The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-09-11
E REP u BLIC .
General Scott and the Treasury

General Scott and tho Treasury.
Mr. MERIwErsEK, the short term Senator
from KeNrucxY, and the Democratic journals,
are making parade Of General SeorT's pay
and emoluments, with the view Of demonstrate
lag that the General has availed himself of
every .,pretext" for taking money from the
Treasury and that, if he should be elected
PRESIDENT, "THE TREASURY WOULD BE SUR
ROUNDED BY MEN GREEDY FOR EXTRA ALLOW
AScEs, POINTING to THE EXAMPLE AND Ar
pEALIsG To THE PRECEDENTs SET BY GENERAL
ScoTT HIMSELF"
General Scorr has received extra allowances
legally granted to him as to all other officers of
the army in similar situations, and when ex
pressly authorized by Congress, and none other
All that he has received-puy, emoluments
and extras--he has disbursed, we apprehend,
in the necessarily large expenses of an officers
life and we should not be surprised if some of
the very men who are now writing him down for
his extravaganza and greediness Of money had
shared the veterans hospitality, and aided him
in the consumption of the very income which
they now think so disproportionate tie his SER
vices.
This ia not the first time that General
ScoTT's income has been matter of Congress
sional investigation; and his enemies took as
little by their previous motion as they are likely
to take now. On the 29th of March, 1874,
Mr.. JOHN w. DAVIS. then a member of the
House of Representatives from Indiana, intro
duced in the House an amendment to the Army
Appropriation bill, by which he proposed to
abolish the office of major general.
Mr. J. A. BLACK, a CALHOUN Democrat from
South Carolina, opposed this amendment of Mr..
DAVIS, because in fact there were 'Je,Cer field
officers than regular organization of the peace
establishment would require. A regular or
ganization of our present force would require
two major generals and four brgadier gene
rails, whereas there was now but one major
general and two brigadier generals"
To this Mr.. DAVIS replied that he had no
"per,o,,al objections" to the Major General
None in the world-of course! His objects
were purely public and political. HE saw no
earthly use for the office as il ,ras no,c con-
Quoted, and he could not consent to paying
Il this gentleman $1,000 year for liciag here
'in Washington, for ,ohnt purposes he could
not imagine. Ifthe Major General was doing
duty with the army, or commanding some
military division, he should not object; bu,
: he, must express his disapprobation of his
being placed here as the military adviser OF
{. the SECRETARY OF WAR, as some gentlemen
suggested"
Here was an imputaton sufficiently explicit
upon General ScoTr. Mr.. DEAN, Democrat, o.
ONO rose at once to repel it. be said he was
opposed to any act Of Legislation which would
reflect personally on General Scorr. "IF ANY
MAN HAD ADDED GLORY TO HIS COUNTRY II
WAS GENERAL ScoTT." He would not "s,rike, y
he said with emphasis, at "THE WAR WORN
VETERANS OF THE COUNTRY" This sentimen,
is more deep and more general than the de-
famers of General SCoTT imagine. The day
Of election will show that there are thousands
on thousands of the Democracy who like Mr..
DEAN will refuse to "sTRIKE AT THE WAR
WORN VETERANS OF THE COUNTRY"
Mr. J. w. DAVIS then proceeded to bring
out his idea more distinctly and explicitly.
He did not like this residence Of General ScorT
at Washington, which was making him fami-
liar with the Legislation and the public men of
the country. He proceeded to say, with some
bitterness, "that he wished to relieve the
Treasury from the payment of Major Gen
eral for sitting in his parlor here, and dictat-
Ject was to get rid of the office; and he had
said nothing in disparagement of the officer.
He did not wish to see an officer quartered
here on the country, PITCHING FROM THE
sTREAsU RY some eight thousand dollars per
'annum, WHEN HE WAS WORSE THAN USE
Less"
These and similar remarks reused the indig-
nation of Mr.. DsoMGooLE, Democrat, of Viz
gInia, very able and eloquent man, with a
SOUL somewhat above the candle-end and
cheese pairing economy that is so much affected
by gentlemen from Virginia, in all cases ex-
ceps when Virginia is concerned. MIR. DRoM-
GooLE burst into the debate with one Of those
interrogaiive passages in which he was so for
midable aud effective. "What," he exclam-
ed, in that thrilling tone Of his W hich sank into
the heart of every listener" what did the
gentleman MEAN when he talked of money
BEING. FILCHED FROM THE TREA
'SURY, as applied to that officer? Did the
gentleman MEAN to say that General Soor1
had received money to which he was not
lawfully entitled 2" O."
Mr.. J. w. DAVIS covered beneath this
home thrust. He wlted uAder the rebuke Of
the generous and noble minded speaker. Mr.
J. w. DAVIS explained. Mr.. j. w. DAvr.
said he had ''spoken with reference 10 the Of
fee only, and not with reference to the gen.
tlcman who at present filled the Office"
Mr.. DRoMeooLE received the apology
"There was no lmputation, then, upon Gene
raj Scorr. The gentleman admitted that h,
received only what the lap gaze hin.
and because, in the estimation of that gentle
man, the law gave him too much pay, HE
CALLED 1T FILCHING FROM THE
TREASURY. HOW was it filching from
the Treasury 1t was paid in obedience t.