The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-04-29

We hope to lay this correspondence (now ordered
to be printed by the House OF Representatives. before
our readers In our next publication We are induced to
lose no time In So doing, not only because of the interest
and Importance OF the documents themselves but also by
reason OF the most extraordinary debate in the House
upon the subject, which we publish this morning This
debate fully developes of the most audacious and
parefaced attempts on the part of wing members
supposed to be in the confidence of General Scott and
friendly to his aspirations for the pesdencyto sup
press and smother up the dark important official docu
mens called for by themselves that we have ever heard
Of We commend the whole proceeding to the attention
Of the people.
Ihree or four weeks since, appears, General
Scott, after his suspension from the chief command OF
the army, sent on to the government Washington in
the form OF an official despatch, elaborate and
lent attack upon the whole of the administration
IN the conduct OF the war; from the commencement
OF the Vera Cruz expedition up to the time of the
session OF the court of inquiry in Mexico This
letter does not purport to be an answer to any
specific communication from the Secretary of War; to
whom it is addressed Nor does it profess to look to
any future action either Of the government Of General
Scott, in the transaction of the public business 1t is on
its face simply bill of indictment against the War De-
parment, drawn up and sent forward by General Scott
at his leisure and apparently order to be used their
discretion by his friends in Congress- No sooner did
this official despatch reach the War Department than
appears, like other similar communications, by
singular process certainly not by any agency of
the administration its friends) TO have become known
some of the wings in Congress We know positively
that parts OF ii were known. We fully believe and
upon good grounds, that copy of the whole document
al, han 49,
indeed the main parts OF the letter before in two
newspapersthe of Thursday, from Philadelphia. and
the other of Friday from Batmore--though it not
even ordered to be printed by the House till Thursday
evening" and not sent in to the House till the day before
Thus appzed of the existence and contents OF this let
ter the wings of the House, on the 18th instant-wth
precipitation entirely without precedent as without pro-
prietyproceeded pass resolution calling for its pub
LEGATION. The motive of their unusual haste obvious
They knew the accusaory character OF the letter, and
the partisan purpose which twas fitted to serve They
knew. too that its charges would be replied to and refu
ted by the Secretary of Wars and they were warned by
the whole OF the Secretays correspondence with
Gen Scott-from the date of the famous 'hasty" letter
down to the despatch Of the War Department OF the 18th
of July in relation Mr. Trists misson-that the Cen
erals attacks upon the War Department wont to
look much after they had been replied to than be-
fore TO avoid this difficulty, they resorted to ricka
trick at once shallow and discredabe. They hurried
their call for the Generals letter through the House,
they supposed, before any reply to it could be written
But they sadly mistaken Even before a reason
able time after the passage of their resolution had elapsed
for copying the correspondence called for the Secetays
reply had been written and sent off, and the resolu-
ton had been, on democratic motion, amended to
call terms for that reply was, of course sent in with
the rest Here was bad business. The wing trick had
failed How disastrous the failure might prove to their
partisan designs, no could tell but past expert
ence gave them oHlinous warning. Their first step
in their tribuation to doubt and delay about
printing the correspondence at all. Mr.. Cngman,
who had called for General SCOTS letter. manfesy in
order to publish it., suggested that the documents
should not be ordered to be printed till he could have
time to inspect them. The inspection made and
the debate which publish shows that its result
by no means satisfactory The dreaded letter of the
Secretary was there and rather too cogent and
elusive TO suit their purposes And then came attempt
to trick and deceive the peopleto smother up public
documents callel for by the House, and keep the
people in the dark to the doings OF their agentsto
which do not remember single parallel in unblush-
ing efrontery even in the annals OF wing partisanshp
Will it be believed that the in this matter were
foohardy enough to move the striking out from the pub
lished document of the whole reply of the Secretary,
after it had been specially called for in their resolution
Yet such is the fact Mr. Hilliard moved to amend the
resolution directing the printing of the document by the
addition OF the following words:
Excepting, however, from printing, letter found
among said documents signed by the Secretary OF War;
and purporng to have been written to Major General
Scott four days the passage of the resolution calling
Tor the correspondence"
The pretex which this audacious proposition was
based is, if possible more absurd than the proposition
itself It is that the Secretarys reply OF fortyodd
pages OF manuscript bears date of the 2ls Aprifour
DAYS later than the resolution calling for its transmission to
the House In order to make his position somewhat less
preposterous MIR Hilliard assumed that the writing Of
the letter was commenced by the Secretary on the 2ls
and that was finished and sent off between the 2lst and
the day not he says the 27h, but the 25h) when il
was communicated to the House. MIR. Hlliard makes
this assumption avowe1y without shadow Of proof;
and having made due inquiry into the matter, we can in
form him that he is wholly in the wrong The letter was
finished before the ols and sent off Immediately af
ter Now, the wings choose to suppose that the Sec
rotary of War began this document Of nearly fifty pages
requiring as did for its composition careful consuta
ton OF all previous correspondence with Gen Scots