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

IExtractl
Mr. Buchanan to Mr.. Trist
mo 81 DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, July 10, 1s47.
SIR: A duplicate of your No. a. dated 2lst OF May
s47 together with copy of the first ten pages OF your
letter to General Scott OF the 9th OF NAV, and OF your
partmen on the 2sth ultimo Your No g. of the 81 OF
June, ls47, also received on the 29h ultimo but
your No G, indeed, there be such number) has moi
could have found time to prepare and transmit copies
of your letters General Scott of the 9th and 10th of
May with the original of your despatch No a. In that
event. they would have been received nearly month
ler and even now, have only part of your letter to
him of the 9th OF May General SCOTS these
letters dated at Pueba the goth of May has been
ceived at the War Department, from which have OBJ
tanned copy.
These documents have produced feelings OF deep
LITIGATION and disappointment in the mind of the Pres-
dent is amenabe to reflect that the restoration of
peace may have been defeated or delayed by violent
and embttered personal quarrel between two function
aries of the government in the enemys country, and
whilst the war s raging
You do not sufficiently to have reflected that you
ntrused with no power whatever the dispo-
stion OF my communication OF the 18th of April last TO
the Mexican Minister tor Foreign Affairs, except that OF
mere bearer OF dispatches. After it had reached the
hands OF General Scott your agency in regard to it should
have terminated and ought to have been resumed
His refusal omission to forward that communication to
the place OF its destination, in obedience to the military
order of the President, through the Secretary of War,
question in manner connected with your mis-
sion 1t was therefore, with regret that the President
discovered from your letter to the General of the goth
of May that you had consented to take back this
muncaon from his possession, and to discre-
ton which had not been delegated, in regard to the APP
propate time for forwarding it to the Mexican minister
for foreign affairs You say to the general that
shall be enabled to ascertain that the condition OF the
of this country is such as TO admit of its der
livery it will be again placed in the hands of the general
in-chief of our forces for that purpose"
You have thus done much TO relieve General Scott
from the responsibility of disobeyng the order commu
nicated him through the Secretary OF War and have
in effect, without any authority undertaken to decide
transmit my letter 10 the Mexican minister for foreign
affairs In this decision the President
That letter an to the letter of Mr. Monas
terio myself dated the 22d of February last and
required, not only by courtesy but the highest pub
lie considerations Its immediate delivery the Mexican
minister for foreign affairs could have done no possible
harm, and might have been productive Of much positive
the victory of Cerro Gordo, from the state of public feel
ing then existing in the city of Mexico il might, and prob
ably would have been productive OF the happest
quences. But, whether or not the time OF its delivery
question not left to your discretion.
The greatest pains taken, in framing your in
sructons to prevent all possible interference on your
part with the appropriate military duties of General
Scott II was partly to convince him of this fact that
you authorized to exhibit these instructions to him.
together with the projet of the treaty Your authority
80 far he concerned, limited to the single
point OF giving him notice that the contingency had oc-
CURED, 10 wit the ratification OF the treaty by the Mexi
can government con the happening OF which, as pro-
vided by the third article, hoses required to be
suspended" The ratification of such treaty by Mexi-
co. according the spirit of the act Of Congress Of the
Sd Of March, ls47, making further appropriation to