Weekly Clarksville chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 185?-1857, 1857-10-09
[From The National Intelligence.
rARn IRON IIEIrT GEN. s

NV attention has been called TO letter
addressed to the people of Tennessee by
Gen. PILLow, in which he criticises my
campaign in Mexico with the boldness of
master in the art Of war, and at the same
time eclogises his own services therein !
with hearty good will that leaves nothing |
to be added. / do not propose at present
to disturb that, self-laudation, nor to re-
ply to his animadversions on my plans and !
Operations, although he most provokingly |
mixes up in every statement small grain |
of truth with a large portion of fiction, so !
as to give it with the careless all Che effect
of gross falsehood. If such tricks can in !
Auence the public mind to my prejudice, /
shall then begin to regret that l was born
an American.
Without, then, entering upon any for
nal recrimination of Gen. Pillow or de-
fence of myself, shall proceed at once,
in behalf of others, to notice some two or
three points in his address, in the way of
Explanation, and if chance to go beyond
this it will be merely incidental.
Gen. Pillow now says that by agreement,
Mr.. Trist engaged to pay to Gen. Santa
Anna "cash in hand, as earnest money,
ten thousand dollars" to induce him to
entertain negotiations for peace; and that
subsequently Mr.. 7. told him Gen. P. }
''that Gen. Scott had furnished him (MrA
To the money, and that he (Mr I. } had
paid the ten thousand dollars"
Being morally Ger tain that Mr.. Trist
never made such declaration, it is almost
useless to say that l never turned over a
dollar to him for such or any other purpose
whatever, and am very sure that Mr.. T.
had not dollar of the public money in
his possession while in Mexico, and never
more than suficed for his very moderate
expenses in his private purse; and certify
on honor that never, at any time, paid
to Gen. Santa Anna, or caused to be paid
to him; or to another for his use or benefit,
one dollar or more, on any account or in
any way whatever. President Santa An
ma was at the time, as now, worth millions,
and had, in that Office, the irresponsible
control of all the pecuniary means of his
country. 1t is hardly probable, therefore,
that he would have stopped to pick up
sack Of ten thousand dollars in gold, if he
had accidentally stumbled upon one in
private walk.
This blunder of Cen Pillow grew, no
doubt, out of some hint he confdentially
picked up about head quarters that had
paid that precise sum "to------and---" for
important information received and to be
, continued from the enemies camps and
armies See my account current with the
War Department Of secret disbursements,
printed by order of the Senate February
4, 1857 1t was lucky therefore, that
the names of--and-were never con-
fded to Gen. Pillow, as it is certain, from
the example before us, he would, contrary
to the faith and honor of our country, have
published them in full, to the ruin of the
parties and their descendants. Even Gen.
Santa Anna, if Gen. Pillows credit be
worth anything, could not now return to
Mexico, no matter under what pledges to
lead the life of a good and peaceful citi-
zen. 9at
Writing to the Secretary of War from
the city of Mexico February 6, 1648, l
said:
81 have not reported on the subject of
secret disbursements since [ left Jalapa,
first, because Of the uncertainty of our
communications with Vera Cruz; and, sec
ond, the necessity of certain explanations
which, ON account of others, ought not to
be reduced to writing. L may, however,
briefly add that have never tempted the
honor, conscience, or patriotism of any
as in war to purchase valuable information
or services voluntarily rendered me. -
Mexican War Correspondence, House
Document No 60, page 1885,
And again, at Washington, June %,
Il 1913, on rendering my ACCOMPLISHMENT of
secret and other disbursements, and ask
ing for final settlement, | said:
81 am ready to go, confdentially, into
all those different sums of receipt and dis
bursement with the President the Secreta-
ry of War, or any other member of the
Cabinet, am under an obligation of pri-
yate and public honor, according to the
usages of nations and armies, not to dis
close names and circumstances, except as
above" x 4 y "On the plainest prin-
ciples and usages Of nations and war, and
the practice of our own Government in
respect to secret disbarSemeatS | can in a
? few hours" &c. See Senate's Executive
Document, No. 81, page 36, ordered to be
printed February 4, 1857
And that account has been definitely
settled on the principles L had proposed
A word as to Mr. Trist-long in private
life, and struggling with honorable power
ty--whom Gen. Pillow has so wantonly
dragged before the public. He is repre-
sented in the address as the cunning and
malignant genius who instigated me-oth-
erwiso a good enough sort of man-to acts
of injustice and persecution The officers
in Mexico (and Mr.. Trist, distinguished
West Pointer, stood with them before the
enemy, the brave among the brave) will
smile to hear this character of their senior
Goneraland his companion, the negotiator.
No man was more admired than the latter
for his quiet unobtrusive manner and ami