Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-07-28


not have failed to notice their perseverlng en-
deavors te create for their party some little
capital, by representing the administration OF
Mr. Polk as hostile to Gen. Scott. They even
went so far as to charge directly that MIR. Polk
was using the power vested in his hands as
President of the Republic, for the purpose OF
iniuring the character of gallant and veteran
officer. Now, we said at the time that the
charge was enthusiastically false
The facts which the recent Court OF Inquiry
have elected, Prove beyond cavll that Mr..
Polk only did what his duty compelled him to
do, in the whole matter of the difficulty be-
tween Scott, Worth, Pillow, and others The
following remarks of the Washington Union,
we commend to the consideration of the read
er. A perusal of them will inform him of the
position which the government occupied to-
wards Gen Scott, and in other ways give him
information which ought 10 be in the posses
sion of every man -
/ owe are informed" says the Washington
Union, "lhat al-or all but one-of the cases
which were referred to the Court of Inquiry, have
been brought to conclusion; and it seems not
to be improper now to aIlude to the subject with
a view to correct erroneous impression which
the friends of Gen. Scott have industriousIy labor
ed to create that he has not been fairly treated in
this matter by the government.
1.-THE sole purpose of<our remarks will be to
point out the entire groundessness of such an inn
putation, and to show that the government have
only done, in regard TO these Investigations, what
duty required, and have done that. with the most
exact impartiaty towards all parties.
L" 1t will be recoIlected that after the glorious a.
chievemcnts of our army had carried them to the
city of Mexico. and when there was no longer an
I enemy in the field to contend with. feud broke
out among some of its principal officers. The un-
pleasant news reached u.s. that Gen. Scott had put
in arrest and confined to limits. Gems. Worth and
= Piaw and Col. Duncan-the two former next in
rank himself, and the third equal in public es-
timation to officer of the highest rank, on &C.
count of most gallant services.
"Gen. Scott sent charges to the government q.
gainst each of these officers and asked for Court
y Martial to try them. At the same time, COM
plant received by the government from Gen
Worth in the nature of charge against General
y Scott.
"The government preferred-for reasons stated
). in the public documents already published, and
which must, by all falr-minded readers, be deemed
satsfactory-to refer all these matters of recpro-
q cal complaint and accusation, to Court of Inqui
A y, which was accordingly organized and sent to
!. Mexico for that purpose. As Gen. SCOTS charge
q against Gen. Worth was based on Gen. WORTH
charge against him it decided 10 be proper t.
investigate that charge before investigating Gen
SCOTS charges and complaints against Genera
u Worth, founded upon it. This order of proceed
l. ing at first complained of as unfair toward
| hOfa ftprf hn re fho lotto
-, of the Secretary of War. of the 18th of January
- showing the reason FIR the course adopted we ar,
+ not that the complaint has been reiterated
a Sure we are that in fairness it could not be-
,r "When the parties appeared in court in Mexi
CO, Gen. Scott. in open court, expressed a wish t
~ withdraw his charges against COL Duncan ant
l. Gen. Worth expressed like wish in regard to hi
st charges against Gen. Scott. The court suspende,
all proceedings in these two until they cou
receive the direction of the government.
"a GAS the government had had no agency what
ever in having any of the charges brought forward
and it did not believe that the matters involved
e in them contained anything affecting the publ
r. interest as to demand an investigation in oppos
as ton 10 the wishes of those ty whom they wer
preferred. it refused to direct further proceeding:
- and sanctioned the withdrawal. The charges pre-
s. ferred againt Gen. Pillow were then the only mat
a. ter before the court. There q long and scru
tinizng investigation by the court into these char
ges, commenced in Mexico, adjourned to the Uni
- ted States, and terminated at Frederick.
y con this investigation, Gen. Pillow was tn
er accused, and Gen. Scott was the accuser, tn
70 prosecutor, and was himself examined as one {
49, the witnesses; and yet, strange to say, the i'm
+ preston artfuy made on many honest mind
r, that all this time Gen. Scott was on trial by tn
orders of an ungrateful and prosecuting govern
r. ment!
~. AFTER Gen. Worth had withdrawn his charge
in against Gen. Scott, the objection to proceeding
~ aginst Gen. Worth was removed and as soon q
mr. that fact brought to the knowledge of the &c
~ vernment. Gen. SCOTS charges against him wer
sent to the same court for investigations and char
IA ges which Gen. Pillow had in the meantime file
IA against Gen. Scott also sent to tie same tr
10 bunal. The orders of the government in thes
Ell latter were not received by the court until
ri had reached the United States.
10 "The investigation of Gen. SCOTS charges =
he gainst Gen. Pillow having Gas he conceved) bro
up for investigation most of the matters embrace
in his charges against Gen. Scott, he (Gen. P.
lie communicated to the government his determine
Mt ton not to prosecute these charges, considering
H. that he had, in the evidence and documents pre-
n. duced in the investigation of Gen. SCOTS charge
re against him. vindicaed his character the point
or Scott and other accusers.
IN "Gen. Pillow having thus, in effect, withdraw
his charges in the same manner as Gen. Scott ha
~ Withdrawn those he had preferred against Go
w Duncan, the government felt bound 10 pursue tn
same course in the latter case that it did in tn
former and discharged the court from the conside
MS ration of these charges against Gen. Scott.
he "The only remaining cause now before the cou
is is Gen. SCOTS charges against Gen. WORTH an
II it is believed the same will be taken in tha
~ case as in the case of Col Duncan and the others
rs "Such, we believe, from the best informatio
of which we obtain the subject. is correc
h. history of the proceedings of the court of incur,
and such the only agency and participation th
l0 government has had III these matters. 1t seem
IN that has felt it to be its duty where officers
a high-the hghest-rank have made charges t
:, afford the means of having them fairly investiga
ted but when a fair opportunity has been pre-
IN sented of putting cad to the investigations wit
i'll the consent of the accusing party, it has done 81
o. 1t does appear to us that it evinces strange pei
version of mind to see in any of the acts Of tn
government in all these matters any-the slight
, est-foundation for an accusation of unfrlendnes
= or unfairness towards Gen. Scott.
" Z" In the only case that has been tried and bro
IS to conclusion. be the and the prose
IL cutor in person he had all the incidental advar
l. tages derived from his high station and infuenc
in the army-from his talents and experience
from the extraordinary privilege of conducting tn
n investigation in person. and of summing up tn
I'd testimony; this latter being privilege very rare
To- F1toI oil 0lxy - l.