The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-04-12
The Court Of Inquiry.

The Court of Inquiry.
| lrrcm the New Orleans Crs.ssnt City. March
have every & 70 ls0i WITH
rather find in Its condsct deeds to praise than to
demnand 1t would not only be gratifying to our own
feelings but inclined to think beneficial to the
country in the matters connected with the Mexican
less dscoverabe which required spologyless
that must meet with general censvre With Q just
as was ever wagsd by nation crowned with deeds
glorious ever heroes achieved admiring millions
the war unpopular with an overwhslmisg majority in
Congress ut the bsgnniag Of the wsr-wth party in
opposition pursuing course which; flet alone must
inevitably have led to its dismem erment aud aun
hilation-the administration has nevertheless found
to destroy its majority, and to give this opposition
national legislature With loud prote Of q de-
termination to prosecue the contest until We had obtain
ed indemnity the past and security for the future
the same administration has been apparently glad
enough 10 patch peace with feeble government In
which all the indemnity stipulated for the enemy. and
from which there is the shadow of hope for security
to ourselves.
These results, little 10 be expected must have had
en- adequate cause-snd this can only fud Ia
the Of the President and his advisers MIR Polk
not the for the crisis aud those by whom
If from the time this began ne hsa made use
of the means under his control to make 1t big and
short onswi he had determined to Conquer peace" in
stead OF wasting bis time to beg whole thing
would before this have been settled he had dsdained
the attempt to concste factions ifhe had shifted
his course to suit the popular camor Of tbs hours IL
had not imagined that war and conquest might take
place phianthropic principles, ana made, from the
veey start war upon the people and institutions of Mez
ico and appealed for his justification the captious
criticisms and noisy ofdemaxogues to the
common sense and bold and generou. sympathies
of tho American people war would have bson aush
ed with glory to and advantage to
and he, the President would have been this day the
most deservedly popular In tae republic But the
course pursued has teen very dfsrent from this
and the administration and the country respng its
Ola piece With the rest of the great Mexican blum
deror by that name we are forced to designate the
which followed the passage Of tps Rio Gsnds tbs
Court of Inquiry sitting In Mexico the detailed
proceedings OF which so far received, published
In our paper of yesterday. From what gather
from these proceedings and from other sources the Of
noers Of the army afflicted with species of insanity
which we had hoped would be confined to few small
politicians ut home whe have been lRboring under 1t
the last year This madness manfess itself in affecting
the patient with singular deluson that every successful
General must DO President or at least candidate for
the Presidency The prevalence Of this epidemic has
been most disastrous in its effects II causes grave sage
most deserving Of appreciation; and like school girls
under the combined action of vanity and jealousy to
sander, traduce, and undermine each other II this
species of fantasy that has made Worth change his po
tics break up the friendships of thirty years intrigue
ty, dice the evil he has wrought to man who
has been his protector and benecor since he entered
other Bob.d has caused him to lose ali the respsct
which he might have deserved for undoubted bravery
and to draw upon himself the ridiculs and contempt
which follow tho exposure Of trickery fasehood and
raud And General Scott himself altos ether free
from the mental hsluoinaton with which his subordi
mates are afsotsd and it ss source of the deepest
greet to those who admire his did military genius
and properly appreciate the real elevation his charac
ter to witness the many follies into which childish
ambition and an overweening love of praise have led
him. To this moral epidemic among the officers of our
army may be ascribed all their qusrrels and msunder
standings-this is at the foundation Of the charges
which have led to the present Court of Inquiry.
Aware of the true state Of the the head Of the
Department must have beep would that the War
worst policy possible adopted in giving order
a." Court Of Inquiry" Such course oonld by posi-
increase and continue the i'll feeling Such was its ma
tura such has been its actual result If the charges
serious nature, and made responsible authority they
should have been Immediately recalled and triea-one
and abby proper court martial But instead of that
when the commander In chief himself prefers charges
against three of his subordinates, and for
MARTIAL and of the subordinates brings counter
charges agsius. him. the request Of the latter appears
only be heededthe leader Of the army is suspended
from his command and Kept in state partial disgrace
While Court Of who.. dsliSrations and cep
illusions will amount to nothing sitting in front Of
the for other effective purpose than give the Mex
the officers of the army upon whose union and harmony
the very existence of force depends in hostile COLI
dination through every division of the troops.
The enemye country and the time of war is neither
Ior farce it IT, however seriously it may have been in
tended and however serious may be its u,ooked for
consequences What can be more ridiculous than the
display OF General Worth ia refusing TO prosecute the
charges which he had brought against the commander
nche The udicrous so strongly predominates in the
conduct Of the Hero OF Monterey" that should be
tempted to laugh, did we not remember, that these
charges led to the suspension Of his superior and had
he not at the time he withdrew them than nsnua
ted that by such suspenion he had attained bis object
General Scott himself hid not fail ia give point to the
jest by refusing to proceed against Duncan and Pillow
although in his case We may find much 10 excuse. But
the richest OF that in which General
Pillow figured. This worthy soldier has the faculty OF
making himself ridiculous on all occasions, and he did
not fail In this instance readers already aware
in displaying to the full his peculiar talent But anus
ing the whole thing may be- it was repeat neither
the time the place foe the perpeaou Of so serious
sjoke Our government is endesvoring to get up rt
OF peace with the enemy but they refused similar
terms to those offered at the moment of overthrow
and despsr, when conquerins army strong uni
ted and flushed with victory will they yield to them
when they have recovered fir their panic, and
they have good to believe that their country
Is occupied by insubordinate army, commanded by
rival and inimcal GERS Such state of things IN
Mexican army would lead to bloodshea and revolution
unreasonable to suppose, that the Mexicans will
ticpate similar results in and act accordingly ?!
Will this opinion increase ,chsnces Of peacs Or
will not rather tend to proong the present very unde
srsble state OF dubious hostility until disease among
our troops, and dissensons among officers,
may induce . commencement Of active warfare with
i l-Ln