The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-02-19

any sum anv increase Of p.y which we m, y, n,o
pose. The Hon. Mr. Fishs letter to me, fsnotbe
vounteerl dated June 49, 1885, relating to the same
soIe strongy cerroborstes the preceding Copies Of
.nese w, letters were given in my srsu pent, adj
to the Attorney General of the last mention
20 cate, and have beenread by you. And | repeat
mat any amount of testimony intention and 10
me same set, might be obtained from the mem
| oers OF the lsst Consress"
| Somewhat similar to the brevet claim was
| ihE CLAIM OF PER DIEM AS CHEROKEE CoMMIs
/ sIoNER
Inc subject was Incidentally introduced by Gen
srai scott (p. 62) stating, with apparent object
OUT 10 show how far he had been trusted that the
| instructions under which be had conducted the re-
moval OF the Cherokee Iadians were written hy
nimself, aud signed by President Van Buren The
tp I'D thinks il very little to his credit
70 acHnowiedge this, because he had founded upon
| THESE instructions q claim for the sllo apce Of
| seven Thousand dollars as per diem, which, though
| twice rejected under Mr.. Van Buren's admnistra
tlon, was allowed in that of bis successor war
rAnted by the peculiar terms 10 which the iustruc
tions were couched The Secretary remarks
| Win severity upon the fact that the words used
| permitted construction which Mr.. Van Buren,
could not have intended when he signed the paper,
| aud that General Scott afterwards obtained the
| cement OF the latent ambiguity
| COMMISSION on MILITARY CONTRIBUTIONS
Happears. however, that while in Mexico Gen.
Scott had retained the sum of Sc 149 &C. o. 4J }
that. after his return 70 Washington in rende rip
his accounts, he charged a commission of 81 per
amount retained, and error Of $3.50 be claimed
| balance of 81 ,4S5 SO, (p 26) Tits charge was
not admitted by the department. but when Gen.
scott was Acting Secretary of War in 1850, he
nreW tne amount from one of the quartermasters,
fp.aD On coming to the department. 10 1854 10
make q settlement he restated the account rem.
dered in 1e42, and instead of 81 per cent be
charged a commission of b per cent. amounting to
| 81 l5e4 %, making difference of 1860 10 an I
added an item omitted, (S250) showing a balance
due him of 50 949 TO- [p. 80 The Secretary sub
mitted the claim to commission to the President by
whom only it could be allowed, and General Scott
| made several written and verbal representations
in regard to it. In one of them, 10 40 be acknow-
Lodges his great obligations to The "c,urtesy pc.
tience and kindness of both the President and
Secretary of War in regard to (hisl Mexican ac-
Sounts"
This claim remained Enacted On until Novem.
ber. 1850 In the mean time General Scott drew
81 600 more from the same officer W no had before
paid him Up 4s) of which he Informed the Presi-
dent, repres .nting that be had found on inquiry
that this officer had funds that had not been paid
into the treasury, but were retained to pay such
claims, and that he would pay over any balance
found against him the moment tina the President
dec des the question of commission dis5urse-
mfnts now under his consideration" [p 43
The President allowed Gen. Scott the sum of
sc, l49 &c. p. 45 which he had retained in Mexi-
co, and the Third Auditor ihereupon called on
General Scott to refund the two sums of 81 4S5
and 81 900, which the General had drawn from
Qusrtermaster Clark and which tine President
had refused 10 allow. The General refuses to re-
fund, and invites a suit The President decided
that he would not have suit Instituted but that the
usual and necessary steps should be taken for the
return Of the said sums to the treasury: which de.
cision was sent to the Treasury Department, and
by the Auditor communicated to General Scott
calling upon him again to refund the money.
When this subject was brought forward in the
general correspondence, General Scott claimed
that he hadthe right under the laws of war TO
dispose of the money as he pl ased, and alleges
that he had ways refused to be bound by the act
which Congress had passed in March, 1s49, to com.
pei officers TO account for moneys raised in Mexi-
co because it would have cut him off from large
credits for disbursements he had made. (p 224)
The Secretsry rejects these reasons and pursues
the ;ut ect with severe structures upon the con-
duct of The General in wing no QUE but himself
any portion OF the money, except that two thou
sand dollars were handed over tC a committee Of
officers to distribute among the more necassitous
families Of the slain officers-a pitifu sum to be
divided among 80 many, and not equal to one third
of what the General kept for himself.
