New-York daily tribune., 1857-10-24

eotate peace and to travel with the army, to av,i
himself Of any opportunity that might occur; but
according 10 Pillows statement doubts bad arisen II
President Polk's mind either as t) Trists ,ipscity
or honesty, or both. That being the case, the nasa
rsl and usual course would have been to remove
Tint AID TO appoint in his place some tru'.y and
confidential person. Instead, however, OF dolnl
that President Polk, by his confidential Letters
(Which Gen. Pillow saysare now in his possel'on)
placed bim Pillow in semi.oficial relations with
Mr. Trist as Commissioner. Pillow writes:
The duty was erjoinsd upon Mr.. Tist Of taking
me into all bis Conferences and 10 consult me In al
BIZ negotiations. The duty was lmpoed npor me
ss patIiot ard the devoted friend OF the fresd 'n
TO gualo and protect the honor OF the country ani
bis Administ ion against any and every tnicg
shicb thought would tarnish the ore or The Other
II viii hence be seen," he ADDS, that willie M
Tfist the Ostensible Commissioner was IN fac'
the COT fdeutisl officer of the Government upon
whom the President relied 20 guard and protect the
honor Of the country"
Such is Gen. Pillows statement. Perhaps If the
confidential letters TO which he refers were pub
li.bed, they might fail to bear out this extraordi-
nsry claim, but that be had sone private cOmuis-
zion in re alton to the Iegotaton would seem to
be unquestionsbe.
OF the discoveries which Gen. Pillow mlde 10
this character of diplomatic Oyerseer to Mr.. Trist,
be gives the following account:
{" When reach cd the headquarters Of the army ct
Puebla, was invited to conference with Mr.. Trst.
On my auivel at us quarters, | found Gen. Scott
there. Mir Tnst informed me that he had opened
ntgO'stioLs with Ssrta Anna and had pretty well
agreed the prelimnsries Of negotiations for peace.
By thise terms Santa Anna was to be paid cash 10
ton md 2nl md an
army was TO mach 10 the Valley Of Mexico apd fight
battle before the city. If We won srDstice was
TO be granted and commissioners appointed TO treat
for peace. When peace was concluded SlIta Anna
was TO receive one million more.
Mr.. Trist is represeute1 as stating further that
Gen. Scott approved this scheme, had advanced
the ten thousand dollars already paid, and was
ready to raise the million-t through his conteo Of
the disbursiDg depsr .ment of the arny-to be paid
when peace was concluded. Finding the plan thus
approved by Gen. Scott Pillow represents himself
as persuaded TO take it into consideration bat as
having protested against it the next day aud, as he
supposed, caused its abandonment. But accord.
ing to his present statement it was not abandoned,
the armistce granted after the battles of COnt;eras
and Churubusco having been granted in fal6I1eas
of the arrangement with SAINTS Anna
II would seem as though Gen. Pillow had been
invested, or conceived hmself TO be invested, not
only with diplomatic surveillance over Mr.. Trist,
but with q military superin'endence over Gen.
Scott aloo, since be represents himself as having
protested three several times, and the last time
solemDly in writing against this armistce. Nor
can it be suppo,ed that be did this in his character
of superintendent of the negotiation, because, &C
cord pg TO bis own statement, it was only when he
found that Gen. Scott would not listen to his
remopstfances that he reached the conclusion that
Gen. Scott was acting under the influence Of Mr..
Trist, ard that he was carrying into effect the
Puebla negotiations. Thereupon, Gen. Pillow, IS
he represents, Immediately wrote to Presi-
dent Polk, giving him full account
Of the nego tiation aud the steps taken toward il
/" fulfuent telling Polk the same story, we
suppose, which he now tells in this publisher let
ter These representations, though they produced
Mr.. Trisi's recall, had, like most Of General PHI
lows efforts to guard and protect the honor of the
country and of President POlk's administration, no
practical results in that direction, since before this
recall arrived Mr.. Trst had already completed the
treaty of peace, which, however reluctant, Polk
thought it best TO accept. But General Pillows
d dplomatc superintende0ce over Mr.. Trst, though
quite fruitless as far as the honor of the country
and tie Administ alton were concerned, were not,
according to his own account, without dlsagreeabE
results to himself. He ascrlbes TO the influence Of
Mr. Trst over General Scott the arrest under
which he (Pillow) was presently placed. The mo.
tive which Pillow ascIibes to Trist was "to dis.
"erace and discredit the only man who knew Of
"bis corrupt negotiations" But here the General
falls into an evident mistake, siuce. according 10
bis own statement in a previous part OF his
letter, no secret was made Of these alleged
corrupt negotiations, and instead Of his
being the only man who knew any
thirg about them on the evening Of the very day on
which they were communicated to him, Gen.
Scott called council Of general officers, to whom
che made known what had been done in the way
of negotiation, and to whom be expressed sub.
stanially the views and opinions above detailed"
By way of sustaining himself, Gen. Pil)w has since
published extracts from the sworn testimony Of
Gers. Quitman and Shields, given on his own trial,
in relation to what ranspired at this council Of off,
cerr, which, however, was not according to Gen.
Shields, so much formal military council IS mere
friendly meeting at Gen. ScOtt's headquarters such
as were customary at that time, and intended to
bring the principal officers together for the sake Of
social intercourse. The testimony of these officers
is very far from sustaining the statement made by
Gen. Pillow. II goes no further than this, that
Gen. Scott read letter from Mr.. Trist, in
which he mentioned that he had reason
70 believe-folnded, according to Gen. Quit
man, on information communicated BY some
foreign residents in Me1co-thst BY the application
of sum of money of from million 10 million