New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-10-07


eih sustaining the fact that he carried away his
good Cd governor, pickback, from burrirg Troy :
Did David ever 50 before Notary Public to make
protect il tie matter Of Gtlah7 Did the Duke
Ct WelIrettn ever indte defense Of his Own
vsIor' Tie truth 10, and Gideon J. ought to inow
il, that when one has really done great action, the
magnitude Of il inevitably "sticks out, so that
the col,hest way farer ia obliged 10 notice it. Bu!
Gideon, having been very familiar with briefs before
he devoted himself to bombs will csvil to the ninth
part Of hair about his military merit, and IN so
doing shows that he has none 70 speak OF. Our i'd
vice to this thrice pored Pillow 10 to fight AID not
write. Having had the directest kind Of lie given
to him by no less than three respectable persons,
Why does be not, by missive de6aut, summon them
to the field of honor He can kill Gen. Scott be-
fore breakfast. Then, partating Of slight repast,
he can finish of John Tyler before dinner. Sub
sequently, and ere the evening shades prevail be
may compel Brigadier-General E. A. Hitchcock to
bite the dust in the death agony. Does it become
O brave soldier when bis honor and veraclty have
been impeached to be idly daIlyng with an ienoole
goose quill, when bis own trusty blade should DO
making bis accusen to skip1
Not that Pillow is not exceedingly vigorous in
bis letter writing. His reply to Gen. Hitchcock is
superb specimen of sarcastic language fact
which we have the more easily discovered because
the General, not to be misunderstood puts all his
hardest and ebapest things in italics, as the painter
nut "Tbis is a horse" under bis picture Of that
beast. The editor of The Nashville B1nner thinks
the letter too "epithetica," and does not approve
of the Generals 900 liberal use of bluff" We
dissent The General shows himself, in this at
least, to be skiIlful commander, not unworthy to
have defended Gibraltar. When there is no legiti
mate shot in the locker, az officer has clearly
right to discharge at the enemy Dutch cheeses,
pumpkins, tenpenny nails, or whatever other IN
struments of destruction may be at hand. Pillow,
being short of facts, opens upon Hitchcock sharp
bombardment like that with which DR. johnson
ssluted and vanquished The Billingsgate 6shwoman)
of nouns, substantives, adjectives and adverbs.
Bluff, indeed We should like TO ask The Nash
piHe Banner who would not bluff, with the Tennes
see Senatorship at stake, and with such hand as
Gen Pillow holds His only hope is in blufing
with brow of brass and imperturbabe counte-
nance. 1t is pleasant, therefore, to notice how he
does pitch into Hitchcock. He says that officer
"cravenly skulked from the point Of danger"
He declares that the said Hitchcock was "most
comfortable when not under fre"-thus nsinu
ating that be (Pillow) was a salamsnder, and was
" most comfortable under fire." He sneers at
Hitchcock for having been forty years in the army
"withOut ascar upon his own person" thusntimat-
ing that he Pillow in very short space Of time be-
came one perfect and entire cicatrice from top to
tee. He calls his antagonist ga son of Mars" by
way of irony, and his effusiOns dirty" being
here in dead earnest Then we have " informed
der" "pimp," " convicted perjurer," and other
pleasing titles, bestowed in the most liberal and
amiable manner. The questions, in the eucidalion
of which all this fine language is used, are, /.
Whether Gideon j. Pillow is a brave man. and |
2. Whether Gen. Scott was willing TO buy peace |
Of Santa Anna for 81 900 900. Concerning the |
first We have little nothing to say. 1t is of less
than ToOtsian no consequence Eetwixt the |
twee die. dunn of the Pillow valOr and the tweede- |
dee of the Pillow cowardice, there is nothing to
choose. We care no more for his bravery than for
that of Jones, Brown and Robinson. People may
WIUe ittttTs, III thcJ pIedse, suo"nS nun W nav
been as valiant as Alexander or as great apolfoon
"a Horace was at the battle of Phippi, but we
hope they will not expect us either to print them
or read them.
As for the other question, we consider it to have
been answered fully by the declaration of Gen.
Scott, made upon his honor, that there is not one
word Of truth in Pillows rigmarOle story about
bribipg Santa Anna. This is Of those cases in
which the simple declaration of gallant officer,
hose veracty has never been impeached, just as
decisive as the verdict of Jury or the opinion of
Judge 1t has been the sole good result Of Pillows
first most absurd address that it has drawn from one
fully qualified by his position to speak, grave and
broad denial of the truth of rumor discreditabe to
the Government which have been vaguely floating
about for years. The people of Tennessee can send
Pillow to the Senate if they please; but it will be
with reputation for truth and veracty which will
reflect little credit upon bis constituents.