Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1857-11-13
CLARKsV1LIE, TENN FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 13. 1857
which council figures SO largely in Gen.
Pillows recent publications.

which council figures SO largely in Gen
| Pillows recent publications.
| This court had every characteristic of
secret ;nauisition; it met under confden
itisl instructions; it was reorganized in m
}, absence and without my knowledgel where
as, in Gen. Pillows case Gas always,) h
I. was not only present, but had the priyileg
of objecting to members, and / should
! have challenged the entire pannel and tn,
court proceeded to take evidence, begin
ming with that of Gen. Pillow also in my
: absence, whereas the law (91st article Of
wary expressly declares that the accused
shall "be permitted to cross-examine and
interrogate the witnesses. Finally, when
called before the bastard tribunal made
my protest, and had nothing more to dc
with it; and had supposed, until Gen. Pill
low recently published the statements Of
two honorable generals (Quitman and
ShieldsO that all the parties connected and
with this investigation had become asham-
led of their conduct and had made no re-
port, as there was no publication of their
proceedings. Nevertheless, the inquest
found no allegation against me supported.
The next article of war (the 92d of the
same statute) declares, ''as courts of in
quiry may be perverted to dishonorable
purposes, and may be considered as en-
gines of destruction to military merit in
the hands of weak and envions comman-
dants, they are hereby prohibited, unless
directed by the President of the United
States or demanded by the accused" Lit
tie did the law-maker imagine that even
President might prove himself one of that
class of commandersl
A word more Two members of that
famous court were breveted-ene a ma
jor general, without other connection
with the Mexican war; and the other
brigadier, professedly for some slight SER
vice at Buena Vista, and both after their
attepts to white-wash Gen. Pillow and
browbeat me as the prosecutor in that case.
WINFIELD SCOTT. !,
New York, October 80, 1857.
P. S. In my former card 1 abstained,
except incidentally and unavoidably, from
eliminating Gen. Pillow or defending my
self, although overwhelming means for Ell
ther purpose lay before me; and I am en-
deavoring to be equally self denying on
the present occasion, leaving the due dis
tribution of blame and praise among all
concerned in the Mexican war to the fu-
ture historian. Nor do | consider it any
violation of that self-imposed restriction
to finish here one of Gen. Pillows quota
tions Gin his recent reply to me- from the
statement of Gen. Quitman. The extract
made by him (P.) was intended to impli-
cate me in the project of purchasing, un-
der certain circumstances, peace, to which
he now says he was more or less repugnant
from the first, and with that quotation he
(P) suddenly stops, being, no doubt, ap-
palled with the following sentence in the
same statement, in which Gen. Quitman
continues: "After some pause Gin the coun-
ci,) Gen. Pillow gave his opinion in favor
of waiting the arrival of Gen. Pierce, and
expressed, in detail, his concurrence with
the views of the General in Chief on the
propriety of raising and applying the mon
ey as proposed, pledging his influence as
an officer and citizen to sustain the meas
ure" After this exhibition it probably
will not be thought important by anybody
whether Gen, Pillow has expressed any
opinion at all, or contrariety of opinions,
on any given subject whatever.
w.