The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-03-26


TO successful close. The only difference which can
result from our governments having diplomatic rep
resen'ave on the spot is that the restoration OF peace
may possibly be thereby FASTENED. And the only differ
ence made by thus agents being instructed TO give notice
OF ITS restoration Qnstead of waiting ull this could
travel from Mexico Wash ngion and back again from
Washington 10 the army) is, that the calamltes OF war
would be arrested month or two or more the sooner
and that this very consideration might IN itsei De te
cause oil peace BY determining the enemy TO conclude
treaty, which otherwise he would be unwilling to enter
into. On your part, above all other men, this GER
family could not be objected TO; foI unless my memory
deceves me, our batteries before Vera Cruz in
your official despatch, reported as being In "a state OF
arfa actvity"-an epithet which struck me, at the
men as being somewhat unusual one IN artillery tech
forwards accounted for to my entire satisfaction by the
assurance which gave our country that you are eds
ingulshed for humanly"-an assurance which receives
the strongest possible couoboraton from the little word
thus Inadvertently dropped from your pen.
In word, sir the course determined upon by gov
ernmen respecting the suspension of hosiiltes wha,
any of plain unsophisticated comrpon sense would
take for granted that it must be and it is what your
exqberant fancy and overcultvated imagination would
require very skul sophisy indeed 10 make our coun-
try believe that this could be otherwise than obvious to
any man occupying your positon) not whether the i'm
mediate command and direction of the United States
forces in Mexico is 10 continue to reside in the senior Of
hcer OF the army present. TO be transferred to some
person not belonging to the army. The question is,
permitted by Gen. Winfield Scott, TO discharge It's inter-
national functions and duties in its way, and by
agents OF its own selection, when he may have taken
fancy relieve of the trouble of attending them by
himself settling the preminaries Of peace, in adjusting
the terms OF that armisce" with regard to which he
has Judged proper so vehementy to assert his own
elusive competency.
1t may be remarked, that, even if the order thus
prospectively given by the President instead of having
pated possibility, (Which it was deemed expedent and
necessary not to refer to specifically in the order) had
directed that hosites should be suspended upon the
receipt of. requirement from secret and confidential
a
contradlsngushed from merely verbal or formally
respect tor the authority of the constitution. would
such ORDER and habitually entertaining such genu
inc sentiment, at least to abstain from all pre-
mature determinations to treat II as a nullity. He
might, through love of country and forgetfulness of
SELF make his mind, should the order take effect under
circumstances rendering destructive of the public veal,
then to dsobey it. But he would scarcely show haste to
make parade of this determination. to to his army
an example of INSTRUMENTATION, by any Unnecessary dis
closure of this contingent intention, before those
circumstances had become matter of fact and of positive
knowledge and whilst they had yet ceased to be
the coinage OF an imagination ready TO impute to the
Chief Magistrate elected by counry-aided in his de-
beations by the eminent citizens whom he had called
around him for the puposea of proceeding so
mbecile to awaken surprise that the bare possibility
of its having ever been contemplated by them should
suggest itself to any sane mind.
With regard to the choice made by the President of the
person to be charged with the measures dictated by him
thus TO be given, sir do not entertain doubt but that
far better selections might have been made, and that il
has fallen upon myself solely in consequence OF the pecu
liar circumstances of the uncture Among these far bet
ter selections, the best of all perhaps would have been
the present commander of land forces in Mexico
This would have been attended with advantage, at
peace being rendered abortive by collisions in re-
gard to military rank" But if the President has proved
himself not duly sensible of this consideration, added to
the many others which should doubtless have weighed
with him in favor of the appointment referred to-
and should he hereafter have repent that he did
not make it, no part of the blame can ever attach to me
he he sin ifted hy
in any way participated in by except far my
SENT in reply 10 his own spontaneously expressed wish,
no less undesred than unsought on my part, may have
made me of the guilty
My instructions (Which as has already been stated Il
am authorized to make known to you, and had intended
to exhibit TO you show that ground exists, either for
the suppostion you have made that the object for which
have been sent here is to petition the enemy to 'con
ceie an amistce,' or for the apprehension which you
express, that the communication from the Secretary of
State of the United States Of America 10 the Mexican
Minister of Foreign Relations, may be of nature to
although this patriotic solicude, assuredly cannot
fail to be duly appreciated by that country, and most
pecally by all sckers for military subordinaon with
in the army and for the strict enforcement of the respect
due from the military to the civil authority. Equally
groundess will be found to be the superstition that
the chief clerk OF the Department of State can
have been taken from his desk, and sent to the seat
of war in the heart of the enemys country, "clohed
with military rank over" the senior officer of the army of
un renv 81 hat oee o. b s
which, in the discharge of the duties confded to me,
found it necessary address to him. point which does
not call for remark from The merits of this leu
despra specimen of delicate and refined irony-so
peculiarly appropriate too, in the reply to letter Of
fensive mne-I willingly leave to the good taste and
good feelings of our countrymen. They will not fail to
do Justice also, model of the respect due by all
public the Office and the authority of the Presi
dent OF the United States.
The communication from the Secretary Of State to the
Mexican minister, in regard TO which you express
prise, Tor perhaps indignation may be the meaning of
your note of exclamaton,) that it should have been
closed to you for transmission sealed" sealed
because it deemed proper that should bear the seal
of the Department of State OF the United States and in
this there is departure from the established practice
similar II was intended, however that you should
be made acquainted with its contents, well with
everything else relating TO the subject by of the
copy my possession and had supposed that this in
tention was sufficiently expressed in my former letter,
though from the haste in which it written and de-
spached, (and which did not allow retain copy)
il was doubtless very imperfect in than parcu
lar. But had such inmaton been given, and had no
such intention existed, the doctrine which should deny
to the government of the United States the right send
to its agents officers abroad civil military for
mission to foreign governments, any communications
which il might be deemed necessary to make and in such
state sealed or unsealed, it might be deemed appro
pirate to the OCCASION such doctrine would so far my
very limited knowledge extends, be most extraordinary
innovation in the conduct of public affairs Nothing is
more common than to send naval commanders, of any
and every rank to with 'seaed orders;' which, al
though addressed Themselves, and relating to public in
to open for weeks months thereafter; not at ALL
cept upon the of certain contingency And
if this be considered affecting their honor and
not giving them the right to take their government to