Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-02-11
The Scott and Davis Correspondence.

The correspondence between Gen. Scott and
Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War; which the
Senate has ordered to be published. il volumi.
nous and spicy. The news-lnongers in Wash
ington have obtained a sight of the letters and
brought tolight some extracts in advance ofpub.
lication.
General SCOTS correspondence with the Off
GERS of the government goes back as far as lS4S.
and that between him and the Secretary of War
during 1866, contains the following features
Mr.. Davis in July Goth says: Il leave unnoticed
the exhibition of peevish temper in reply to an
inquiry from this department, etc." Gen. Scott
replies July So sit would be easy to show that
the whole letter in which you charge me with
exhibiting a peevish temper is as fppant in its
statements and logic as in that accusation. Ger
tainly as Secretary of War yon have done e.
nough to warrant more than suspicion that
from the first you have considered it your spe-
cial mission,by repeated aggression on my rights
and feelings, to goad me into some perlous atti-
tude of official opposition:
$40 prove my long forbearance, for at my
time of life all angry discussions are painful,
will now proceed to ennmerate some of the pro-
vocations alluded to. Without debating in this
place on your partzan hostility to the Brevet OF
Lieutenant General, and to the compensation
that Congress intended to attach thereto" The
General then alludes to one Of the Secretary's
"Captious reports" and his "capping the climax
by usurpation and absurdity." He likewise
says: "Following out your personal rebuke,, in
the letter of the 12th your object in violation OF
principle is to crush me into servile obedience
to your selfwi know your obstinacy and
know also what is due to myself rs o man and
as q soldier; and, if I'm TO be crushed, | prefer
it at the hands of my Military Peers"
The Secretary rejons in an unofficial note,da-
ted August I'd. your present accusation charges
me with nsurpation for the most unworthy ends
and imputes to me motives inconsistent with of
fetal integrity. is considered basely malevolent
and pronounced utterly false"
General Scott replying, August 9Th, says: 81
lave received q note from you dated on the I'd
inst, which you seem to desire me to consider
as unofficial shall not comply with your sin
gular fancy as you car have no legitimate claim
to address me except as SECRETARY of War, ac-
cordiugly 1 shall treat your communications
whether designed as private and scurrlous or as
public missives of arrogance and supereiliousness
as equally official. There are beauties in them
which ought not to be lostsand it shall not be
my fault if do not render your part of this
correspondence Memorable example to be
Stunned by your successors u
To this the Secretary replies, Sept. 9TH "Nor
am to be at all deferred from full exposure
of the groundlessness of your charges or by the
threats you make of rendering my part of this
correspondence q memorable example to be
summed by my successors This is the merest
bravado in one WHO himself affords the most
memorable example on tlie.records of this. de-
partment, of vain controversialist defeated and
q false accuser exposed"