The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-04-09
WAR Department.

TO the mission OF Mr. Trist so far as it was assumed by
you TO be an interference with your military command,
part OF ms commun cations TO you, well your letter
to him of the Doth of May have been received This
respondence discloses state of things between your
sell and hun most deeply regretted, it is much to be
feared that your personal relations such may com
promise the most important national interests.
My previous letters this subject if received, must
have convinced you OF the groundessness of your sus
Cons and the precpancy OF your conduct in this whole
affair. You cannot fail to perceive that far from
having cause to complain and indulge in dsrespectful
mission the utmost care was taken to secure to you
the rights and authority OF your command, and to yield
TO all the petensons you could properly set up in any
wise belonging to It,
Regarding, as the President feels compelled to do,
your course in this matter the result of entire mis-
take as to the powers and duty OF Mr. Ist he regrets
to perceive that the conduct of Mr. r., on the other
hand, has not been free from
! No two agents OF the government could have been
charged with duties more distinct and non conflicting;
duties less likely to bring personal collision, where
any sort OF communication required. To you was
inrused the conduct of military operations; him. the
business of negotiating peace, favorable opportunity
should Only very Limited official intercourse
between you and him required and that of such
character as to preclude, supposed the posi-
bllty OF any misunderstanding He required in the
first place, to deliver to you despatch from your govern
ment to the minister of foreign relations of Mexico
When thus delivered all his agency in regard to it
ended 1t was committed to you to be forwarded not
the Presidents order to you to send it forward
communicated through him, but through this department
To this course the most over-wrought constituencies could
not properly take the slightest exception Your false
alarm in regard to the powers OF the commissioner and
the ms-step consequently takenhe first in the series of
bunders-led him 10 interfere, in unauthorized and
improper manner, with an affair exclusively your own
the transmission OF that despatch to the Mexican author
tiles From this department Mr.. Trst had instruc-
tons whatever, and well assured that he had
from the President the State Department relative to
this despatch, beyond the simple direction to place it
in your hands Whatever he may have done, further
than barely delivering it to you unauthorized.
letter, to You Of the goth Of May, 10 be the medi-
mitted, he has assumed authority not conferred on
him, and the act is dsavowed and dsapproved by the
President He had authority to give you any order
whatever The only orders from your government to
you, relating to this subject, issued through this de-
partment and contained in my dispatches of the 18th
OF Apr and these orders the President confidently ex
concluding my remarks on this point that the President
trusts that you have discovered your mistake in returning
the despatch to Mr. Trst; that you have Withdrawn it
from him. and executed the order to forward it from this
department to the Mexican authorities Should you re-
ceive from these authorities intimation of a willing
to enter upon negotiations, you will, matter OF
course apprze Mr. Trst of that fact and do what may
be deemed proper to facilitate the conclusion of peace
is not expected that you still continue under your
first strange deuson as to Mr.. Trsts instructions TO in
erfere in any with your military operations My
previous letters, and the extract furnished you from those
instructions, must have put to flight all your misconcep
tons that subject The utmost extent of the commits
soners authority bearing on this point was to give you
written notice OF the happening of contingency on
which suspension of hostties was to foow-not by
Mr. Trists ordernot by order communicated through
himbut by the order Of the President your superior Of
hcer, conveyed to you directly by the Secretary of War
This suspension q hostilites not, you fit
to assume, to be preliminary to, but TO result FROM
goations conducted to successful issue Your
receiving the first communication from Mr. TTst shut
you out, for time at least, from the information which
would have secured you from the false position in which
you 50 preciptately placed yourself You would have
learned from MIR. Trs if an interview with him had not
been obstruced that the contingency referred to in my
letter, distinct event-not underlined condition of
things, to be determined by discretont certain
ache actual ratification of dehnltive treaty of peace
by the Mexican government containing, in Of It's ar
ces, stipulation for the suspension OF hosties TO fol-
low Immediately such ratlhcaton and 1t should not be
forgotten that was the intention and expectation OF your
government that you should be well acquainted with
what constituted that contingency as the commissioner
himself before you could be required to act in reference
10 it for Mr. Trst authorized, arriving at your
headquarters to show you his instructions and the pro-
let of the treaty he was empowered to make. Had you
been less impeuous in taking umbrage at the pu
sued in this matter and less inclined to conclude with
out the least warrant for It, that your government intend
ed disespec to you, or was unmndtu OF what was due
to the safety of the gallant army under your command
the dearest interests of the nation would not have been
exposed TO receive detrment from tempered person
al alteration between two high functionares inrsted
with important public concerns in foreign country.
As past must have been discovered the Pres
dent expects that false steps both sides have been
traced and that you and Mr. Tris are now CO operating
so far cooperation is required, in your respective
spheres of duty TO bring the war to successful close by
an honorable peace.
Your letter from Puebla of the 4th of June has been
received and laid before the President Considering that
you had claimed matter of right due to your supe
or rank to be placed at the head OF armies in the
field in state OF actual war, and had earnestly besough
that position matter of favor, the President not
little surprised that, after so brief period of service
you should ask to be recalled The grounds put forth
for this change of purpose have not probably had with
him the influence you expected They are OF such an
extraordinary character to claim passing notice.
OF the many cruel Disappointment and notifications
(you) have been made TO feel since (you) left Wash
ington you have omitted to specify single one; and
whether they real imaginary, LETT in great
tanty, The sending of Mr. Trist to Mexico as com
missioner of peace and the suspicion you cherished that
you had been degraded by his being clothed with military
authority to interfere with your rghtful command, are,
probably prominent among these cruel dsapponments
and notifications" The exposition which has been
made of that shows the amenabe extent TO which
error may prevail in personal matters, where prejudice
and suspicion preoccupy the mind. Should your other
undiscosed " cruel dsappoinments and notifications
be of like unsubstant'a character, il is presumed
they are you may well conclude that they constitute no
sufficient motive with the President TO giant the indu-
gence you ask
YOU have experienced 80 long he total want of support
and sympathy on the part of the War Department" was
pIicaton and certainly cannot concede that it rests on
The slightest foundation of fact. In view of the vast d.
versy of human character, ought not, perhaps, to be
surprised at any extravaganza of self-deusion; yet
should be So in this instance if this 10 be regarded as
we'll considered allegation, rejecting the settled con-
vctons of your mind That indicated the true state OF
your feelings at the moment il written, VIII not
question but, that is all Just towards the War Depart
ment positiyeIy DENY assertion