The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-04-16

est he s'the entire truth of the il has
made for again have hesitation IN mailing the spu
| rious coin TO the counter.
Upon this the Courier finding itself deep in the OF
convicted falsehood brazened the matter out by adon
ing the issue as follows
| From the Courier Enquirer of July Is.
$50 far its Che Unons) statements hitherto made can
be regarded denas pledge ourselves whenever the
documents in regard the matter are published 10 prove
that the Union has fahsd facts, either by design or
through Ignorance the with which processes to
be acquainted"
The question which here arises and which must be
tried by the record is simply this Did the administration
give Mr. Trst authority to interfere with General SCOTS
military command; first, by placing both the General
and his army under the supreme command" of Mr. Trs
second by giving MIR. Trst power to conclude arms-
tice" or, third by "instrucng General Scott to obey
the orders of Mr. Tst if they had been the orders OF
the President himself ?" If the administration did this,
then zoe alsfed the facts" the Courier alleges II
the administration did not do this then the Courier OF
July sh, ls47, contains in its editorial article above cited
three gross and monstrous lies.
| To settle this question, them for all, we quote
the record We begin with the following extract from
the admirable and most conclusive letter OF the Secretary
of War to General Scott under date of July ~, lSa7.
touches and settles each of the points issue between
and the Courer-the alleged right OF Mr. Trist TO inter
fere in SCOTS military command, his alleged right to
conclude misee and his alleged to issue orders,
to be obeyed by Scott if they the orders OF the
President.
"Regarding, as the President feels compelled to do,
your course in this matter as the result of an entire mis-
take the powers and duty OF Mr. Trst, he regrets
to perceive that the conduct of Mr. t., on the other
hand, has not been free from
"NO two agents OF the government could have been
charged with duties more distinct and non conflicting;
duties less likely to bring personal collision, where
any sort OF communication was required 10 you '0as
Entrusted The conduct Of military operat'ons to hm, the
business OF negotiating apeace, IF favorable opportunity
should occur. Only very limited official intercourse
between you and him was required and that was of such
character to preclude 1t supposed the posi-
blity OF any misunderstanding. He required in the
first place. TO deliver to you despatch from your govern
When thus delivered, all his agency regard 10 tcas
ended II committed 10 you to be torucarded; not
the Presidents order to you to send forpard was
communicated through him, but through h,s department.
To this course the most overwrought constituencies could
not properly take The slightest exception. Your false
alarm in regard to the powers of the commissioner and
the msstep consequently akenthe first in the series OF
bunders-led him to interfere in unauthorized and
improper manner with affair exclusively your
the transmission of that despatch to the Mexican author
tiles From this department Mr. Trist had instruc-
tons whatever, and well assured that he had none
from the President the State Department. relative to
in your hands Whatever he may have done, further
than barely delivering it to you, was unauthorized
In undertaking, as he appears 70 have done, in his
um through which orders TO you were to be trans
med, he has assumed authority mot conferred on
him, and the act IS daro,ed and disapproUed bu the
President. He had authority to giue you any order
,chatever The only orders from your government to
you, relating to this subject, rere issued through this de;
partment and are contained my dispatches Of the l4M
of April and these orders the President confidently
peced you to execute proper that should say in
concluding my remarks on this point, that the President
trusts that you have discovered your mistake in returning
the despatch Mr. Trst; that you have withdrawn il
from him, and executed the order to forward from this
) department to the Mexican authorities Should you
ceive from these authorities lntimation OF willing
ness to enter upon negotiations, you WILL as matter OF
course, apprze Mr. Trist of that fact and do what may
be deemed proper facilitate the conclusion of peace.
at is not expected that you still continue under your
first strange delsion to Mr. Trisfs instructions to
tetere any manner ach your military operations My
tons on that subject tie utmost extent of the comm-
soners authority bearing on this point tcas to glue you
lS" s s1psno s "G& oSsess a '3sess
Mr. Trists order-nol By order communicated through
4m-bM by the Order Of the Prssdsat your superior g?
This suspension Of hosi'es acas not as you sato tit
10 assume, to be preliminary to- BIT to result from ne
receiving the first mmunicaton from Mr. TIs shut
you out for time at least, from the information which
would have secured you from the false position in which
learned from Mr. Trust an anteruiew Nth him had not
been obsruetea Ma the Contingency referred to u my
things, to be determined by discretion; 1t acas certain
factthe actual ratification Of defnitiue treaty Of peace
by the Mexican government, containing al one Of its
tcies, stipulation for the suspension Of hoStiles to fol-
loW Immediately such ratification and should not be
forgotten that the intention and expectation Of your
government that you should be nell acquainted tyh
rhat constituted that contingency the commissioner
himself before you could be required to act reference
to it for Mr. Tris authorized, arriuing at your
Headquarters to show you his instructions, and e proet
of tie treaty he acaS empowered to make. Had you
been less impeuous taking umbrage at the pur
sued in this matter, and less inclined to conclude with
out the least warrant for it, that your government intend
ed disrespec to you, unmlndful OF what due
to the safety of the gallant army under your command
the dearest interests of the nation would not have been
exposed to receive dement from i'll tempered person
al alteration between two high uncionaries intrusted
with important public concerns in foreign country
Gas past smust have been discovered, the Pres
dent expects that false steps both sides have been
traced and that you and Mr. Trst operating
so far cooperation is required, in your respective
spheres of duty to bring the to successful close by
an honorable peace"
This is absolutely conclusive of the whole question:
and demonstrates beyond all possibility OF cav the utter
fasehood of all the Courer's allegations But if any
thing more be wanting to. fiji the fact OF the Couriers
fasehood it may be found in the following extract from
previous letter of the Secretary of War to General
Scott in reference the matter under date of May
3lst, 1S47:
| GA still more serious misconcepton has seized your
mind in regard to armisice. Before this tune il is
will he IN