters, for the newspapers at
home.
On that second point, the letter from
the Department Of Jau. l3, is more than
ingenlous-it is elaborate, subtle and |
proiound---a provisional dissertation,
with the rare merit Of teaching principles |
until now unknown to military codes and |
treaties, and of course TO all soldiers. how
ever great their experience in the field.
| have not in this place, time to do
more than hint at the fatal consequence
OF the doctrine in question. According to
the Department, any faclious junior may
at his pleasure, in the midst Of the enc
my-using the pretext of an appeal" "a
gainst his commander, insult and out
rage him to the greatest extent-though
he be the General Chief, and charged
with the conduct of the most critical Op-
eratons; aud that commandant may not
arrest the incipient mulineer, until he
shall have first laid down his own authOri.
ty and submitted himself to a trial, or
wait, at least, until distant period Of
leisure for judicial examination Of the
appeal. And this is precisely the case
under consideration. The Department,
in lis eagerness to condemn me, could not
taketime to learn of the experienced, that
the General-in- Chief, who once submits
TO an outrage, from a junior, must lay his
account to suffer the like from all the Vi
cious under him--at least down TO d rank
that may be supposed without influence
IN high quarters, beyond the army. But
this would not be the whole mischief 10
the public service. Even the great
mass of the spirited, intelligent and well
affected among his brothers il arms,
would soon reduce such commander to
utter imbecilty, by holding him in just
scorn and contempt for his recreancy to
himself and country. And are discipline
and efficiency IF no galue in tie feiH
Butt was not my request of June A.
nor report (of July 2j) SO largely
quoted from above; nor yet the appeal Of
one prOnuaciadOthat has atlength brought
down upon me the vstatons, so clearly
predicted. That appeal not doubt had
I its merits--considerng it came from an
, an erratic brOther--a deserter from the
other extreme having first made
his peace with the true faih, was bound
to slgnalize apostacy by acceptable de-
, nunciations of one-from whom. up to
Vera Cruz, he had professed, land not
, without cause,) the highest obligations.
It was there he learned from me that |
| was doomed at Washington and straight.
, way the apostate began to seek, through
f quarrel. the means of turning thai
knowledgee to his own benefit. No.
y. There was (recently) still another elemen
y associated in the work--kept as far a,
, practicable out of the letter of recall -
! an influence proceeding from the oiheI
| arrested General--who is quite willing
that it should generally be understood
, land who shall gainsay his significant ac
quieScenceD that all rewards aud punish
f ents, in this army, were, from the first
n to follow his recommendations. This
the more powerful of the prOnanciado
against No 349, well knew, at the time
a as soon knew, that he was justly obnox
q ious-not only to the animadversions Q
q that order, but to other censures of
much graver character.
In respect to this General, the lette
. of recall observes, patheticaIly, but witt
=, an acumen worthy of more than 'hasty
= notice, that some of my specifications O
y his misconduct are hardly consistent witt
"your [my official reports and commu
y nicalions."
IS Seemingly, this is most just rebuke
J. But waiting for the trials, | will her
l. briefly state, that, unfortunately, follow
n ed that Generals own reports, write
IN and oral-that my confidence lent hin
'e in advance, had been but very light
at shaken, as early as the first week in o.
10 tober- that up to that time, from our er
n trance into this city, | had been at tn
y desk, shut out from personal iHtercours
IN with my brother officers, and that it wa
not llll dllcI iH6 CODHlelutHt, tudI ldCl
as conduct and motives began to pour in VI
on me.
10 A word as to the 9Th article of war
can truly say that, in this and oth'
communications have not designed Il
= slightest dsrespect TO the Commando
o' Chief of the Army and Navy of Ii
United States. No doubt he, like m
nc self and all others, may fall into mstak,
'd' as to particular men; and cannot, havr
IL myself been behind the curtain, adm
the leading fiction that ALL acts of II
no Secretary are the acts of the Presiden
~ Yet, in my defensive statements, hay
7u offered no wanton discourtesy to the het
u, of the War Department, although tn
~ functionary is not in the remuneration
rs, the above mentioned article.
ia Closing my correspondence with Il
on Department until after the approacbir
eS1 trial. have the honor to remain re
Su pectfully, your obedient servant,
re WINFIELD SCOTT.
I'n The Hon, Secretary of War, WashiugtO
ne 'In the specifications of Gen. Worth, it is 81
NV that the outrage against Gen. Scott was comm
rs ted under the pretext and form of an appeal
Note added.