Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-04-27

transmitting letters by him | viii describe;
is fact which connects itself with otheIs.-
Knowing that parcel directed TO the editor
of the Delta would pass through Mexica
hands, where anything else would have bee
opened that fell in to the same hands, | &c
Mr. Freaner to call on me always at the las
moments previous to the departure Of his cOu
rier, and then everything that had to send b
| him was put up within his own packageAiI
his own rough printers way. In that way
chiefly. did | send whatever letters | have sen
to the United States, and every letter ever pu
into my hands by Gen. Pillow, either by hi
own hands or by messenger was forwarded b,
me on The first opportunity, except iii one sin
gle instance, which happened at Tacubaya. On
that occasion received from Gen. Pillow sew
eral letters, which were returned TO him il
consequence of my not being able to send
them by the means he wished them to 60;
among the letters received by me from Gener-
al Pillow recolect distinctly one or more let
ters addressed TO the editors of the Delta;
and one or more to the editors of the Union,
Washington; and one or more addressed to
other newspapers in the United one, | think
was in Tennessee, the other in Alabama.
twas on the 3lst of August, 1877, that re-
ceived from Gen. Pillow The note referred to
in my reply to the first question, which note
| will read. The note is marked on the back
Private" with a hand pointing TO that word,
and read as follows:
Endorsed on outSidc.-sPrivate. Mr.. Trist
Tacubaya."
On the inside Miscoac, August 81, l847.
"Priuate.-Will Mr.. Trist do me the favor
of having the enclosed letters 90 by to-mor
rows courier. have direct interest in their
going. If they cannot 90 return them to me-
GIDEON J. PILLOW.
"But do send them if possible. They are
all for my interest"
To the best of my recol lection, the package
referred to in that note contained one addressed
to the editors ofthe Delta. and one addressed
to the Union, and those letters so far as recol-
lect and believe, were forwarded in the manner
above indlcated-through Mr. Freaner. Some
time after the appearance of ''Leonidas,"
read letter addressed to Mr.. Freaner from the
principal editor of the Delta.
Gen. Pillow objected, when some discussion
arose as to the proprety of admitting the
testimony, and it was finally determined
that it was not stric tly in order and so rul
ed.
The examination in chief of MIR Trist was
closed. General Scott intima ted that he
should call the witness again on other spec-
fications.
-
prejudice against Gen. Pillow.
The witness inquired if the court wished that
question answered The court replied in the
affirmative.
with regard to prejudice, the only pre-
judice that ever existed in my mind with re-
gard TO the person that puts the question, was
prejudice in his favor. The only feelings OF
hostility which, entertained, are those arising
from studied attempt on his part to avail
himself of the position in which | had been
placed towards him by his friend, Mr. Polk, to
make me the accomplish and tool in scheme
of villany and imposture; of imposture tow
ards our whole country, and villany towards
individual officers of this army, the most auda-
cious, by far, that have any knowledge Of
General Pillow desired his question an
swered, the witness was wandering from the
point.
Al have no personal hostility or preiu-
dice against him or anybody else-my hostility
is against villany.
Q.-Have YOU or not written letter OF
letters calculated and intended to injure me-
and to whom?
Al have written no letters to any press
or any person connected with any press-or
intended to influence the mind of anv person
connected with any press. have written let
tiers, which in one sense of the word-'injure'
were calculated to make his character known
and, therefore, injure him. The first of these
letters was written to my family in Washing
ton-it contained message for Mr.. Buchan-
an, Secretary of State, dictated by feelings OF
kindness towards him-and the desire to save
him (Mr. B. } from disgrace.
The second letter was enclosed to my family,
with these Instructions Take copy of this
letter, and so soon as you know of General
Dix's arrival in Washington, direct it, seal it,
and send it to the post-ofice. One week ex-
actly from that time, send for Mr., Buchanan,
Secretary of State, and show him the copy
The letter was couched, as we'll as can recol-
lect, in the following terms ''Beware of pre-
cipitancy in your confirmation of Generals
nominations in this quarter; if you neglect this
caution, 1t can only serve to involve the Sen
ate in disgrace deep, damning, ineffable
disgRce-which no earthly power or all earth
| ly powers combined cannot avert" This was
the substance of the letter, so far as can recol-
lect, and the terms. There was postscript to
| it, desiring that, if my friend, Robert Dale
Owen, of Indiana, was in Washington to show
it to him. The third letter was long des-
patch to the Department of State-an official
paper-which was sure to go Immediately into
the hands of The President, whom | thought il
might save from the inlatuation that he was
laboring under, by startling and alarming him
if in no other way.
Q-The nomination of what general Officer
was your letter intended to affect?
At was intended to affect that of Major
Gen. Gideon ]. Pillow, whose confirmation
had no doubt every attempt would be made tc
| hurry through the Senate. deemed the gen
eral caution, however, sufficient for the pur-
pose.
Q-In the official letter alluded to, did you
use the following language:
''Of these two dupes, the one was Santa An
ma, the other, most worthy compeer of Santa
Anna, so far as he can be made so by the same
low craving for distinction, and the same hap
py facility in deviating from the ways of truth
and in being deaf to the dictates of common
Justice and common honesty while pursuing
his object. A person. in fine, whose character
in regard to the reach Of his mind, was mos
felicitously and accurately sketched by frienC
of mine, in these words 1t is such as to quail
| fly him for striving at county court bar i'll the
defence of fellow charged with horse steal
ing, particularly if the case were bad one
and required dexterous tampering with witness
es"
Although cannot pretend to be certain
of the words, have doubt he (Gen. p
Il has hpen furnished with an accurate cnn,