Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1848-06-08
39oIttirdl.
Reply Of the Secretary of War 10
GEN. SCOTS LAST LETTER.
WAR DEPARTMENT.,

To attempt 10 dispel the decisions which you
seem TO have long perinaclousIy cherished, nnt
to correct the errors into which you have lNIler
deycles upon me duty winch must not decline
but, in performing ii, | mean TO be as cautions, n
you profess to have been, 10 abstain from an,
"wunton discourlesy;" and hope 10 be alike sue
cessIul. Your prudent respect for the 10Th nri
Giles Of war" has induced you to hold me osteHsi
BILE for many things which you are aware are no
fairly churgeable 10 me- The device you hav,
adopted 10 assail The President, by aiming you
blows at the Secretary of War, does more credi
10 your ingenuity rs an accuser, than your char
acter as II soldier A premeditated contrlvance II
avoid responsibility does not Indicate an intention
not 10 do wrong.
The general aspect Of your letter discloses Al
evident design 10 create belief that you wer
drawn forth from your quiet position, in bureau
of this department, assigned TO the command o
sacrificed, and, that 10 accomplish this end "neg
lcc,s, disappointment, injuries, and rebukes'
"were inflicted on you, and the necessary mean
Of prosecuting the war with success withheld; or
in other words, the government, after preferrn!
you 10 any other of the gaIlan, generals within tn
range Of lis choice, had iaGored TO Illustrate il
own plans, TO bring defeat upon its own armies
and involve itself in ruin and disgrace, for an OBJ
Jet so unimportanl in its bearing upon public af
fairs. A charge so entirely preposierous, so NJ
terIy regugnant 10 all the probabilities Of human
conduct, calls for no REPUTATION.
For other purposes than 10 combat this londIy
cherished chinera, ii is proper that should 10
tce some of your specific allegations.
1t is true that, after YOU were designated 70
,ho ohiof nd of mil Ihn pr,ei,lan
was dcsirous thu, your departure should moi h
as you aege, 10 "only four days" 10 make tn,
necessary preparations n, Washington, You wcr,
not ordered away until you bad reported that these
preparations were so far completed that your pres
ence here was no longer required Then inseat
of going directly 10 Mexico, YOU were permitted
nj your own request, TO take circui,ous rou,,
through New York, and there to remain few
DAYS You s,aid at New York nearly an entire
week; and, not until the 10Th of December, Gwen
,y.six days after leaving Washngron,) did yor
reach New Orleans, where you would have NJ.
rived in seven days if You had been required IL
take the direct route This solicited indulgence
by which your arrival al New Orleans was delay
ed nearly three weeks, is Incompatible with YOU
allegation that YOU were allowed "ony four dayt
most advan,ngeously employed :" This complain
has relation to facts within your own knowledge
error therefore, is hardly reconcillabe with an,
solicltude 10 be accurate: go. o,,o,;,r
charge against the War Department, 'and may b'
regarded as indicative of those which follow,
shall make The refulaton Of it still more com
plete, for the purpose Of showing with what reck
lessncss You have performed the functions of Al
accuser aud how LILLE reliance, in the prrsen
state Of your feelings can be placed on your mem
ory You are The witness by whom your aego
ton is to be disptoved, On the day Of your de
parture from Washington, you left with me pa
per- in your own hand rriting, dated Novembc
90, 1916, with the following heading:
"Noes suggesting topics 10 he embraced in III
Secrelary's instructions TO General s., drawn u
Gin ha ste) at the request of the former"
Fl or, that paper ! extract the following para
graph;
al Uhe Secretary Of War; am pleased 10 lear
from you General Scot) that YOU have in yer,
few days already, through the general staff Of tn
army here, laid sufficient basis for the purpos
with which You are charged, and that YOU non
think ii best 10 proceed at once 10 The Southwest
in order TO organize the largest number Of troop
that can be obtained in time for the most import
expedition (he expedition agans, Vera Cruz
Here is your own most explicit admission tina
Won represented to the Secretary Of War, befor
leaving Washington, that arrangements were =
far completed, that you thought ii best 10 protee
nj once TO the army in Mexico; and yet you max
| it your opening charge agans, the Department
that you were forced away to Mexico before 20
had time for necessary preparations
| present the next charge in your own language
al handed YOU written icqaesi that one {
three of our accomplished captains, therein named
might he appointed assistant adjutnnl general, wi,
the rank Of major, for duty with me in the field
and there rms a vacancy, AT the time, for one --
NV request has never been attended to, and thu
I have had no officer of the Adj infant General
| Department with me in the campaign. Can ano,h
er instance ibe cited Of denying TO general In
chief in the field at the head of large army-o
even small one-the selection of his chief Of IN
suf'-ihat is, the chief in the department of order
and correspondence"
Were the case precisely as you have stated
to he, YOU have given too much prominence, as
matter Of complaint, 10 the Presidents refusal
be controlled in his exercise OF the appoIntin
power, BY your wishes Had there heeu vacan
oy such as YOU meption for zone Of the accom-
plished captains" you named, no one knows bot
Ter than you do that your request could not haV
ben acceded TO without violating the right ct sew
eral officers to regular promotion, and offering al
ind gnny TO all those who held the position OF as
ssiant udjuani general, with the rank OF captain
The rule of regular promotion in the stan Is as IN
flexible, and has been as uniformly observed, a
that in the line. 1t must be surprising that you
who were so deeply "shocked and distressed n
the suggestion OF appointing, BY authority oil Con
gress, "ciftSen, lieutenant general, or veslni
the President with power 10 deVolve the commanC
Of the army on major general without regard Il
priority in the date Of his commission, should, IL
your first request, after being assigned 10 com
mand, as the President 10 disregard the rights o
at least four officers as meTitorous MS 'the tire,
accomplished captains" named by you. TIT
Presidents views on the subject undoubtedly die
fer from yours. His regard for he rights Of off
GERS is moi graduated by their rank. Those of cap
tnins and major generals have equal value in hi
estimation, and M equal claim 10 his respect anc
protection. cannot adm: ihnt II is a just ground
Of censure and rel 80 against the "heHd Of The
War Department" that The President did not see
it, in order to crafty your feelings of avorilism
TO disregard the claims and violate the rights of al
the assistant adutan,s general of the rank Of cap.
tain then in commission.
But, so far as it is made ground Of complaint
and reproof, this is not the worst aspect Of The
case. You are entirely mistaken in the assertion
that there was then vacancy in the aju,ant gen.
erals staff, with the rank Of major. TO which eth.
er OF the captains recommended by you could
have been properly appointed. There was nc
such vacancy. To show the correctness OF this
statement, aud 10 demonstrate your erro', APP
peal to tho Army Register and the records OF the