New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-05

,rors than Eve weeks, on what 70 your nature NUS
have been labor Of love, poured only upon me, IN
tFeuty seven compact fooscap pages this full measure
=. vcur spleen ana Vengeance. It, precursor Ha' s4v
soc End scunilOus, but the slowly connected yeoon
row vested is, 10 doubt, fODsy relied up(o ku a.
once The felOiiO1s intent Is clear enOagh. Fe.tI-
The ss YOU may be forced 10 borrow the ekcsmauo1'
lis not DONE and the attempt, and not the d"eo' con-
Pounds us "
Then flows lengthy defense Of his cause generally
From a hasty examination Of the dOcum' nt' = az
r4srs that Gen Scott declined 70 give open and sPec-
80 information 10 Secretary Davis regarding the eI-
pen0itIre Of the social service money IN Mexico, be-
isvinr that no obligation Of public or private honor,
,cco,o,c u the ussges Of nations and armies required
him 10 o,scose rames and circumstances. he, how
ever. expressed his willingness, 70 give such iniorma-
ton or mis- privete alone, which the Secretary said
be wa wiling TO receive in confidence.
10 November 1856 the President writes TO Secreta-
~ DAVIS saving IN substance: Gen. Scott state two
grounds 90 which h6 hos lcaroed t1a hesita'ed 70
" allow the five per cent commission 1t 10 proper to
remark that be has been misiniOrmed or Inisappre-
blended Iny position He himself fixed three ana
half per c. Mt which be mig BIT properly have received
for hs Endorsements in Mexico, and bslsnce-sheet
"uton that basis wss the subject Of the conI creation
between US
Secretary Davis in response 20 the President, informs
him that Gen Scott he'd charged himself with the SUN
of s26l G91. and that al excepting $4,000, were
levied and captured in MEXICO, and took credit Tor dis
bursing SZlJ,5iI, leaving S. 10 withheld By General
Scott IN his account This balance the PresdeRt
authorized Gen. Scott, through the Secretary Of Mar
to retain. Gen. Scott in letter dated New-fork, in
December 1862 writes that there are two items max
ing al S85 agains, hin, not admitted OF d-allowed
by the President account d the per cent charged
bv him on all monies dsbursed. lie SAYS il was en-
iirey within the competency Of the Presid nj 70 allow
that charge and ask that suit may be brought against
BIN by the Government 70 recover the amount claimed
10 be due BIZ h-peary g. 0O0-but the President de-
cliped 20 enter suit There are many explanations
relative TO these figures bu. the financial part OF the
transacton csnuot be fairly understood by this mere
reference 10 the subject Among the documents Is the
opinion of Attorney General Gushing, dated January,
1856 TO the effect that "the act creating MajorGen-
eral SCOT Lieutenant Genera does not confer upon
him ali the authority which was supposed BY the law
ofI798 upon Washington, who was thereby made the
Commander Of the Armies, while Gen. Scott was
appointed Lieutenant cneral By order OF the Pres-
:" dent Of the United S,ates The rank carries retro
"spective pay and euounepts, but not retrospective
Authority"
To this alluson to the old hero's fnanceonug quail
tics he comes back at him, and says, under date of
Jan. Il. 1856:
"Suoh continued recklessness OF character could only
proceed ffoin one whose low ambition 10 battered with
The title Of The Favorite.''
lie is sga, lengthy, and referring to some unpleasant
"reminiscences called up by Secretary Davis, General
Scott says: "For revenge, the SANDERS respecting
the trisd Of 1910 WAS disntered by your letter of
September which being refuted in the same month,
"is now reproduced with variations
"'wLo sbanes scribbler1 Break cobweb through,
lie srdLs the slight self pLeiuE thread anew;
Destroy his Gb 81 sophistry IN vain,
The creatures at bis duy worn sghn'
This caustc epistle was responded to by the Sec
Rotary in a letter beginning thus
"WAR DEPARTMENT Feb. %, 1856.
"SIR / received your letter dated Jsnusry 81, and
proceed TO notice its contents.
"You hsve persisted in making your letters official,
and have thus forced upon the obligation 10 re-
Ceiye them and reply IN such terms as seen 10 me
appropriate, to the basee's accusations which derive
their only importance from the high standing you oo-
oupy; ill.,. ;..,.noo ~ vorr c.,.ci,v in the same
breath 10 beg for sympathy and utter Islander is Your
accusation thst have endeayored to provoke due
with an old soldier known to be so lame 10 both arms
~ TO write with difficulty and pain.
Those ignorant of the TACT t,at the great disability
of which YOU complain the result OF fall upon tue
pavement in NewYork, would naturally lnier from The
introduction of the phrase old soldier thai you we're
nv wounds received in battle disqualified Tor selde-
tcnse and every generous heart that believed your
assertion. would sisit WITH ind ,Snsn ccnsue INC I'm
manly attempt 10 involve wounded veteran n per-
rcnal combat. IInt no such PuTpoo was ent@aueu.
You had given notice g. The world that you would NOT
act upon the sentiment " hIch makes a gentleman re-
spor sble Ia any whom he assas wnen IN Inc Nlsor
az manhood. You pleaded sense OF religion anu pat
rioo scrutee as for not 6nsserng 10 the per-
Sonal defiance of hn aggfleved onctr, ueneraJdV
son-your superior in military ronh, AID infinitely
above You in every othor respec,-and was not 10
be suppcsed that you would st this time, lake CIeen'
ground But no disability, no aee, no plea o. eonscl
cniious scruplcs, be admitted 10 shed sanderer
from Icbuke and when you grstul.ously imputed to me
motives luxurious and offensive 10 NE "a man, ad'
dressed to you unofficial note, and fixed on you the
brand offalsehoOd which AMY endeavOr - wash
away with sour unfsilipg food OF sbuSive epl-hets
"YouiI obodcnt ser N. JEFFERSON DAVIS
ITO Rre,,t Lieut. Gen. wi>.irLp Scorr, l. SA'
To this spicy communication and these gentle hints
At his cowardce, the hero Of LIndys Lane thus
psches into his adversary under date Of March 20,
and says: Again you recsr to my past history and
my court martial of lSlo. Now your thr.cc-tol
tale sgsn and again rcfuted and put 10 shame but
which with Calsbin malice, that needs must curse,
YOU are likely TO reproduce 10 the end Of the chap
ter if only TO give the advantage IS you say OF
referring to particular passage OF my history
thin to such spirit, if not victory, is yet revenge
TO this the Secretary Of War returns lengthy re-
ply, and Gen. Scott again retorts: Ny silence,
under tie new provocson, hss been tue result, first
80 Of pity ard next of forseiulness. Compassion Is
always due to an cn-sgcd mbecie, who lays s6ou;
him blows which hurt only himself, OF who, st worst,
seeks to s,iae his opponent sy the dint OF naughty
words
The following is the lr,s to this specimen o.
.hicis couespondcnce:
WAR DEPARTMENT, Nav -. lS,G.
"SIR. have received your lstteS OF the 7'ih lust
The delay for which yoa make hypocfitc,. sPoiocy
fhs ~ NJ