Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-09-13


Navy Yard route are earnestly requested to square
their accounts with the carrier who serves them.
General Scott and his Qualifications.
In the columns of an independent journal,
wear and half ago, we stated that Gen. Winfield
Scott though great soldier, an able writer, and
a gallant and patriotic gentleman, was poor
party tactician, and a proud and naughty man.
The publication of that article proved the occa-
sion of our correcting our entirely erroneous i'm
nression on the latter subject; but to the former
opinion we beg leave still to adhere. We had for
many year known Gen. Scott, as he appeard
to the world in his martial character; we had
for many year respected the high, honorable,
and noble bearing of the soldier and the gentle
man; we had for many year observed the
scrupulous and almost rigorous regard he has
ever paid to the etiquette of his exalted positions
and such were our impressions with respect to
what seemed to us his aristocratic bearing, that
while we looked with admiration and reverence
upon him from distant point of view, we could
never have obtained the consent of our own will
to approach him otherwise than as we might at
some time be called upon to do so in the formal-
ties of business. That opportunity arose-was
indeed created without the knowledge of General
Scott, and without any wish OF our own-and
never was weak and foolish prejudice 80 COM
pletely dispelled! In no man had we ever ex-
perienced guileless manners and conversation,
frankness and open-hearted benevolence, and all
the amenities of the true gentleman so happily
blended We should forever have bushed for the in
Justice we had done him under the darkness of an
unworthy prejudice, had not his enemies afforded
us 80 many fitting opportunities of recanting the
ad captandem declarations we had made We
daily see, in the Loco papers we receive, tran
scripts of the brief paragraph to which we
have alluded; and SO long as they thus hold up
before us proyocation to repeat in substance
the recantation we long since made of that opin- |
ion, SO long shall we find pleasure in the perusal
of the extract they quote from our columns.
But we have intimated the continuance of our |
belief in General Scotts want of tact or skill in
the arts of political management We must be
candid in this matter also. We do not think We
an ever change our opinion on this subject
When we speak Of political tactics, we do so with |
reference TO what is understood by that term |
among the greater number Of the politicians Of
the country. OF that species of management
that seeks the momentary qualification Of the |
voters OF the country, by such acts as faint the
permanent reputation Of its practcer, he is total
ly destitute He could not, either before or dur
inr the term Of presidential administration,
artfully conceal his real sentiments upon an i'm
portant subject, for the purpose of promoting his
ambition, and in the hour Of discontinue and its
consequent chagrin, ascend to place a Buffalo
platform for the purpose Of thwarting those who |
had upheld him, and in feeling of wrath wreak
his vengeance upon party whom he hated be-
cause he had deceived them. He could not, even
to obtain the Presidency indite tariff letter for
The purpose Of d4ping the industrious people Of a
great and patriotic State. He could not, for any
reward, throw himself upon o party, declaring
himself, in effect, without principles and vowing
that he had no other conceptions of patriotism,
and no other rule Of conduct, than to learn the
wishes Of q majority, and to conform to their re-
ouirements, as the oracles Of the genius Of De-
mocracy Republican in heart and spirit, and seek
ing only for the welfare of the many, heyet could
not bow down in abject seryility, and declare his
belief that such compliance with the popular will
is the first and the last of the injunctions Of the
teachings Of party whose only known principles
of action are cohesion and the rewards it secures.
De6cienth the ability to perform not only these
actions, BIT all the thousands Of kindred and
subordinate stratagems-incapable indeed Of ut
tering or suppressing aught in conflict with the
honest convictions Of his soul, he is in the arena
of his political competitors poor tdctician, and
that party that shall elect him to the Presidency
will do SO moved by motives Of action more pure
and undisguised than have in many instances in
our nations history guided the conduct Of either
Of its national parties. A tactician who could
defeat with their own weapons the crafty men
with whom he has been required to contend, can
not be found in him. He is in comparison with
them indeed the poorest and the most indiscreet!
There was not a little turnkey Pickering around
the nominating conventions who could not in q
contest upon their own arena circumvent him
at every point He could neither make success
full passes, nor defend himself from the thrusts Of
the pigmies.
But we can at last dispense with oil such
qualifications. We should thank God that q
bright era has again dawned upon our country
and that man who disdains the puny warfare
Of the demagogue is before us for our SURFACES
that the people Of the Union have called by ac-
clamation upon citizen TO assume the Presiden-
tial office--upon one whose towering form will
not bend in unbecoming servility even for that
proud and elevated distinction! A convention Of
political tricksters has created and nominated o
candidate who is willingto obey its every be-