Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1857-02-25

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4 S.S1 IeSSsT.ss - 4 . Y6bSvSs STSe Geacra
3 ao1 she neeTosasy ~ De Eass.
J The core Spondence betseen General Scot
i and Secretary Davis. recently conuunicsted Z
z Congress, and absat which considerable curiss
+ I iy has been expressed, has been paEtslly msds
public, md TO Judge from the specimens ss
| degree on both sides. Il opens with letter
from General Scott; dated July 80, 1855, ID
which be says: ~ i5.,z.-.s s3s..s
Il .Certainiy, as Secretary Of War, YOU have
done enough 70 warrant more than suspicion,
tst, from :he Erst, you had considered il your
special mission, BY repeated aggressions OF:
4 my rights ana feelings, % goad me into some
1 periious attitude ofofGciai opposifion.
ii Then follows long communication, setting
forth official acts of the Secretary Of War, such
al issuing orders, &c, to frontier posts, done
without his fGen. Scotts1 appreciation.
4 At the request of Gen. Scott, this document
Il was referred 70 the President and referred with
/ IN reply, Secretary Davis sent the following
unofficial note:
Washington, August 2, 1855.
! s.srR: Four letter Of the s0th July Was receis-
4 ed yesterday, and, as you requested, was refer
! red TO the President. When returned TO me it
will be answered You have taken the occasion
| OF an official correspondence to make unfound-
edimputations upon my motives, and to use such
lang uage as my idea OF the requirements OF OIL
| ciai courtesy does not permit me to notice in my
official character, and therefore adopt this IN
| official mode You ascribe to partizan hostility
my opposition to conferring on you the title of
Lieutenant General, but that opposition was ac-
| lively and publicly made when was member
Of the U. States Senate, and Chairman of the
Committee on Military Affairs. You were then
known to the country as q distinguished soldier,
but had not been forced upon the public atten
ton ss a partizan politician, nor as such been
judged by the people or approved by me. You
certainly had better opportunity to know OF my
opposition then than whenit was merely that OF
Il well settled and long entertained opinion held
by me in position which separated me from
participation in the active business of Congress.
My views were publicly given, as SenAtor, to
a sufficient extent to show on what my Judgment
rested and your present accusation, which charg-
es me with usurpation for the most unworthy
ends, and imputes to me motives inconsistent
with official integrity, is considered basely ma
levolent, and pronounced utterly false. Your
obcdient servant,
.JErF DAVIS"
This tote, though unofficial is replied to by
General Scott officially, who insistsupon spread
ing it upon the flies OF the Department. This re-
ply is dated August 9Th, and Secretary Davis re-
joins again September 7th, at great length, and
reviews the specifications in Gen. SCOTS indict-
ment against him.
The General next grants leave Of absence to |
Col Hitchcock, under circumstances not approv-
ed by the Department, and is ordered to coun |
ter.nand or revoke the leave Of absence. This |
he refused to do, assigning his reason therefor.
This reason was referred to the President, whos
endorsed the reason assigned as unsatisfactory.
The Secretary of War will report his views as
to the means best calculated to secure prompti-
tude in the.execution of orders relative to the |
movements OF the army. 4#5
81 Secretary Davis recommends that the head |
quarters OF the army be removed from New York |
to the seat of government.
The following letter from Gen. Scott is in an-
swer to this suggestion &es III is
"HEADoUARTERs OF THE ARMY,
New York, Sept. 20, 1855.
SIR: With all the records of the army and |
every compulsory assistance at hand, you have, |
by a toll OF more than five weeks on what to |
your nature must have been labor of love,
poured only upon me in twenty seven compact /
foolscap pages, this full measure of your spleen |
and vengeance. It's precursor was savage and |
scurrillous, but the slowly concocted venom now
vented is no doubt fondly relied upon to kill at |
once. The felonious intent is clear enough. |
Nevertheless you may be forced to borrow the |
exclamation, 'Tis not done and the attempt, |
and not the deed confounds u.s.
Thisi followed by long defence of his cause
couched in rather strong language.
The Secretary of War replies again December
90, reviewing the matters in controversy at
great length, and exposing many matters OF Gen.
'Scott's money dealings withth government; re.
ferring to one item, the Secretary says:
"The law did not allow you what you paid to
yourself. That payment to yourself-what mean
ness does it display? What could have been less
consistent with the generosity and magnanimity I
which sho'd have the first in rank among band |
of gallant soldiers? You awarded toyourself the
whole per centage of the money plid by the city |
of Mexico when subjugated by their victorious
arms"
The General, under date of January 81, 1856,
replies to this insinuation
''Such continued recklessness of character cod |
only proceed from one whose low ambition is |
fattered with the title of The Favorite. '"14s
u He is again lengthy, and referring to some old
matters called up by Secretary Davis, says: For |
revenge, the ISLANDERS resepcting the trial of
1910 was disnterred by your letter of Septem-
Der, which, being refuted in the same month, is |
now reproduced with variations.
Who shames a scribbler? Break one cobweb thro',
He spins the slight self-pleasing thread anew;
Destroy his web of sophistry in vain
The creatures at his dirty work again. rEs
The following, is the reply Of Secretary Da-
Wis: sH5+
"WAR DEPARTMENT, Feb. 90, '56.
'.S1R: have received your letter dated Jan.
81, and proceed to notice its contents