Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-23

done to all Of the officers of the army; as to
yourself, honor your good qualities and de.
sire to maintain friendly relations with you,
but marx, only on terms consistent with Justice
and honor. Who'does not see that this is the
true spirit Of the earnest desire 30 fraudulently
paraded, of Gen. Scott, to secure the friendship
Of his second In command
To any one but one blsared by vanity or
blinded by moral obliquity the note from Gem
eral Scott was one Of the most insulting that
could have been penned. 1t expressed a condi-
tion tor the maintenance Of friendly relations
which, to consciously right-minded man,
would have gone to the heart with the effect of
two.edged sword II contained a plain i'm
pllcatiOn that Gen. Pillow might be dishonest
man-that he might be capable of robbing a
brother soldier of his justly acquired honors
The end sufficiently illustrates the characters
OF the two men. Gen. Pillow persisted i'm his
pretensiOns; and Genetal Scott, as he could not
maintain friendly relations with him " consist
emily with justice and honor" dropped these
relations; and now, whole years having inter
yened, Gen Pillow would have his readers be-
iIeve that Gen. Scott sought most anxiousy his
friendship.
But must desst from further comments on
this discreditable address, filled as it is with
ariully-stated half-truths which are often a
species OF most dctestable falsehoods and leave
to others the task-if any ono thinks it worth
while-to show how preposterous il is in Gen
Pillow to criticize the operation. of the army
under Cen. Scott making his comments upon
circumstances only brought to light after the
accomplishment of the events referred to- Who
does not know what sort OF a capacity it re-
qulres to plan operations after the fact. and
show how much better things might have been
done! Thus Gen. Pillow finds fault with the
armistice granted by Gen. Scott to the Mexi-
cans while their Government was yet intact
ha 81 tu nd hal . l.: Il q
making a peace to prevent having the streets
OF the capital dishonored by the tread Of for
cign army. Gen. Scott knew that the city was
virtually In his possession on the evening Of the
Dattle OF Churubusco, and heard him tell the
Mexican Commissioners so at the moment they
presented the application of Santa Anna for an
armistce. General Scott knew that he could
enter the city; but he knew also that his doing
so would dIsperse the Government, and that it
might require whole months afterwards to find
Government in condition to make a peace; as
proved to be the case when, finally, he did en-
ter the city. There was a reasonable hope of
avoiding that delay, by acceding to the proposed
armlstice. That it was not avoided, Gen. Pill
low has had the wit to see, after Ms fact, and
now comments upon it.
tits proper for Inc to say that some two wears
since L resigned my commission in the army in
which had served nearly forty years, and have
sought a self-imposed retirement to pursue n
course OF study altogether private and person
al, with no desire or intention of mingling in
any political or other controversies; but, meet
ing with this attempt, as conoider it, of Gen.
Pillow, to throw discredit upon the one soldier
OF our country whom the country delights to
honor, whose :" Conquest of Mexico will be
read in after days with that of Cortez, 1 could
not help placing on record some few facts known
to myself, for the benefit OF history.
As for the immediate object of Gen. Pillows
address, that of securing a seat in the Senate of
the United States, have nothing to say, but
to express my hope that Tennessee has worthier
sons. more entitled to that honor
L. A. HIrcHcock,
Acting 1nspector-General of the American
Army In Mexico, and late Brevet Brigadier
General, st. Louis, Missouri, Sept. IA, 1857