Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-09-22
From the St. Louis Republican. Sent. Is.

placed his before the country az a candidate
for United States Senator from Tennessee, as ap.
pears BY an address over HIS name to the people
| Or tennessee" which find in the New York Her.
| aid of the 10Th inst
] This address viii probably call forth comments
rom several officers in high places in the American
! sfmy Meantime, the undersigned having some
kho"eoge OF facts referred to in the address, feels
cailea upon to state that knowledge, to the end
| that people out of Tennessee. as well as in tba,
STATE may be able 70 form just opinion of the
| claims OF Gen. Pillow TO tile honor he seeks
shalI not refer to the sddress in extenso bat vii
CONNIE nv remarks to facts within nv own knowl.
cage This very remarkable paper stands alone, i,
u presumed, az an instance wherein candidate Tor
oH1ee before our people bases bis claims. or his
principal claim. upon open confession of having
occupied the low and dishenorable position of =
SPY upon the conduct of his commanding General.
zen Pillow unblushinsly tells us that he Joined Gen.
Scott IN Mexico, as 'the confidential officer of the
! Government, upon whom the President relied TO
guard and protect the honor Of the country in the
Important negotiations involving the peace of the
| countrv. In this secret position Gen Pillow hav-
ing. s5ofeiO the entries to the presence of the com
handing General at al timas and frequently hav-
ing seat at his private table accumulated mateti-
| ais for defaming his con6dng commanding officer,
in confidential letters to his cid companion in law
Office then the President OF the United States and
now reveals this astonishing fact, and claims from
the people of mis- State high Office as a reward for
his secret service in that capacity. Who
does not see the shocking state of things thus dis
closed. and disclosed too, by the verg who oe-
cupied so degrading position What officer of
the American army. of ann proper selfrespeet,
would permit himself TO be made such an instru-
meBt? What would due sense of deIicacy and
honor have prompted gentleman to do on finding
himself appealed to for dshonorabIe service !?
| On loubtedly he would have thrown back the Pres
ident's appeal with scOrn he would at least have
laid the whole matter before the commanding Gen
eral and profess to act only with bis full knowledge
But Gen Pillow accepted The degrading position
rendered him by the President, and now claims
credit for his services, ''the confidential Officer"
whose public position gave him access TO the pres
ence of his commanding General.
But what the service performed hv General
PILLOW in the GRATED secret position in which he al
lowed himself to be placedp It turns almost Who'll
ly upon bis having protested, as be saws against
the use Of money to bring about peace under sta
ted circumstances, and he takes pains duplicate
Gen. Scott in the alleged diBhonoTable transaction
Now, it is remarkable that this statement ~ Gen.
Pillow is coupled with the maiUe confession that he
(Gen. Pillow in a conference of General Officers,
gave his full appreciation OF IT, he inference is
plain the face Of Gen. Pillows own statement
that the alleged dishOnoraba transaction could not
have been glaringly dsreputable, how could even
Gen. Pillow have at one time fully approved of IT,
Men are not accustomed to vsscilldte ia such mat
tiers, where the nature Of the transaction stands out
In clear characters marked with dishOnor But
there are facts eHoughn connection with the trans
actiOd referred to, 10 show that it had no such
marks of discredit as now, by it's mere memory,
seems to shock the delicate sensibity of the conf
dental spy OF the President; and it is my purpose
to state some of these facts known to myself for
was present at the Council of General Officers, at
which q l. subject was, not discussed but talked
over. l heard all that said on that occasion
and made brief memorandum of the conversation
which is now before me
p he evening Of the IGrb If I'll 1912
Scott assembled all of the general officers of the ar
my, at his quarters, in Puebla, excepting Generals
Worth and Smith, to post" them up as to the state
OF the army in such matters as was of interest TO
all OF them, informing them among other things of
the approach and expected arrival of Gen Pierce
with 1000 men, or more. He then disclosed some
proceedings entered upon by Mr.. Nicholas P Trst
the United States Commissioner, the substance of
which was that Mr. Trist had been Informed through
confidential sources, that treaty of peace could
be had with the Mexican Government by the use
OF intl' money. handsome sum had been al
ready appropriated by the United States Congress
for securing a treaty, and the question with Mr.
