The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-09-23
5::sans5iIIs 1ailg sournal.
General Pillow Picked Up---iiore
Secret History.

I have sought q self imposed retire
ment to pursue course of study alto
gether private and personal. with no de
sire or intention OF minsling in any po
Utica. or other controversies; tut meet
ing with this base attempt. as consider
it, OF General Pillow. to throw discredi
upon the one soldier OF our country
whom the country delights to honor
whose Conquest of Mexico" will he read
IN a!,er days with that ofCortez. | could
not help placing on record some few iac
known to myself for the benefit of hs
tory.
His letter is dignifiad, clear ard fatal
10 the pretensions of PIiLow. In the
first place he lacerates Gsn Gideon j for
con 'essing that he was Confidential
officer of the Government" that is an in
terlorer, PoLK's sly upon GES. ScoTT.
Gen Hitchcock puts it thus.
In this secret position, General Pillow
having, er ctaiciO, the eat se to The pres
ence of the commanding General at all
times. aud frequently having seat at
his private table, accumulated materials
for deEaming has cort,llng commanding
officer in confidential, letters TO his old
companion in law cil:ce, then the Pres
dent OF the United States, and now ,e-
veals this astonishing fact.
Pillow says in his chapter O: secret
history, that he opposed the proposition
to pay the Mexican Generals for playing
whipped and making treaty. Gen.
Hitchcock was present at the conference
OF Gen. officers, called by Gen. Scott to
delberate on the offer made 10y the Mex
Ican authorities to be bribed, and says
that Pillow made quite 4 strong speech.
after the manner of stump speech, in
support of the measure. The report
gwen by Gen. Hitchcock Of this confer
ence oi Gen. officers Is very interesting.
On the evening OF the l6 h Of Jup,
1917, Gen. Scott assembled ali OF the gen
eraI officers OF the amy, at his quarters
III Pue5la excepting Generals Worth
and Smith. 20 post them up As 10 the
state OF the army, in such matters IA
were OF interest to all OF them, iniorinln.
them, among other things, vi The az
proach and expected airlyaI o. Gen.
Pierce, with 200 men or mUye. lie
tLen disclosed some proceedings entered
upon by MIR. Nicholas L. Tnst, the
United States Commissioner. the sub
I'll. nee of which Was that Mr.. Irst nau
been n.ormcd. through confidential sour
ces, that treaty oi peace cOu,d be hau
With he Mexican Government bv the
use of little money. X hIn> rne sum
had teen already appropriated by tie
United States Congress ior securing
t'oaly, and the question: W TIA Dir. in>t, |
as stated by the General, Vas as to
whether Ml lon of ii might lot appro-
priateiJ he used IN the mode Suggcs,eu |
oy those in power III the city oi Mex'co, |
even though II should tie con 'ldered q |
bTs6e-the proposal Coming IruIn tHat
SIDE Gen. Scott touk pains to exp.am |
that under 10 circumstances would lac |
initiate such scheme, bat that mas
much as u proposal had come from Mex |
ico OF a peculiar character, he, ior ms
own past, was willing to assist Mr. i ri>l
In executing hiS wsheS. Gen. Scott /
did no. profess To advocate such proceed
ings in general, aud declared that In the
present case il .aS Ar. Irist himself to
determine what he might think expedl-
ent, but that if Nh. irlst decided upon
the cInplo, ment vi money as proposed,
ne Gen Scott, would assist him IN 90
tanning it, anu would deiend his motives
IN the u>e oi II.
The first officer who made remark
upon the subject, after Gen SCOTS stale
ment, was Gen. TwI-g>, who pleasantly
sand that il gentlemen IN the city oi
Mexico proposed to be brIbed, lie saw no
reason why they should not be accommo.
ted.
The next General who eexpreSSsd his
opinion was Gideon j. Pillow, and |
lind that my note IN re;erence to his re-
marks IN these wOrd,: "General Pillow
came oct ve,y fully IN support of the
only Stlpulatlng, as condI-
ton. that the United States should have
such treaty as was desired"
This is all Of my memorandum OF
THAT he said, hut vel: remember that
he rose from his seat and earnestly spoke
for soIpe time in iavor oi TIE scheme.
There was not the slightest intlmatIon
from HIM that there was anything wrong
in acceding to the proposals from the
city OF Mexico. lie made, IN approba-
ton of the proceeding. what might be
called a regular speech in favor oI it, anu
venture to say that no one who heard
him imagined that he ever had, or was
likely to have, any doubts OF the periec,
Dropriety fit, What he said was then
uttered as genera officer OF the army.
IL now appears that the next day, &c
ting no doubt in his private capacity as a t
,py. he made somewhat formal protest
against the proceeding; and for this after
thought he now claims vast credit, as i
" his interposition he had saved the
lonOr OF his country.
General Quitn,an, spoke very modest
y and becomingly, as very well re-
member. My note simply says :-"Gen- i
.ral Quitnan did not like the payment
# money secretly as bribe. and thought
hat our people at home might not or
would not approve Of it; but he express
.d him Salf varv decidadly in annrovai al