AsPERsIONs CAST UPON MILITARY OFFICERS NEAR
THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
In bis letter of July 80, p 163 General Scott
says
notwithstanding the representations of your BEN
eficisries and sycophants military and civil, with or
without your approbstion that You stand nrench
ed the favor of the President that any appeal
against your caprice or injustice would bs to
them, ask that this letter may be laid before the
President"
10 noticing this in his letter Of Septembe. 7, 10.
1T9, the Secretary says:
am at loss to ASST gn any fair or j-sfsble pur.
pose to the uitous fling you make persocs mil
ttary and civil who from the language you employ
you must have tended me to understand we're con.
neeted with the War Department. 1t 10 duo to the
able and honorable gentlemen with whom SIN asso.
oiatcd here TO acknowledge. on all proper occasious
oblig ltieus to them for the sssitsnce have re.
ceived az their handi matters relative the differ
ent branches of the military service ard for their
cordial cooperation in the which it has de.
voved upon me to execute. In the various bureaus
there Off :ers who have served long with useful
ners and di'tpcti oa-none of them have commits
sion es old your own but ali of them Rave the ad-
vantage Of having passed their entire military career
without having given occasion be srragned before
q courtmartial for tfhcisl malfeasance or for cou-
ouct ref setting their integrity and personal honor:
and their character is surely free ~ your
own from any trait which c.n jet them to your
deroeatoTy deacr,ptl my ben ciaries and spco-
phGnts"
In rsply, September 90. General Scott says,
fp 2QS
"2 You contrast page &c with me certain officer,
who have passed their entire ltary career with
out lbeingl arrsigned bofJre court martial for off
cial malfeasance or for conduct rejecting on their in
tegritY and personal honor
The aliusion is, of COURSE to trial that occurred
in your childhood. and shows that you have sought
the ground for bIackenns not in the record of tho
cese lu- In the foul Memoirs Of rPikinson. Hence
your opposite process of " whitewsshing 'hs au hor
20, in order to make him produc!hle wlrue
AGAINST ms at psgs 26 The trick Is not without me-
tit, in your line of ambition though entire ely or-
ginsl
"These the facts: At the instance of the ssme
witness was ss captain in 1910, charged with
conduct unbseoming an ctieer and a gent emda bat
ful y acquitted by the court This every officer
knows, could not have happened under the 83i art.
Gle of war, II hs slightest mputation had been fixed
by the evidence upon my honor or integrity"
To this the Secretary rejoins. fp 22l: i
"W. in your letter Of July 8 ) ycu Sd 1ke of nv
'bensfciariss and sycophants, ysn fought to cas.
double stain upon those who hsld positions which
might subject them TO the 'picen Of bsine the OBJ
ects Of such injurious language, and upon myself ~
one " no would foster such parasites I answered
the chargs in the only manner which its character
permitted. You named no Cne you CHARGED no soc.
cific act. could only challenge comparisitn be-
tw cen all against whom could possibly suppose the
charge lie and yourself and n DONG 90 gave ycu
the advantsss cf referring to particular paassg tf
your history Wnen you assume that my remark
wss based on Information derived fro the er,ory
OF General " ilkinson you show you are that
the original ofthe cout martial lost;
and en- boidened by that hnowledg -, you the
indignation OF injured innocence, and declare that
YOU were fay acquit, ed by the court That 10 MT
true though the ignal record 10 lost, copy the
posses of the judge advocate Of tbs army, of the
existence If which you were doubt igno ant when
you ventured that assertion, shoxs that you were
convicted by the court Of withholding men ~ placed
in your hands pay toe men OF ycnr nT any; ,ad
upon conviction of this end other offence, you
sentenced to be suspended from rank pay, and emo.