Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-10-06


moored peaceably, the castle of San Juar
now frowned defiance; and instead o
friendly Tlascalans and feeble Aztecs, th'
American General must encounter an arm
ed and powerful empire-a country impreg
nable by nature, skilfully fortified, and a
bly and obstinately defended. The Difficult
ties seemed insuperable, and his project
was denounced as romantic madness. Ma
poleon once disclosed military plan te
one of his staff. "It is impossible" =" sale
his friend, II see no means of It's achieve.
ment." Napoleon led him to a window
and pointing to the glowing midday sky
asked "Do you see that starr" "No," wa:
the reply. II do" said the Emperor, and
it was his only answer. Gen. Scott thus
saw the star, hidden from feebler visions,
which was to light and guide him on his
path to glory. The Administration long
withheld Their sanction, but they had nc
other hope; Scott alone could save them
and at length they growllngly acceded.-
For that plan,so full of genius and wisdom,
now the glory of our history and the won
der of the world, and for its sole author,
Winfield Scott, do ask your gratitude and
support.
! will not characterize that campaign-l
cannot but you have it, the world has it
by heart. Never was the prescient and
comprehensive weight of human genius
more wonderfully displayed, than by Scott
ir its preparation and execution. Every
difficulty was foreseen, every contingency
provided for. His plan was worked out like a
problem IN Euclid. Butwe cannot follow HIM
in his eagle flight from the surf of the gulf to
the bowed towers of Vera Cruz and the
startled cliffs of Cerro Gordo, from miracle
to miracle, from victory to victory, over
conquered impossibilities, and crushed thou
sands, to the captured capital. But you
will remember the universal anxiety felt
here at home, when he descended into the
valley of Mexico, where his communica-
tons were destroyed, his army disappeared
among enemies tenfold its superior in all
save courage and conduct. Weeks and
weeks elapsed and not word was heard
of them. The suspense grew agonizing.-
We watched, as friends watch the dark
waves in which daring diver has pung-
ed, but from which he does not emerge
White lips whispered, "Is he lost? Has
he perlshed" p And tie response was,
"How can it be otherwise, with force SO
against foe so formidable :"
At length, when over-wrought terror be-
came despair, the tidlngs burst upon us-a
torrent of glory. Contreras, Churubusco,
Molino del Rey were won; and how aut-
tered our flags, how blazed our bonfres,
and how uprose our shouts, again and again,
when we learned that our noble army blv-
ouacked in the plaza of the capital, and be-
meath the stars and stripes, as they waved
above the triumphs of Cortez, stood Win
field Scott, the laurelled conquerer of Mex
leo. | stand beneath that banner now;
brighter glory has ever since cleaned from
its stars and pointing to those fields of
fame, I ask in the name and by the author
tiy oil those achievements, uneqIaled in
grandeur and glory, ask your votes for
General Scott.
1t is impossible briefly to sketch that
lis battles are so many and glo-
rious that they mingle their light as the
stars which form the galaxy melt together
and cast a stream of glory across the heav
ems. But this is Churubuscos day and
the nation, in all time,
"Will stand a-tiptoc when this day is named"
Instead of one battle, its achievements
comprise five distinct battles and five illus
trlous victories. Time itself looks back up
on no such one day. Our army was but s.
500 strong, and was engaged hoty, on foot
and horseback, in the open field and before
the strongest Notifications, with $4,000 men,
well disciplined, armed, and commanded.
1t made 5000 prisoners and killed and
wounded 1000 Of the enemy. Any one of
these five victories, brilliants gloriously
strung together and radlantly bound upon
the fair brow of our country, any one would
have struck the world with wonder; togeth-
er they staggar credulity and raise mon
ument of American heroism that will stand
till our mountains melt into the plain. We
meet to celebrate that victory of victories,
and we cannot forget the patriot hero to
whom we owe it; who never doubted and
never erred; who never stumbled and nev-
er tainted; ''thc noble nature,' I quote
the poet literally)-
"Whom passion could not shake; whose solid virtue
The shot of accident nor dart of chance,
Could neither Craze nor Pierce"
Had the life of Scott known but that one
day of glory, for that alone would ask,
and you could not, in justice and gratitude,
deny your sufrages.
II L., t1o
and inestimable, rewarded ? Who does not
blush over the page of that history? The
veteran soldier was stripped of the COM
mand of that army he had led in triumph,
was accused and treated as malefac.or,
and was dragged to a shameful trial for the
high offence-it was his only one-of hav-
ing covered his country with glory. And
what did the hero at the head of victori-
Gus and devoted army, under this unprecc-
dented outrage and wrong? Lion-like to
the foe, he was meek and lowly to the laws
and authorities Of his country. The mag
nanimity Of Agesilaus, of Hannibal. and of
Belsarius, IN bowing to harsh authority
and resigning career Of glory has been
to the echo; but even more il
lustrious was the noble submission of our
own great-hearted patriot. for his was
deeper and darker wrong. His example
of Difference to the law is more glor Gus and
of more substantial value than even his VIC
tories, and it is for you to reward it. The
cruelty of that deliberate wrong to proud
and lofty innocence, it is yours to redress !;
the reproach of that base ingratitude to a
national benefactor it is yours to wipe a.
way and therefore do ask your votes for
Winfield Scott.
Glorious as has been his military career,
the civil life and services of Scott equally
claim YOUR admiration and rrafitude. He