Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-05-19
GENERAL SCOTT.

"Mustang," the correspondent Of the New
Orleans Delta makes the following apt and ia.
dicious comment upon the Court Martial in ses.
sion in Mexico -
1t is the general impression that the Court Of
Inquiry will get through examining all the wit.
nesses here in the course of ten DAYS or two
weeks, and will then adjourn to the United
States. wish they were gone. You have no
doubt read the proceedings with great degree
of interest; if you have not, hope you will
The proceedings of the Court are we'll worth
the study and attention of all military and civil
lawyers. The decisions Of the court remind me
of the story of raw recruit, whom the drill ser.
geant could not make recollect his right hand
from hs left In order to strengthen the mem.
DRY OF the recruit. the sergeant BACKED one
hand and told him that was the right hand
then taking hold Of both, and turning them one
over another in quick succession, asked the re-.
crnlt which was his right hand. "Why," re-.
piled the fellow, You have mixed them up so.
that cannot tell t'other from which, So il is
with the Court-they have got the decisions so
mixed up that do not believe they or any one
else can tell what has been the rule carried ont
any two days in succession, unless !, is that
Gen. Scott is always wrong, and the defence al.
ways right, let the question be what it NAV.
II precedent We're law, the decisions Of this
Court would support an attorney in argument
on any side OF any question whatever. One
day Gen Scott complains of the course of pro-
ceedlng of one of his antagonists, and the Court
says is matter over which they have no
control In the course Of a few days a com.
plant Is made that Gen. Scott has done what the
Court had said they could not control, and then
the Court decides that il is indelicate and biobl,
nm'Proper; Tut peg there, and save the mark:
Heneral Pillow asks witness for his opinions.
or the reason for his belief in a certain matter
and the court at once decides he must state il.
IN hve mlnues after. Gen. Scott asks the wines,
WHAT were ms opinions in reference to another
Hatter. objections are made-the Court in
cleared and, after some forty minutes' wise
showing, and very honest n consultation. de.
cide that the mitness may state the facts which led
N'n' 10 conclusions or opinions, but he must not
s'a'e wha' those opinions were. And SO il has
been from first to last. have endeayored to find
out what system or rule has governed this Court
vi thelr decisions, but without effect; and ] am
in military jurisprudence.
However, the evidence and documents brought
out in the course Of the trial. show most conclu.
s'vely the determined and deliberate effort on TIM
part OF the Administration to overthrow and
break down General Scott-to consign to infamv
and disgrace the warrior chief, who has accom-.
pnshed The most wonderful achievements record.
ed on the pages of American history-and who
has done all this, with the prejudices and ipAu.
ehces OF the government at home against him.
and the political aspirants in his own camp play,
ing second fiddle to them. The private Lnre,u.
and the confidential correspondence of the D.'
partments at Washington, have bseu ransacked.
ana every paper that could be brought to bear,
u'reStiy or Indirectly, on the Qnest,ons AT i.sue
has been copied and sent to the defence in hone.
to influence the decisions private corresncn.
dence to the military bureaus, written AT time
V %nen !. was impossible to forward regular OFF,
E'ai communications from here, have been pub-
llshed IN the Union, and the letters, with the
,, 0, 'he ohcers, sent to the defence, in hopes
H INA. Il { would prove that persons belonging to
zen, SCOTS general or Personal staff had writ
zen esters tor publication, o. that il was The
uee 81 olhcers to write letters for publication, or
!nat was the practice of officer. to write letters,
public prints. wy '''0 INC
Hut the Administration have made great mis-.
take, When they aimed at the obiec, Of thei,
calibre. email