The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-07-31
REILLY OF Ma. MARCY
Washington, April 2l. 1913.

Washington, April 2l, 1913.
SIT would not he respectful to you to
pass unno'iced your extraordinary letter Of the
2i,h Of February, nor Just to myself to permit it
10 remain unanswered on the files OF this Depart
ment
To attempt to disp-l the deusions which you
seem to have long per;Inacously cherished, and
to correct the errors into which you have fallen,
deyolyes upon me duty which | mus, not de.
cline but in performing At, ! mean to be as eau.
tlous a You profess TO have been to abstsin from
any "wantun discourtesv.' and | hope to he alkr
successful. Your prudent respect for the 9th
Art Of War has induced YOU 10 hold me osten
slbly responsible for many things which You are
aware are not fairly chargeable 10 me The de-
vice YOU have adopted to assal tue President ty
aiming your blow. at the Secretary oi War, doe,
more credit 10 your ingenuity as Sn accuser, than
to Noue character rs a soldier. A premediated
contrivaucr 10 avoid responsibility does not Hdi
cate an intention not to do wrong.
The general aspect of your Letter discleses an
evident design To create belief that you were
drawn forth from your quiet position in q bureau
OF this Department, and assigned to the command
Of our armies in Mexico, for the purpose OF being
sacrificed, and that, to accomplish this end me.
elects, disappolntMents, injuries, and rebukes
were Inflicted on you, and the necessary means
Of prosecuting the war with success withheld or
III other words, the Government, nfter ptsferring
you to any of the other gallant generals within
the range Of its choice, had labored to Illustrate
its own plans, to bring defeat upon its cSn ar.
mics, and involve itself in ruin and disgrace, for
nm object 80 unmpcrtant IN its bearing upon pub
lie ntiArs. charge 50 entirely preposterous, so
utterly repugnunt 10 all the probabilities OF hu.
man conduct, calls for no reiuation.
For Other purposes than to combat this fondly
cherished chImera, il is proper that should no.
ilce some Of your specific allegations
1t is true that, Nflcr you were designated for
the chief command Of our armies, the President,
Was desiruus that your departure should not he
unnecessarily delayed, but you were moi restrict.
ed, us you nlledgc to "only days" to make the
necessary prepar,tiens at Washington You
were no, ordered away until you had reported
that your preparations were 10 far completed
that your presence here was no longer required.
Then, instead Of going directly to Mexico, you
were permitted, yur own request, tn take aclr.
cuit0us route through New York, and there to re-
man few days. You stai,Lat New York near
~ an entire week and not until the 18th OF De.
crmber (.6 days after leaving Washington did
you reach New Orleans, where you would have
arrived in days, had you been required to take
the direct route. This solicited indulgence, by
which your arrival u, New Orleans was DELAYED
nearly weeks. ismeompn,lblc with your all, ga.
tion that you were allowed only four days at
Washington, where 20 might have been advan.
tag.ously employed 1hts complain, has rela.
lion to facts within your own krowlrdgr, error.
therefore, /, hardly reconcilable with any solicit.
udc to be- accurate. A. this is your opening
charge ngain.. the War Department, and may be-
regarded a. Indicative Of ihose which follow, ]
.hall make the refu,a,ion Of 1t still more com.
plete for the purpose of showing with wha, reck.
lessness you have performed the functions of an
aceu.er, and how little reliauc. can be placed on
your memory. You are the witness by whom
ysS: a!lesa,!sa /. to be disp'avsd. o. ne DAY