The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-10-09
GeneIal Scott's Letter.

| GeneIal Scotts Letter.
| The National .Intrliigcneer, contains the fol-
lowing card from Gen, scott, in reply to the
! recent letter of Gen. Pillow. 1t is in good
taste, and disniticd, aud ia written rs it states
not for the purpose of making formal self
defence, but in behalf Of Others and simply by
; way of explanation. 1t disrrovcs satisfactorily
the Charge Of having paid to Santa Anna the
$4,000 of earnest money. but does not pretend
t" vin'li"atc the policy Of the arnistice of Is
dnys before tire city, which enabled that crafty
General, to complete his defencc,. That meas
IRE admits, perhaps only Of the apology which
| Gen. Hitchcock urges, that its results were
, "cry different from what, ordinary sagacity
! might have fnrcsccn, anl tlnt it j. entirely in
! just torriticsc lis policy in the light Of evil
demcr subsequently Disclosed:
| My attention has been called to n letter ntl-
| dressed To the people of Tennessee bv Cen I'll,
! low. III which he rriiriScs my campaign in Mex
| leo with the bnl,lncss Of n master in the art of
war. and at the time cul",zcs his own
services therein with Il hearty good will thnt
! leaves nothing to tc aided. i" not propose
at present to disturb that srlf.lan,lution nor to
| reply I" his animalvcrSons on my plans and
! operations, although he most rrnvokingiv mix.
! cs up i'll every statement small grain of truth
! with II large portion of fiction, so ns 10 give it
with the careless all the effect Of gross f,lsrou.l
! If such tricks can influence the public mind to
my pre- iulicc, shall then begin to regret that
| | Was burn American
| Without, then, entering upon any formal re-
elimination Of Gen. l'ilI"w or defence of myself
| shall proceed ut once in hrlalf Of others, to
notice some two or three points in his address,
in the way of explanation. and ifit chance to
so beyond this it will he merely incidental.
| Gen. Pillow says that, Ivy agreement
! Mr.. Trist engaged to pay to Gen. Santa Anna
"ensh in hanI. earnest money, ten thousand
d"llnrS," to in.lucc him to entertain negotin-
tions for a rcacc and that subsequently, Mr.
T.. told him U:cn. ~ that Gen. Scott had fur.
nishcd him (Nlr r. the money, and that he (AIr.
T.) had ,oaid the ten thousand dollars"
Being morally certain that Mr. Trist never
made such declaration, 1t Is almost useless t.
! say that never turned over dollar to him
f,r sucl, or any other purpose whatever, and
am very sure that Mr.. L. had not q dollar Of
public money in his possession while in McNicn
and never more than sufliccd Tor his very mod.
crate expenses in his private purse; and ccr-
tify on honor that never, ut any time, paid to
| Gen. Santa Anna, caused to be pa i'll to him
or to another for his benefit, one dollar
or more. on any account or in any way what.
ever. President Santa Anna was ut the time
ns now, worth millions. and had. in that office,
the irresponsible control of all the pccuninry
| means OF MS country. IL Is haruly probable.
therefore, that he w"ul'i have stopped to pick
MP n sack of ten thous:;tl dollars in gold, If he
had acc cidcntally stumbled upon one i'll II pri-
| vate walk
This blunder of Gen. Pillow grew, no doubt,
ont of some hint he conillrntiullv picked ~,
about headquarters that had paid that pre-.
else sum .to- and -" for important in
formation received and to hc continued from
the cnrmy's camp. and armies Sec my nc-
count current with the War Department of
secret disbursements, printed by order of the
Senate February i, ls57.l 1t was lucky.
therefore. thnt the names f-nnd-werc
never contilcd to Gen. Pillow, rs it is certain.
from the example before ms, he would. contrary
t" the faith and honor Of our. country have
published them in full. t" the rain Of tire lrar-
ties and their descendants. Even Cen Santa
Anna, if Gen. Pillows credit be worth any
thing. could not now return t" Mexico, no mat
ter under what pledges to lead the lii. of n
good and peaceful citizen.
.Mriting to the Secretary of War from the
city of Mexico February Il, 1913. sail:
Il have not reported on The subject of secret
disbursements since left Jalnra. frat because
of the uncertainty of our communications with
| Vera Cruz md second, the necessity of GER
| tain explanations which, Oh account of others,
ought not to he reduced to writing. may,
| however, briefly add that have never tempt
| cd the honor, conscience, or patriotism Of any
man; but have held it rs lawful in morals as
| III VIII W purchase NuIuaUlt information
services voluntarily rendered me."-T Mexican
War Correspondcnce House Document, No. GO;
| page 1850.
And again, at Washington, June 2S, 1913, on
| rendering my account current Of secret and
other disbursements, and asking fora final set
! tlcment, said: ~.
81 am ready to 60, confiilcntially, into all
those different sums of receipt and disbursc.
ment with the President, the Secretary of War,
or my other member of the Cabinet. ] oil,
under m obligation of private md public hon
or, according to the usngcs of nntons and
armies, MOTTO disclose names and circun,sta,,-
ccs, except rs above" "On the
plaincst princ pies and usagcs of nations aud
war, and the practice Of our own
Government in respect to secret disJmrsen,eats,
| can, in few hours" dc. See Scnate's Exc.
cutive Document, No 81, page SO. ordered to
be print el Feb. i, 1851
And that account hns been dehnItivcly set
tied OIL the principles | had proposed.
word us to Mn Trst t-long in private life,
md struggling with honorable poverty-whom
Gen. Pillow Inns so w"ntonly dragged before
the public. He is represented in the address
as the cunning and malignant genius who in
| stigated me--Otherwise good enough sort of
lnan-to acts of injustice and persecution Tho
officers in Mexico (and Mr. Trist distinguish
ell West Pointer, stood with them before the
enemy. tho brave among the brave) will smile
to hear this character of their senior General
""o MS companion. tne hesotihtor' NO Wah
was more admired than the Inter, for his quiet
unobtrusive manner and amiabty. He was
eagerly received and honorei ',v all foreigners
ofdistinetion, diplomats and otliers, with whom
he came into contact. and under one signal
disadvantage negotiated most important
treaty, which was here GLADLY accepted by the
Senate and the country. For this. great ser. |
vice he is still without reward. ~ .fa ..
- r.1."~l.l, ... WINFIELD SCOTT.
New Yonk. September 20, 1851 .. / |
AWFUL RATE OF lsTKREsp. have it from |
nnquestionable authority that three per cent
aud three and half per cent, per mouth, !
l,ax haan ndad anxl koox. - !. /