The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-08-11
REPLY OF MIR. MARCY
Wan DEPaRTMka:.
WAsnlNoroS, April II, l5l5

= It tn r.ma n unanswered ON the files y! this de-
partnent
To at:emp, to disppl The d-lns,ns which vou
seem to have ion. pertinacious'y cherished AID
TO cnrrec, the errors into wnica YIN have tal-
lien, d wolves up n me- duty which mus, not
Idcclne bat, in pcrF'rm,rg l.. i;ean I" "r as
jcautinns az yoa profess 10 hive been to abs'ain
from any 'want n dsrourtesy,' and h Hpe 10
be- alike successful. Your prucs nj respect Tor
the "5'h nriicl. nf war has ia incrd yen to
Id me nstensibly rrspans bic for many things
which ynn are aware are not fairly chargsshle
to me. The d. vice you have nd opted I" assaii
the President, by aiming your blow. al the SIC
retarv of War, does more credit IN your in'e-
unity "a an accusrr than I" your character "a a
. dcr. A prenrd tat-d con'rivancr 10 av,id
responsibility does MT indicate nm intention no,
10 do wrong
The e neral aspect Of yor letter di.closes All
evident design to or at bel @: that you were
drawn forth from qniet POSITION, in a
b ,reau # this depar ment, and ass gnad 10 the
unmand Of cur srrnirs in Mexico, '.,r The pur.
pose of being sacrificed and that, ~ accomplish
his end, ''nrs'ecs, d-app 'i,,'m-nts, i.jur'r-,
and rebukes' .'werc inflicted on YOU, aud tin.
necessary mean. of prosecuting the war with
isu.rrss withheld; or, in other words, the gov
lernnent. after prctcrrlng you to any ether o!
the gallant generals within thr range of its
choice. hid lab. red to .rns rate its own plans
{" bring feat up it, "wn arni :, and nynv~
itself in rnin AID d 3 .race, tor an ohjec So
imp rant in it, bar n up,i III III: ahurs A
lcharge so entirely prep"st.r ns, 50 ut r!y re-
Epugnant to all the probabitits o. human con-
duct, calls tor no re!u'atian.
For o. her pnrp uses tn m 10 comb1t IN f,ndly.
CHI ari-h, chin ra, II Is po,'r that | SIN d
notice some # your sp chic allegations.
1t is true that. otter y were desi n d for the
chief coumnnd 1T rnr armies, h President
was deg;rnus tina your departure ,il ,nld not be
I'm 2ec"ssirily d ltycd; bn' you wrr" ",trs
r,cted az allsrn. tn "onlr ur days" 10
mix the neces airy pre- ,arati"ns at Washington.
Yu were nat ord. r d away mil YOU had re
ported tia tn So prepara',ons were ~ far c m
pl"ted thai Y ur pres ne here wa no ny r
ql.rrd Then, INSTEAD Of gong directly 70
i vi x'c", you We're PRINTED, at your own re-
on st, to take crcui'Dns : .u'r ihrou sh New
fok, and there t. remain few days You
s'aid at New Y rk nearly al entire week ami
n Il until IN" 18th Of December twenty six days
after l-av NJ washiny,nn) did gan reach N ~
! Orleans, where you would have arrive in seven
days ii Won had been required TO rake the direct
route. This solicited Indulgence ,bv which your
arriv, At New Orienns was delayed nearly three
! weeks, is incompatible with your allegation
that u were allowed "onlv four days at Wash
tngton, where twenty might have been most
sdvan'a reoIsly employed Thi. complaint
has relation 10 facts WITHIN your own knrw!edEe;
errer, therefore, is hardly reconcilab'r with any
sfl;ci ud- t. be accurate. A. this is your
"p"ning charge against the War Departments,
and may be regarded rs indicative Of ia 'se
which tpllnw, | shall mike the refn,ation "f /!
still mere complete, for The purpo Sc of showing
! with what reckl, ssneSs you have performed the
fame ms of an accuscr, and how ii'tl' resn. e
in the presrnt state Of your feelings, csn be
placed on your memory. Y ,uare the witnsss
| by whom your allegation is IL be di-prrv d.
On the day Of ynur departure from WASH g
ion, you 1T with me paper in yonr onn hand
,criiing dated n ve.lhcr %, lS46, with the fol.
lowing heading
| "Notes suggesting topics TO be embraced in
| the Srcreary's ins ructinns to Get erti s.,
drawn " On is1s,c) 4. the request Of the for
mr.''
