The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-09-07
The PresIdency-Gen. Scott's Availability
More Documents.


The PresIdency-Gen. scott's Availability
More Documents.
We publish else where in eur columns, to-day an
official letter of the year 1886, from Hon. Joseph NJ.
White, then the delegate from the territory of
Florida to Congress, addressed to General Jackson,
President of the United States asking for the recall
of General Scott from the command of the army in
Florida. This letter would be of comparatively
little importance, bit Of history, but for the
endorsement of Old Hickory, to VITA copy of
this letter be sent to General Scott with order
to withdraw from the command in Florida. A. j."
This endorsement, however, amounts to an official
verdict against Gen. Scott, and the proving of the
speccations against him.
IL seems that he had represented the white popu-
lation of Florida as unnecessarily frightened about
the Indians when there were only 'Gve Indians
in the territory, and that the people of Tallahassee
had become indignant at 'his degrading ep;thets
and insults" that they had burnt him in e1igy.
This was an outrageous and dscreditable proceed
ing; but we shall proceed, presently, to show that
Notwithstanding the prodigious military availability
of Gen. Scott, his recall from Florida the result
of peculiar weakness susceptibility for getting
into hot water, which might lead to the most
serious and disastrous explosions in his elevation to
the White House.
The leading Seward.Scott organ in this city, in
this connection has just given chapter upon the
military availability of Gen. Scott, from which
it appears that that journal advocates his claims
as the ''great pacfcator." This is all well enough
for the philosophers who looked upon Gen Taylor
rs butcher; who advocates of the peace party,
the red republicans, and socialists, and the fomen-
tiers of negro instructions at the time. 1t u.s.
nevertheless, extremely ridiculous for the organs
and satellites of Seward to dodge the fact that they
seized hold of General Scott with the expectation of
running him into the Presidency, Seward and all,
upon his extraordinary capital of gunpowder popu-
larty. And, as far as mere gunpowd could be
expected to accomplish anything and everything.
they have most unquestionably picked out the pro-
per man.
General Scott is the first military hero anc disci-
plinarian now alive ON this continent. All parties
concede, too, that he is honorable and up
right man, scrupulously exact in all his official
and private relations, though little too hasty in
many things, and in those very things in which he
ought to exercise the principles Of common sense
and sound discretion. He is great in great things,
but small in small things. He can fghtus out of a
war with Great Britain Mexico but he inevitably
gets into ugly little quarrel with his brother
officers the War Department, before it is over or
after it is over-some petty squabble for court
tial upon paltry point of etiquette, news
paper publications, some idle rumo7, or cores.
pondence, or conversation, or some "hasty plate
of soup" The worst of it is too, that from being
so "hasty in these little weaknesses, hehas almost
invariably come of second best Let us cite few
examples.
During the administration Of John Quincy Adams,
General Scott was suspended from the command Of
the army in the Northwest, solely account Of his
wranglng with his fellow-oficers. The challenge
from General jackson, which Scott, like Chris
tian and patriot, refused to accept, originated
from similar want Of prudence upon triAing pee.
cadillo; so with the challenge rendered to De Witt
Clinton, which he could not accept so with the
misunderstanding and belligerent correspondence
between General Scott and the corporation Of New
York. in relation TO certain soldiers barracks which
he did not erect upon the Battery so with his recall
from Florida: SO with his 'shasty" correspon-
dence with Secretary Marcy-his personal grev-
ances and poplexities, and his courts-martial
in Mexico, rsmnting in bis recall from the army
in that country. All these things-the natural
consequences of little too much vanity, ard Of
peculiar and remarkably weak point in the head OF
The General in. Chief, Of dstrust Of FIRE in the
Eear-go very strongly to prove that he lacks these
conservative qualities of prudence, forbeararce,
coaclation, discretion, anddeberation, to say no.
thing of common sense, SO necessary in these days
to The man who has the appointment OF cabinets
and foreign ministers and the control OF forty thou
sand Office holders. The same vegaries, fancies,
suspicious, and dstrust Of conspiracies, and OF
malicious enemies, where none exist, would be apt
to follow General Scott into the Presidency; and
thus, neither cabinet officers, nor diplomats, nor
nor postmsstcrs, worth looking after,
would be safe from one weeks end to another But
sRl the leading Seward-Soott organ maintains that
"Ihs military achievements have been steadily |
paraileled by his wisdom, energy, and prudence in
the vaSious civil trusts from time to time devoved
On him. In renewing the Cherokees, in calming the
publication asperity, and in dealing with the
reubles on our Northern and Northeastern bounda-
les he has evinced tho high qualities as in the
,attlee Of the Niagara frontier and the conquest Of
dexico"
Now, that General Scott did his duty in all these
matters, nobody will deny But the removal Of the
,herokees and the mission 20 South Carolina, and
he duty along the Northern border and the North
astern boundary, were all easypf accomplishment.
n each case, the General was guided and limited
~ bis instructions, which were plain and simple,
md admitted Of little or no Discretionary power.
any man competent to be justice Of the peace
'ouid have discharged all those civil trusts
NTH wisdom and energy, by simple obedience to his
!. But the Presidency confsrs largo
nscresonafy power, and demands all the best quail
n