Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-11-07
Mr.. A. Brooks.

Mr. A. Brooks. j. d. SMITH.
ADOther card from Gen. scott:
From the National InteIigencer.
CARD. (2)
In a recent political address General PILLOW
charged that Mr. TRIsT, with my assistance, had,
IN Mexico administered bride to President or
General Santa Anna, sc. By card In the National
Intelgencer promptly replied that was morally
certain Mr. T. had not paid cent, in the way OF
bride to ANYBODY whatever in Mexico, and sol
EMMY added that was personally totally Ignorant
of any bribe of any sort whatever, great or small
being paid to that high functonary, (Sinta Anna,)
or 10 any other directly or indirectly, for his use
or benefit, BY or on account Of any American Off
Ger or agent civil or military Ny denil Gen.
Pillow calls lin a joinder) 'evasive," "a mere
bubble" and he affects to support his first asser-
ton nv extracts from "the sworn statements OF
Generals QUITMAN and SHIELDS" which, he saws,
he has "procured from the record of the War De-
partment"
Entertaining for those Generals 70. s. high
admiration aud respect, l was IN haste-not that
there was any thing material in the extracts-to
learn from the War D altment the character OF
the 20 me) unknown 'recorn" quoted by General
Pillow have but now received copy OF the
document and in some of its other asp cts 1t shall,
presently, receive passing notice. Suffice 1t to
say in this connexiOn, that n lther OF the state
ments produced by General Pillow, with so much
point in question, viz: the ten thousand dollar
bride; for neither Of those Cen rails pretends to
know to whom the bride was paid, nor did any
other American ever hear me whisper the name or
names of the receivers, until conhdentaly disclosed
on the final settl ment, at the War Office, of my
secret disbursements. General Pillow, hOweVer-
most ignorant OF what he's most assGr'd"-hrst
assumes that he has bad cOnhded TO him great
secret and next betrays it by way of letting the
world know that he had the honor of being trusted!
I recently
been filled with notices of General Pillows denun
citation of General Santa Anna, mixed up with the
inquiry, Who IS the more i'tdnlOltsF tie l0hO re-
ceiUes bride or the filctiOnory sohO, an violation
of his own and has coatntry'S honor, diSctOSes the
name of the traitoTF"
Bur this case bad as it is, does not stand alone
in our recent annals, land, of course, nothing so
base could have occurred in our earlier history;)
for, January 80, 1857, plant Executive was
made, by the plastic hand of malignant Secreta-
~, to communicate to the Senate, for publication
without any conceivable purpose but, at the ex-
pense of national faith and honor, to give me an
annoyance-the entire account had confidential
" rendered to the War Department of my secret
disbursements in the Mexican war. 1t is true that
names had been suppressed, by me, in the written
items; but many entries were rendered, and now
stand so published in this manner: paid messen-
ger of the - Consul, $780," paid an Englishman
to report violations of the armisticP $780," paid
a member of the municipality, 1852 50' &c, &c.
Already, in consequence of this publication, five
highly respectable residents of MexicO-utterly
guiltess of bribery, but liable suspicion under
those designations-have, through a distinguish
eJ channel, made application to me for exonera-
ton.
Gen. Pillow speaks feeIingTy of ''the great and
patriotic statesman who was in 1916 Chief Mag
istrate of the nation" his some time law partner,
who bad made him Major General; the came who,
early in the war, sent for me, and in the kindest
aud most beseechiDg manner solicited my personal
sympathy as well as professional aid IN conquering
a peace, promising me his entire confidence and
support; the same who, before had reached Mex
leo, endeaVored, first, to appoint lieutenant gen.
eral to supersede me; and, failing in that, next
thought of placing me under the party, APP
pointed ajor general, land of course) my Junior;
the same who, it turns out, appointed Gen. Pillow
a spy on the conduct of Mr.. Trist and myself; ard
the same great aud patriotic statesman" who,
having failed in nearly every promise he had made
me, finally when the war had been ended, released
from arrest three officers who had been engaged in
a conspiracy against me; restored them, with hon
or, to duty; supt rseded me in the command OF the
army i'll Mexico; and ordered the three conspira-
tors and myself equally before a court Of inquiry!
II so happened that Gen. Pillows conduct di
rectly investigated by that court; but its same
three members were comfortably instructed from
WashIngtOn-no doubt at the instance of the spy
to organize themselves into court Of in
quiry to investigate secretly that part of my con-
QUOT relating TO the COuncn OF war nelu, July II,
iS47, at Puebla, for the purpose, as alleged, OF
purchasing peace, and which council figures so
largely in Gen. Pillows recent publications.
This court had Ty characteristic OF a secret
inqusition; it met under confidential instructions; it
recognized in my absence and without my
knowledgel whereas in Cen. Pillows case las al
ways,) he not only present, but had he privi-
lege of ObjeCting TO members, and / should have
challenged the entire PANEL and the court proceed
ded to take evidence, beginning with that of Gen
Pillow also in my absence, whereas the law (9lst
article of war; expressly declares that the accused
shall = be permitted to cross examine and inteTro-
gate the Witnesses" Finally when called before
the bastard tribunal, I made my protest. and had
nothing more to do with il and had supposed, I'M
I'll Gen. Pillow recently published the statements
of two honorable generals (Quitman and Shields, J
that all the parties connected with this inyesga-
ton had become ashamed of their conduct and had
made report, as there no publication of their
proceedings. Nevertheless, the inquest found no
allegation against me supported.
The next article of the 92j Of the statutel
declares, - as courts Of inquiry may be perverted
to dishonorabe purposes, and may be considered as
engines OF destruction to military merit ia the hands
of weak and envous commandants, they here
by prohibited, unless directed by the President OF
the United States demanded by the accused. "
Little did the law-maker imagine that even a Pre-.
sident mi hit prove himself one of that class OF
commanders
A word more Two members Of that famous
court were breveted-one major general, without
other connection with the Mexican war; and the
other a brigadPr prOfessedly for some slight SER
vice at Buens Vista and both after their attempts
to whtewash Gen. Pillow aud browbeat me as the
prosecutor 10 that case.
NEW YoRK, Oct. 80, 1857.