Frnm tina, p,pcr ex,rac, TIE so'i wing par
| agrnph:
| al [the Sectetary Of Warl am pleased t.
learn from you General Sc,u) that you have in
very f,w days already, ihr"u Ri III general
staff OF the army here, hid sufficient basis for
the purpose with which yon are c,,rg, d, and
hat yoa H0o thiak Il best IT, proceed at once to
the so4tt,scs:, in order to organize the largest
number OF troops that can be obtained in time
for that most inportant EXPEDITION -['h- tx.
pedi'ion against Vera Cruz
Here is ynur own most ex plch adm ss m thu,
you prrscn, ed to the Secretary of War, b. fore
| leaving Washington, that arrangements were e,
| far competpd that you thought IL best to pro-
| coed at oncr to the army in Mexico ; and y ty,n
make 1t your opening Charge against III d., part
| mrn', TINT you W re forced away to Mex c."
| brf're you had time for necessary prcpara-
| tons.
present the nrst charge in your own Ian
| gusgc:
:. ! handed to y,u writ EN- request that "ne
ni three o, our acc nnpl she'd captains, therein
| mined, mi -ht BE- app lin ed assistant adiutant
| =. neral, with the rank of major. for du v wh
me in ,h.. field, and here ols vacancy at the
| time for one. Nj request his never been at
iended.t', and thus have. had no otic Of the
| Adjutant Generals Department with me in tn"
| campaign. Could ano hrr instance I've cited OF
denying tna g-neral-n-cl,e., in the Fl Id al
The head ut Urge army, nr even small one,
the selection of his chief If the af--that is,
the ch ef IN The department OF orders and cor
| r spondence
| ere the case precisely As you nave stated il
| to be, YOU have gwen T. o murh pr III nencr, AZ
| ma Ter T complains t the President rrfu. al
t. be contSo led, in his exercise # the appnnt-
ing power, Ivy your wishes. Had there been a
| vicancy snch a. you mention for "one at the
! atSuu'pI.ssru Snp.a.ue'' i,
knows better Than you d. that your request
could not have be acc drd tp W thour depart
ing from the uniform rule OF sci, c.i n FIR staff
appointments, with violating Tie right OF
several officers u guar prol.nn ~, an Oft ~
i'm All Ind'gniy to all ,hnse VIII, held tn
'sition # assistant adia,an general, with the
| rank OF captain tn. rue al regular pf, m,
OF in the staff is a. inf xblr, aud has been as
I a.. 4 a..
| appear surprising tn / you VIII, wer. so deeply
| shocked and distressed at the sGggrstmn o.
apo II ing, hy su:h .rity of Congr, -, a cit gen
licn'en.nL general, or sllg the Pr sidcnt
win power tn deSolve the ,nmdnd OF TN.
! army n n maj g.-eIa WI hnut rruard 10 pri.
or,y IN the date vt his c"IIIniSsinn, should, IN
Y 'ar fist requ st, after bong assign 70 com
IN md, ask h. President to disresa d he right.
% a, least i"nr Ulcers as nerior Gus as 1.-The
three acco nplished cspans mined by you.-
The President s views ON this .utij CT ndoubi-
dly differ irou yours His rega d irr the rights
o.: "filcer. is not graduated by their rank
Fh"se of captains aud m grn,r,ls have
equ! value IN h.s, stimainn, and an quail claim
To his respect and pforc lon | cannot admit
that it Is just grnuni al c-nsure aud r, buke
against he. ad ni The War Department that
the Pre- idrnt did not tit, IN order 10 crafty
your feelings II iavoritism, TO disregard the
claims aud v,laI- the rights f all the assistan,
adJu ants general Of tue rank Of ain then in
comm ssn
But, ~ far :st is m1de ground sf COM
plant and report, Thu, is not tho woret aspec,
Of The case fau are entirely mistaken IN the
assertion that there was then vacancy in the
Adjuant Generals staff, WI h tic rank o: ma
jor, to which either OF thu captains rccn.nn, nd
by wa could have been properly appointed
ih' re was n such yacancy 70 show the
correctness # this state ulert and t. demons rate
your error, appeal To the Army Register AMI
he records Of The Adjutant Generals office -
Your mistake as to 81 obvious fact lying within
The range Of ma tcrs will. which yeu are pre-
sum.d to he familiar has excited less surprise
than the declaration TINT, by the non compliance ,
of ur request, you s'iave had II" officer of the
AdJn ant Generals department with me [you]
IN HE campaign Every officer of that d. par,-
men.--a, l. AT eiyh was, as you well knew,
subj CT To your command. When you arrived
in Mexico, there were with the army at asst FIVE
assistant adju'aits general, all a, four serv.cr.
That you chose TO employ of them at
your h.sdquaters. and detached from other ap. |,