Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-04-21
THF RICHMOND ENQUIRER.

In a0QltlOn W TIC neWs puoiiouo
that Santa Anna is certainly about to leave
Mexico, and that the prospects of a ratihcauoh
of the amended Treaty by the Mexican ION
gress are very favorable, the New Orleans pica-
yuno contains the proceedings on the s'ztn oay
of the Court of Enquiry, which is SO unfortunate
to the country and all the parties concerned
General Pillows case being under examination
Mr.. Trist gave his testimony at length. lie DE-
lievcd the nterlineations in the paper, No. i
Gntendcd to be sent to the Delta to be IN Ge-
neral Pillows hand writing; as also three inter-
lincations in the "Leonidas" letter. he (Mr.
T) had been in the habit Of sending for Gen.
p. letters 10 The United States; and on one oc-
casion letters 10 the Delta, Washington Union,
and two other papers in Tennessee and Alabama
He read a private note from Gen. r, urging
him 10 send the letters, which Ger. 7. says =
have a direct interest in their going. lhey are
all for my benefit" Being asked by Gen. l. II
there were not in the package a letter 10 MIS-
p. and letters to the wives Of other officers, MT
T. said he did not recollct any letter for a lady
but TO Mrs. P. The letters to the editors were
in a larger, palmer and better hand than zen.
P.'s. MIR. T. said he had read TO General ocot'
the private note of Gen. P, and had handed
TO Gen. S. the paper No. !, which had been lett
with him BY Mr.. Freaner. Being questioned,
Mr.. T. said that if he ever had any prejudice
in regard to Gen. p, it was in his favor. Ast
any "hostility" he felt, it arose "from a Studied
attempt of Gen. P. to "avail himself OF the 20.
sition in which ! had been placed towards him
BY his friend, Mr.. Polk, to make me The accom-,
plice and tool in a scheme Of vlllainy and imPos'
ture-of imposture towards our whole country,
and y%illainy towards individual officers OF this
army, the most audacious by far that have any
knowledge Of"
In reply 10 Gen. P.'s question, Mr.. TIist said:
IL have written letters, which in one sense OF
The word-"injure"-were calculated 10 make
his character known, and, therefore, 10 inIure
him. The first OF these letters was written 10 my
family in Westinghouse contained a message
for Mr.. Buchanan, Secretary OF State, dictated
BY feelings OF kindness towards him-and the de-
sire to save him (Mr. b. from disgrace That
message was
Oeu, l NO odul III li-SsHSS y NV ea'iSa
for. The witness then passed On 10 the second
letter, and continued
The second letter, in order OF dale, so far as |
can recullecl, was written about hall-pasl three
o'clock in the morning preceding the departure
OF the train by which Gems. Quitman aud Shields
left hereafter | had been al work all day anu
all night wiring. II was addressed 10 him SOLE
" because he was The only member OF the mill
tary committee in that body whose name ! knew.
Il was enclosed 10 my family, with these inslruc,
lions: Take a copy OF this letter, and so soon as
you know OF Gen. Dix's arrival in Washington,
direct il, seal il, and send ii 10 the post ofhee.-
One week exactly after that lime, send Tor MI.
Buchanan, Secretary Of Stale, and show him The
copy." The letter was couchei, as well as | can
r~ecullecr, in the following terms: beware OF pre-
c"ipilancy in your confirmation OF Generals NOM
nations in this quarter; if you neglect this eau
lion, il can only serve 10 involve the Senate IN a
disgrace-a deep, damnine, inefiable disgrace
which no earthly power, or all earthly powers
combined, can avert" This was the substance
of The letter, so far as l can recollecI, and the
terms. There was a postscript TO II, desiring
that, if my friend, Robert Dale Owen, OF India
ma, was in Washington, 10 show tito him; Inc
third letter was a long despatch 10 The Depart.
ment Of Stale-an official paper--which was
sure 10 go Immediately into The hands OF The Pre-
/ SluGul, MHUh ! tLA0a6hs -
ialualion that he was laboiing under, by START
ling and alarming him, il in no other way.
The general officer alluded 10, Mr.. t. said, was
Gen. Pillow. Gen. P. read extracts from Mr..
rs official letter 10 State Department, 10 The &C
curacy al which Mr.. L. assented. In these eX-
tracts Gen. P. is described as a "mcst worthy
compeer OF Santa Anna" with "the same low
craving for distinction, the same happy facility IN
d~eyiatins from the ways OF trulh"-as "havlns
given himself out for The maker of The President
TAT The Baltimore Convention) and as the Pfesl-
dents ether SELF" The extract added that there
was no, the slightest resemblance between The
| characters OF Mr.. Polk and Gen. P.
In reply 10 Gen. Scott, Mr.. Trist said tha! Gen.
| S. had no agency in advising or suggesting The
letters written by I. against Pillow.
When the published "Leonidas" letter reached
The army, MIR. Freaner, after reading it, told Mr..
T. lha, he had the paper, No. l, similar 10 the
letter. which paper was handed TO him by Gen
P. and which, al The request OF Mr.. F, Mr.. Tfist
took care of and afterwards gave 10 Gen. Scott.
The New Orleans Delta of The 10th contains
the full proceedings CT the Court on the 7h,
9th and 9th d~ays-23d, Gath and 25th March.
They are very long, and we avail ourselves OF
| the summary Of the New Orleans National,
which is correct as far as it goes. But il turns
out that all the ''pother' made to prove that
| General Pillow had inlerlined the "Leonidas"
mo. 81 was time thrown away, for the Editor
of the New Orleans Delta admits that these in
tcrlineations were made by himself. That paper
says:
uGsy. PrLLow.-Wc consider it due 10 Gen.
Pillow 10 correct a misrepresentation which
seems 10 have possessed General Scott and Mr..
Tris,. in regard to the interlineations in the
Leonidas letter known as No. 3 in the charges.
These interlineations were made by the Editor
of this paper, in the exercise of the prerogatlye
which all Editors claim and exercise, of cor.
recting and improving the language OF anony.
nous communications. The inlerlineations did
not essentially alter or affect the substance of
The narrative, but somewhat improved IT, ac-
cording to our Judgment. We think it highly
probabls, from the direct testimony, as well as
| from other circumstances, that the letter No. ),
or the real Leonijas letter, was written without
The cosnizance or participation Of Gen. Pillow.
OF the letter No. |, which is certainly very SINH
lar 10 Lconidas, we know nothing. But having
in our possession proof of Gen. Pillows inno-
cence in regard TO the interlineations in the
Leonidas letter, we think it our duty to make
the statement We have made"
Here is lhe Nationals abstract:
On The Seventh Day, Col. Riley was sworn
Unacquain,ed with Gen. Pillows handwriting,
| Gen. Cadwallader could not testify 10 scattered
words; but could 10 a continuous page of Gen.
| Pillows writing. Did moi think The inlerlinealions
in No. 3, in Gen. P.3s handwriting.
The courlthen went into defensive evidence on
the first charge and specifications. 1t. Col. Dun
can: Was we'll acquainted with Gen Pillows
hand writing. Did moi believe tina, either The oody
Of the letter az the n,erlineaiions were his.
Cap,. Hooker and Lieut.. Rains. Familiar with
Gen. Pillows handwriting. Could not recognize
ii in the body Of the paper No. }, or in The inlerli-