The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-03-03
Gen. Scott.

The New York Express remarks as follows
upon the act of justice which Congress has at
length meted out to this war worn veteran
The editor speaks in the right tone:
Justice, though leaden-heeled, is not always
so blind as the mytholOgists make her. Soon
er or later she opens her eyes to mete out to
and to brush away from the minds of men the
mists which prejudice, passion and partizan-
ship, too often gather there, enabling them to
discover, with clearer vision, duties to be per-
formed, and debts to be discharged, which
were never acknowledged OF dreamed of be-
fore.
So it has been with Congress, in its dealings
with the veteran warrior whose honored name
is preface to these reflections.
The House OfRepresentatives yesterday, in
our opinion, simply discharged duty it owed
to itself, and to the country at large, when it
passed the resOlution-the Senate had some
time since agreed to-conferring upon the He.
ro of Mexico the title (by brevet) of "Lieuten-
ant General for his eminent military servic
es. The vote was, 126 for it, to Is against it.
We would like to see the ayes and nays on the
Resolution. We should like to know who the
sixty-five gentleman are, who would, if they
could, have denied the gallant old patriot-the
now greatest general OF the age-this becom
ing and well-deserved tribute from the Nation.
al Legislature. Big INSTRUMENTATION
sOuls-they must have-all of them.
When the proposition was first brought for
ward to confer this title upon Winfield Scott
the opposition it met with, and its ultimate
postponment, were things, perhaps, on reflec.
tion, not to be marvelled at. Crafty polite
ians at that time, had succeeded in seducing
the warrior into the rty arena of politics.
and in that arena his resplendent achievements
in the field were too frequently, though most
uDjustly, brought to judgment by those, whose
political ethics did not over scrupulously ell
join proper distinction between the great man
in the camp, and the not SO great man in the
wars and strifs of party. The compliment that
has been paid him now. was withheld then,-
mainly because it was not General Scott, the
military chieftan but Gen. Scott, Whig can
didate for the Presidency, who was to be COM
pllmented However, no longer identified
with, or having any visible connexion with
the scheming demagogues who were the means
OF hurrying him Oft to political death, many
who opposed him as the politician, again came
forward to honor anew the soldier and the pa
triot. He has ceased to be ''man in their
way" and the gentlmen in the Capitol feel in
their big hearts that they may venture to add
new chaplet to his brow without doing aught
that would be likely to impoversh them
selves.
The action of Congress in this matter, tho
tardy, and not so unanimous as we could de-
sire it to be, nevertheless is most opportune.-
1t comes at a time when, judged solely as an
able and successful commander, Windfield
Scott was never seen 10y the world to so much
advantage. We have called him tie greatest
General now living, and think important and
intelligent minds abroad as we'll as at home,
will bear us out in the claim. The command
ers of the armies of the great powers of Europe
not aOw war, are men, till now unheard Of
The world is compelled to defer definite judg-
ment upon their military performances until
some day, just now, apparently, far off in the
future. Not so with old "Lundy's Lane."--
He has, long since, filled the measure of his
cOuntry's glory-and may point to long life
of active service, full of glorious exploits,
which only heroes can achieve, and which pa
triOts alone may undertake. The field of his
valor has been as broad and illimitable as the
Republic itself. The icy banks of the St. Law
renee have been the scene of his triumphs-
the thunders of Niagara sung peans in praise
ofhis victories there--whle in the far off val
leys OfMeXico, from the frowning fortresses of
Vera Cruz to the Halls of Montezuma, there is
not a rood of ground, that does not tell of the
Conqueror, the Conqueror that came not to
destroy, but to save. The world, we repeat,
has now but one Gen. Scott.
The title of Lieutenant General, is not al
together a merely honorary one. 1t is accom-
plished by substantial addition of pay, which
will enable the veteran to spend the autumn
of his days in comic: t,-and smooth the path
to which all earthly "glory" in the land must
lead-the grave.
Again. we say, the House Representatives
has done no more than its duty,-a duty too
long deferred,-but the country, nevertheless
will thank them for it.