Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-02-06
FlRnM MAsHINcTON


the documents &c appears that Scott declined to
give open and specific information to Davis re-
garding the expenditure of secret service money
in Mexico, believing no obligation Of public OF
private honor, according 70 the tIsages Of ma
tons and armies, required him to disclose names.
Under the circumstances he, however, expressed
a willingness to give such information for his
lprivate ear alone, which the Secretary said he
was willing to receive in confidence.
| In November, So the President writes to Da-
Wis, saying, in substance, that Gen. Scott states
two grounds on which he has learned that hes
itatcd 10 allow the five per cent commission. II
Is proper TO remark, he has been misinfOrmed or
misapprchendcd my position. He himself fixes
three and half per cent, which he might have
properly received for his disbursements in Mex
| leo, and balance struck upon that basis, was
the subject of conversation between us.
Davis, in response u the President informs
him that Scott had charged himself with the
sum of 1851 ,G91, all excepting $4,000, were
levied and captured in Mexico, and took credit
for disburEing 1855, 541; leaving $G,l50 with
held by Scott in his account. This balance the
President authorized Scott, through the Secreta-
~ Of War, to retain, Scott in letter dated New
York, Dec SO, writes that there are two items,
making FL 1885 against him as not admitted or
diSallowed by the President, on account Of five
per cent charged by him on all monies disburs-
cd. He says il was entirely whiting the cOmpc-
tency Of the President to allow that charge, and
asks that such be brought against him by the
Government to recover the amount claimed tn
be due by him nearly $4,000. But the Presi-
dent declined to enter suit. There are many
explanations relative to these figures, but the
financial part Of the transaction cannot be fairly
understood by this mere reference to the sub.
ject in question
Among the documents is the opinion Of At
tOrney Gen'l Gushing, Jan. 1866. to the effect
that the act of creating the rank Of Lieut. Gen
thority of which was imposed by the law Of
l79S upon Washington, who was then retiring,
made commander of armies, while Gen. Scott
was appointed Lieut. General by the authority
of the President of the United States. The
rank carries retrospective pay and emoiuments,
but no retrospective authority.
General SCOTS correspondence with the af-
fairs of Government goes back as far as S1S4S,
and that between him and the Secretary of War,
during 1855, contains the following features, to
witt
Secretary Davis, July 18th, 1856, says:
leave unnOticed tho exhibition Of peeyish tenn
per in reply to an inquiry from this department.
Gen. Scott replies, July S0th, it would be
easy TO show that the whole letter in which you
charge me with exhibiting peevish temper IS
as fiippant in its statements and logic in that
accusation. Certainly, as Secretary of War,
you have done enough to warrant more than
suspicion that from the first you have consider
sion on my rights and feelings to goad me into
some frivilOus attitude of official OppOslGOn to,
prove my long forbearance, for at my time of
life all angry discussions are painful will now
proceed to enumeTate some Of the productions
alluded to without detaining in this place on
your partisan hospitality, to brevet of Lieut..
General ard to the compensation that Congress
intended to attach thereto. Gen. Scott then al
ludes to one of the Secretary's capital reports
and his Gaping the climax by usurPatiOn and
absurdity. He likewise says, following your
personal rebuke in your letter Of the 18th, your
object, in violation Of principle, is to crush me
into a seryile obedience to yourself Well,
know your obstinacy and know, also what is
due to myself as n man and a soldier, and If
am to be crushed prefer it at the hands Of my
military peers.
The Secretary reiuins in an unofficial note,
dated Aug. nd:-Your present accusation,
which charges me with usurpatiOn for most I'M
worthy ends, and inpEtes to me motives incon-
Sstent with official integrity, is considered base
ly malevolent and pronounced utterly false.
Gen. Scatt replying, Aug. Sth, says 81 have
received note from you, dated End inst, which
you seem to desire me to consider as unofficial.
shall not comply with that singular fancy, as
you can have no legitimate claim to address me
except as Secretary of War. Accordingly, /
shall treat your communications, whether de-
signed as private and seurrilOus, or as public
misSives Of arrogance and superciliOusness, as
eQually Omclal. lnefe are DedulleS III Iletn
which ought now, and It shall not be my fault
if do not render your part of this correspond
ence a memorable example to be Stunned by
your successors.
To this the Secretary replies, Sept 7th:-N0r
am to be at all deferred from full exposure
of the groundlessness Of your charges by the
threats you make of rendering my part Of the
correspondence a memorable example to be
Stunned by my successors. This is the merest
hravadO in one who himself affords the most
memorable example on the records of the de-
partlnent of q vain cOntroversialist defeated, and
"a false accuser exposed.
The Republican Congressman from Indiana
have dispatches from indianapolis, that, instead
of 90 Senators being PTesentat the alleged SEN
atoriaI election yesterday, but % out Of 80 at
tended, IL less than quorum, and 90 represen-
tatives, less than quorum. The Senate, by
mai had denounced the joint conversion as
illegal and unauthorized.