The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-26

An extract fron unpublished Ms. by v. T. Trist
Persifcr +. Smith, man my intimacy with
whom (OccasionCd by, or at least originating in,
purely accidental circumstances; that is, my posi-
tion towards Gen. Scott at the time | reached Ja-
lapa) is priced by me one of the happicst Incl
dents of my life; Of the highest privileges of
the knd-and these have not been fcw-which it
has fallen to my lot to enjoy. For it has made me
to know, and has afforded me the high enjoyment
of approaching specimen man, one fthc very few
of my fellow-men, known to me, who have my un-
qualified esteem, an esteem that has no drawback of
any kind. n man, every new insight into whose
character-One of the most beautifully balanced
characters that have ever known in our seX-eve-
ry reflection upon it is delightful rcireshment
made up, that character is, of all that is pure
and noble united with all that is practically vaua-
ble in the qualities of which consists and these
so blended and harmonized together that it requires
reflection upon each separately to make you sensi
BILE in how eminent, how striking degree it is pos
sessed.
As soldier-which nature formed him for, and
gave proof of it by making the acquisition of mill
tary knowledge and the formation of military hab-
its the passion of his life-as soldier, it is impos-
sble for my mind to conceive anything superior to
the combination which his character presents; and
with this combination of the lotiest military quail
ties are found united the sincerity, the ingenious
ness and the modesty of a boy. Under this as
pect he is DcsaiX over again-an American Dcsaix
-Desaix. with the notifications of temperament
and of character belonging to our race and mpart-
ed by our Institutions DcsaiX, as depicted by Ma
poleon, and uncOnsciOusly depicted by himself in
those letters which were the eiusiOns of his soul,
and which gave such striking confederation to the
fidelity of the portrait drawn by that impossible d-
rector of carnage who, at the announcement of his
death, wept the only tears that battlefield ever
drew FORTH he said, "le loved glory for herself,
and France above all things. His nature was sim
pie, active, most endearing His requirements were
great"
Add to this picture the peculiar courage OF Ney
characterized by the same great Judge OF sol
dier's qualites-that most rare union OF eager and
vehement daring in the act, when the instant for
striking the blow is come, with the extreme of i'm
perturbabe composure and self-colectedness in the
execution: add this touch to the picture and ''the
man Persfer F'' (as General Scott is wont to call
him, in his moments of thinking aloud with me,
stands before you, such he is seen to be at all
times on the verge of battle, in the battle and af-
| ter the battle-the same man ALWAYS
| Postscript May %, 1S5S.-Winfied Scotts es.
| innate OF hlm who is the subject of the above
sketch, may be judged of from the following Incl
dent. On the eve ofmy departure from the city of
! Mexico for home, General Scott said to me, in a
/ deprecating tone ''Mr Trist-the man Perslter
F.-they will be for sending him off to some remote
out-ofthe-way place" The rest of the words can
not recall, but their meaning was, that the
of too high quality too rare ana 100 precious
! to be put to common uses: that 1t those VINO nave
the ordering of such matters could be aware Oh what
! there was in him. he would be kept always IN posi-
tions suited to his high qualities and attalnments,
and in which these could be made to tell Tor the ben
| eft of the service and of our country.
| One word more. On the day that the news OF