Trist stated by the General was as TO y h Their
million of it might not appropriately be used Ia
the mode suggested by those in power in the city
of Mexico, even though it should be considered a
bribe-the proposal coming from that side Gen
Scott took pains TO explain that under no circum-
stances would he initiate such a scheme but that
inssmuch as proposal had come from Mexico OF
peculiar character, he, for his own part was will
ing to assist Mr. TTist 10 executing his wishes Gen
Scott did not profess to advocate such proceedings
in general and declared that in the present case il
YVES for Mr. Trist himself 10 determine what he
might think expedient but that if Mr. Trist decided
upon the employment Of money as proposed he,
Gen. Scott, would assist him in obtaining it, and
would defend his motives in the use of it.
The first officer who made a remark upon the
subject, after Gen. SCOTS ststemeut was General
Fwiggs, who pleasantly said, that if gentlemen in
the city OF Mexico proposed to be bribed, he saw
no reason why they should not be accommoda-
led.
The next General who expressed his opinion was
Gideon J Pillow, and find shat my note 10 refer
snce to his remarks is in these words: General
Pillow came out very fully in support of the
measure, only STIMULATING, a condition. that the
United States should have such treaty as was de-
sired"
This is ell of my memorandum OF what he said I
out well remember that be rose from his seat and
earnestly spoke Tor some time in favor Ofthe scheme
There was not the slghtest intimation from him /!
hat there was anything wrong ia accediBg 10 the !
proposals from the city of Mexico. He made, in !
pprobation OF the proceeding, what might be call
d regular speech in favor OF it, and venture TO
ay that no one who heard him imagined that he
yer had or was likely to have any doubts of the
perfect pTopriety Of IT, What he said was then Ut
cred IS general officer OF the army. Il now ap-
'ears that the next day, acting doubt in his pr
nal protest against the proceeding; and for this
tier Thought he now Claims vast credit as IL by his
nterposition he had saved The honor of the coun
~! Again, l say, If the measure was so clearly
I'd palpably wrong, how cnme he TO approve of il
aif IL is manifest that the point which the GEN
Fsl has endeavored TO make is of the sill htest
Importance. But TO proceed with shat took Place
the Conference.
Gen. Quitmsn, whose Modification or secession
rine'Ples,H understand them, deeply regret,
poke very modsstly and becoming. as / very well
member. Ny note simply says; "Gen. Qaitmau
ID not like the payment Of money seerelIs as
ribe, and thought that our people at home might
o. or would not approve OF Ii; but he expressed
imsef very decidedly in approval of the n1otiUss
hieh Induced the measure, aud pledged himself to
1SRd those motiVes"
Gen Shields" my mole proceeds ''intimated
ouots and misgiVings about the million and said
at as be knew nothing Of the proposed terms Of
e treaty he could gise no Opiniou; that be might
sfhaPs dissent from the treaty itself; but be- TOO
emed entirely willing that the matter should be
sposed OF by the Commissioner, hr. Trist, wish-
g apparently as a matter OF personal friendship
Gen. Scott, that be should have nothing 10 az
th the disposal OF the Million" Gen. Scott re- I
ated that it was for Dir. Triss 20 determine
aetheF be could properly use the money adding /
az be would assist him 20 the control OF il if be
sired L..
By this time movement was made to break ND
c conversation, Gea. Shields observed. that Gen .
ldwalader bad expressed 40 opinion, which bros,
L the remark from Gen q. that enough had been !
ID aud 30 be said nothing; aud nothing more was {
il on The subject.
What, now, Is the merit OF Gen Pillows rro,est
ainst measure fully approved Of by him Al n6e /
ne, when it appears thai out of a whole BODY Of
neral officers there was but one dissenting vo3es I
~ modestly expressed, coupled with . declare