Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-23
THE MEXICAN WAR.
Reply to the ecent Letter of General Gideon
J. Pillow on the Mexican War.

from DT7gddIeT-OeReT0I 4. A. HtfcHc0cH.
Gideon J. Pillow, of Mexican war notoriety,
has placed bis name before the country as
candidate for United States Senator from Ten
nessee, as appears over his name :" to the Peo-
pie OF Tennessee"
This address will probably call forth COM
msnts from several officers in high places in the
American army. Meantime, the undersigned
having some knowledge Of facts referred to in
the address, feels called upon to state that
knowledge, to the end that people out of Ten
nesSee, as well as in that State NAV be able to
form just opinion Of the claims of General
Pillow to the honor he seeks. l shall not refer
10 the address ga eTiSRSo, bat will confne my
sell 10 facts within my own knowledge. This
very remarkable paper stands alone, it is pre-
sumcd, as an instance wherein candidate for
Office before our people bases his claims, or his
principal claim, upon an open confession of
having occupied the low and dishonorable Do
sitiOn Of spy upon the conduct of his COM
mandiny general. General Pillow unblushing-
ly tells US that he joined General Scott, in Mey-
leo, as T" the confidential officer Of the Govern
ment, upon whom the President relied TO guard
and protect the honor Of the country in the i'm
portant negotiations involving the peace Of the
country In this secret position, General
Pillow having, es-0Dfcio, the entree to the pres
ence OF the commanding general at all times,
anu frequently having q seat at his private
table, accumulated materials for defaming his
eondding commanding officer in confidential
letters To his old companion in law office, then
the President Of the United States and now re-
yeals this astonishing fact, and claims from the
people OF his State high office as a reward for
his secret service in that capacity. Who does
not see the shocking state of things thus dis
closed, and disclosed, too, by the very man who
occupied 80 degrading position? What officer
OF the American army, of any proper self-re-
spect, would permit himself to be made such an
Instrument What would due sense of del
icacy and honor have prompted a gentleman to
do on finding himself appealed to for so dishon-
orabls service9 Undoubtedly he would have
thrown back the Presidents appeal with scorn,
or ne would at least have laid the whole matter
before the commanding general, and profess to
act only with his full knowledge. But General
Pillow accepted the degrading position rendered
him By the President, and now claims credit
Tor his services, as the confidential officer
whose public position gave him access to the
presence OF bis commanding general.
But what was the service performed by Gen
Pillow In the eralted secret position in which
ne allowed himself to be placed? 1t turns
almost wholly upon his having protested, as he
says, against the use of money to bring about
peace under stated circumstances and he takes
pains TO implicste Gen. Scott in the alleged dis
honorable transaction. Now, it is remarkable
that this statement by Gen. Pillow is coupled
with the na've confession, that he, (Gen. Pill
lOwD In conference Of general officers, gave his
full appreciation Of it. The inference is plain
the alleged dishonorable transaction could not
have been glsringly disreputable or how could
even Gen. Pillow have at one time fully ap-
proved Of ii. Men are not accustomed to vas
ciliste In such matters, where the nature of the
transaction stands out in clear characters
marked with dishonor But there are facts
enough in connection with the transaction re-
forred 10 to show that il had no such marks of
dIscredit as now, by its mere memory, seems to
snock the delicate sensibility of the confden
tal spy OF the President; and it is my purpose
70 state some OF these facts known 10 myself for
was present at the council of general officers
at which the subject was, not discussed, but
talked over. L heard all that was said on that
OCCASION, and made a brief memorandum of the
conversation, which is now before me.
On the evening Of the 10th Of July I847, Gen.
Scott assembled all Of the general officers of the
army, At his quarters ia Puebla, excepting Cen
erals Orth and Smith, to post them up as
to the state Of the army, in such matters as was
OF interest to all of them, informing them among
other things, Of the approach and expected al
rival OF Gen. Pierce, with . 900 men or more
lie then disclosed some proceedings entered
upon by Mr.. Nicholas p Trist the United
States Commissioner, the substance of which
was, that Mr. Trist had been informed through
confidential sources, that a treaty of peace
could be had with the Mexican Government. by
the use OF little money. A handsome sum
mad been already appropriated by the United
States Congress for securing n treaty, and the
question with Dir. Trist, rs stated by the Cen
eral, was AS TO whether a million of il might not
appropriately be used in the mode suggested by
those IN power in the city of Mexico even
though it should be considered 5ri5s-the pro-
posal coming from that side. General Scott
took pains " explain that nndsT no cireMDr-
stances trOHId he initiate such a schema but
that lnasmuch as proposal had come from
Mexico, Oh peculiar character, he, for his own
part, was willing to assist Mr. Trist in execu-
ting his wishes. Gen. Scott did not profess to
advocate such proceedings in general, and de-
clared that In the present case ID was for Mr..
Trist himself to determine what he might think
expedient, but that if Mr.. Trist decided upon
the employment Of money as proposed he Gen
scott, would assist him in obtaining it. and
d would defend his motives in the use OF il.
Tho hrst ofhcer who made a remark upon the
subject, after Gen. Scott's statement was Gen
Twlsgs, who pleasantly said, that if gentlemen
In the city OF Mexico proposed to be bribed, he
sGw no reason why they should not be accom-
mO1ated
The next General who expressed his opinion
was Gideon j Pillow, and find that my note
IN reference to his remarks is in these words
General Pillow came out rsry fNIiy in sup
port Of the measure, only stipuiating, as a con
-ditiOn, that the United States should have such
treaty desired !"
This Is all OF my memorandum of what he
said, but well remember that he rose from his
seat and earnestly spoke for some time in favor
OF the scheme. There WAS not the slightest in
nmatIon from him that there was ANYTHING
wrong in acceding to the proposals from the
city Of Mexico. He made, in appreciation of
the proceeding, what might be called regular
speech in favor OF it, and venture To saw that
no one who heard him imagined that he ever
had, or was likely TO have any BITS of the
perfect prOpriety of it. What he said was then
uttered as general officer Of the army. IL
now appears that the next day, acting no doubt
in his private capacity as n spy, he made
somewhat formal protest against the proceed
= ing; and for this after-thought he now claims
vast credit, rs if by bis interpositiOn he had
saved the honor Of the country. Again, say
If the measure was 80 clearly and palpabiy
wrong, how came he to approve of it at allI
Ii Is manifest that the point which the General
has endeayOred 10 make is not Of the slightest
Importance. But to proceed with what took
place in the conference
On Inn