Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-03-25
CORRESPONDENCE WITH GENERAL SCOTT
AND GENERAL TAYLOR.
HOUSE OF Observation-Disclosures 81, ls4s

Mr. CLINGMAN rose as soon as the Journal had beer
read 10 privileged motion. He moved econside
the of yesterday by which the House had instructed th
Committee Printing inquire into the expediency Of print
ing number of the Presidents message and
respondence OF Gen. Scott with the Department Of Wa
which accompanied it.
such notion and to justify his prediction yesterday,
when he expressed his apprehension that this correspondence
would not be full Since that time he had ascertaned wha
was the character OF this correspondence, for if
full he did not want any copies of it. He had ooket
over that correspondence briefly had been placed il
the hands Of the printer, and he sorry say that biz
worst fears realized He found that not a ul
statement of the correspondence. He found only thai
some important letters omitted altogether but that
some letters extracts given from the mdde of Others
they furnished with the end and IN some they had
the beginning and the end, but middle Hehad doubt
that those gentlemen who furnished this correspondence
ercsed the discretion given them very honestly under the
resolution Of this House which called for it, Perhaps the
resolution justified them in keeping back the documents
tire for doubt those gentlemen honestly thought that by
sustaining the persons IN power they doing tina,
which important the welfare of this country Any
thing which had the tendency lower the present Admins
traon in tbs public estimation 10 overthrow it, they doubt
less honestly thought detrimental to the public interest
That he would pretend dispute. But he wished
call the attention of The House this correspondence and
show that it imperfect to be to the country.
There nothing in this whole correspondence that he
deemed injurious Gen. Scott the contrary, he had
doubt it would elevate Gen. Scott, and place him that ia
voabe ground which he ought stand and which he
would stand when the whole facts were known
But before he remarked this point of the subject and
proceeded to call the attention the House TO one or two I'M
portant documents he wished that he al been brought
TO the conclusion which he had arrived respecting the man
agement of this from peusa OF these documenshis
conclusion was that the had been neggenty managed
by the Administration and that all the merit OF 1t was due to
generals.
Mr.. HOUSTON, Of Alabama, question of order.
He desired to know whether the Speaker considered in or
der indulge a Of irrelevant debate motion TO
reconsider and be supposed the gentleman from North Ca
roIna would admit that his Of remark irrelevant.
Mr. CLINGMAN said he speaking the matters
baced in this correspondence and the dispatches which had
passed between Department and Generals and this he
supposed was in order
Mr.. HOUSTON, of Alabama said the gentleman dis.
cussng the which the President and the Secretary
Of War had managed the with Mexico If however, the
whole question be thrown open-f both sides
be heard-if the Speaker deemed in oder motion
reconsider ordering the printing of certain number Of
copies Of certain document 10 into general debate, let
il be So
The SPEAKER replied that these motions to print and to
reconsider opened the general embraced in the doc
ments be printed but the gentleman from North Carolina
must confne himself TO that question.
Mr. CLINGMAN said he would confne himself to this
correspondence Well them they had here correspondence
IN compliance with call Of this House, which purpored
give the whole of General SCOTS dispatches well the
correspondence of General Taylor He about dis
the origin OF this war-the House had decided that
unconstiutonaly and unnecessarily begun-but he in
tended 10 advert facts shown BY this correspondence which,
TO his mind, made it appear that this Administration had
been guilty Of gross negligence in not furnishing officers
with what had undertaken TO furnish and he intended TO
comment in which General Taylor had been
left in Mexico He knew not that the country fully
understood this matter, and be should therefore make
observations the extraordinary which the Depart
ment had pursued.
He would here remark that this correspondence furnish
ed By the President which purpored be The correspondence
and dispatches Of Gen. Scott did contain important
document in which embraced the whole plan Of the
paign which Cen Scott Mexico execute. That
omitted, and for what reason He would here say tina,
while the Administration had pursued lis miserable cuntemp
he in the Of this that what had beer
well done had been done by officers aud the amy under
their command, and the Administration, while apparently
dertakng furnish all the correspondence OF Gen Scott
wei ihat important not 10 send IN Gen SCOTS plan the
campaign He did intend go into animation
discussion Of these dispatches this but this he would
say, that Gen. SCOTS plan had been carried out, should
long have end Of this The Administration
Lad this plan June Jolly and if had been carried
might have had termination Of this twelve months
er than have But the Administration did think
proper to adopt and to adhere Gen Scots pan and yet,
on looking Gen. SCOTS correspondence recently he did
not find single suggestion IL that had been verified by
facts II only had turned out he told them that il
uneers sent out they would die theeas they did, de
pnved Of tents shelter hem well Of other
Il fe-but that onward movement could be made for
OF horses and the Of transportation IL only the
other day that he heard gentlemen in the other wing Of
capitol denouncing Gen. Taylor for advancing Monterey
with from SIX eight thousand men, when had twenty
thousand men IN the valley Of the Rio Grande. Now ii the
correspondence all published would be seen that the
Administration obliged him undertake movement but
failed % furnish him with horses wagons the
,aon OF his troops II Gen. Tayor had been furnished with
proper he would have captured the eemy al Monterey
without the heavy loss he sustained thus have escaped
the vote Of Of this House session and the
dispatches would show that through that entire campaign
Gen. TsyoIwas crippled 10 consequence the Va Depart
ment not having furnished him with the Of accomplish
ing all be desired But the War Department seeing that the
had been conducted By Gen. Taylor with the nei
Gent at his disposal as, though resulting sere,
q brilliant victories, to give hope d early peace
thought again TO consult Gen. Scott, who then
this c and al length 10 take hs counsel future
lions Gen. Scott accordingly elaborated plan Of cam
pagn which the Administration has thought proper
give 70 The pubic In that plan Gen. Scott loresaw all III
contingencies which would arise.
He wished 70 60 Vera Cruz with A. 600 men, and b,
expected y capture it in certain time He then inenlcC
10 march forward 70 Jalapa, and 10000 additional troop
were 70 be furnished him for that purpose Gen Scott pre-
erred regulars for hs expedition which he compelled
take from Gen Taylor but after that had been dec
ded upon, the Administration had reinforce Gen
Taylor as they promised do, by raising his command
10000 men long before the battle Of Buena VISTA II came
then, with bad the Administration an,
friends 70 censure Gen Scott and Gen. Taylor, when the,
mad JAILED todo that which they had promised enable hos
generals 70 carry on their operations.
But alter Ten Scott bad gpne 10 Vera Cruz and succeed
Cd 10 capturing that city, what the step Of this Ad
minsra,on j. was attempt 10 supersedc him by Lieu
tenant General The Administration was willing TO LEI Gen
20 E.,,( q, I'D