Daily national Democrat., 1861-08-20
F. Il. Bfair's Reply TO Thuriow Weed
Explanations from GsichardsOn.

| GORE pOndence. to the effect thHt the Pus'
master General aud his brother, Frank. L.
Blair. had been most violent opponents and
de!amers of Gen. Scutt, and had been inslru-
mental in forcing Gen. Scott to the battle o!
| Bull Kun. lie said that. as to the charge
against himself. be considered it trivial and
absurd. 1t was one which was infinitely
more derogatory 10 Gen Scott than it was to
him or anybody else No man is fit to com
maud the Army of the Uuited States who
! could be driven into II battle against his own
best iud..ment MIR. Blair referred to Mr..
| Richardson's statements of the remarks made
bv Cen Scott in reference to his (Gru Scott s)
responsibility for the battle of Bull Run, and
| quoted n portion thereof called Tor 10y the
Intervention of Mr. Washhurne. to show tn t,
| while Gen. Scott eXoneruted the President
| from all participation or baiDe IN reference
| to the battle referred to, he had not relieved
the Cabinet from having forced him to fight
the battle Now as far as the gentleman had
gone, he had reported that co" versatlon cor
rectlv; but that which he lett unrep"rI ed
gave very different aspect To the conv
lion froa that which it really bore Alho
| he iBluir) differed from Gen. &c tt with ret
.renco to the conduct of the war, their per-
soual relations were Gf the kindest character.
He (Blrir} showed that it was nhsurdly
CHARGED hy Thurlow Weed that he Barr as
Chairman of the Military Compiltee bad
emasculatel the hill reported by Senator Will
son for an increase Of the army Mr.. Blair
said that the charge was entirely uurue, ns
| the records show. He had seen himself ga
zetted, and the endeavor made to cast inputa
tions upon him, because he, with others had
| demanded a vigorous prosecution of the war.
and the attempt was also made TO render
| them responsible for the disaster at Bull Run
This came with an i'll grace from L urIow
Weed, Who was here with memb RS of H
Committee urging vigorous prosecution of
the war; and declaring that he and the gen
| lltmtn accompanying him represented the
entire people OF New York, and came here
to infuse vigor into tie commanding General
1t WIS safe for him (Blair) to make stump
| speech. AS he was charged, when Mr. Weed
himself who was an original compromise
man, came here 10 urge vigorous prostcu-
| tion of the war
Mr.. Wnshburne (Rep of Illinois, who was
also present stated thnt Gen. scott "ot only
declared that the President had peen kind to
him, but he absolutely denied the idea hat
Lincoln had forced him to hghi the bnttie
Gen. Scott, at that conversation, had zone on
to say that he had never served any PrcSi-
dent with greater pleasure than he had
served President Lincoln.
Mr. Richardson (Opp) Of Illinois, desired
to say that he had called on the gentlemen.
the other day who were with him, and who
had heard tia; conversation. as witnesses to
i, ny or aYow the Gnrrrcturss of his state
Il ent. If anything had escaped his memory
in reference thereto those gentlemen ought
to have corrected him
Mr BlAir did no di-iinctly hear the state
ment made hy Mr.. Rich 'rdson, but he had
heard it from others, and knew exactly what
had taken ilaer, and NOW he called upon Mr.
Washburne to bear hin ont in wLat he as
serted that Gen Scntt negnlived the idea
that the President had forced him into the
battle Now he would ASK Tie gentleman
Mr. Wnshburnr) whether Gen Scot, in nm
sWer to the Presidents ing 'iry, did not at
the time negative the idea that the President
had forced him into the fight
MIR Washhurne certainly understood from
Gen. Scott, IL that eot.t e..aidun thHt he fully
relieved the President from hnvi in any
way forced him 10 fight the battle Of Bull
Run.
Mr. Rich ri-on ,aiG Mr. Wnsnhurn was
present the Other day when he had m de his
INST statement IIc did not Intend to raise
the isSae that Gen scott intended to imply
that Mr. Lincoln had forced him TO fight that
battle He did not think to so imply was II
fair construction of what he had said, for he
gave as near ~ possible tie language Of both
the President and Gen Scott.
Mr. Washhurne had merely understood,
from what was said hy his col;eague (Mr.
Richardson} the other day, that Gen Scott
had negative the idea that he h j been
forced 10y the President into the forward
mov etAen; that ended so dsustrously.
which he also understood the facts Yet hat
was not the f,ct, as gathered from he lao
gunge Of the gentleman from Iiinois(Mr R)
My statement the other day appeared sn'i
factory to all my colleagues who w,le pre- -
ent at the conversation referred to- | did
OF then, nor do | now, intend to charge h
Gen scott, even hy lmllica'ion, declar ed
President Lincoln had contributed to to ce
hlm into the atlle of Boil Run Mr.. Blair
referred To the matter for IL dU.hle purpose
The gentlrman's (Mr Richardson-) rolnark
were reported to The effec, thai Gen Scott
wished to pay personal compliment to Mr..
Lincoln, but that he (Gen. Scott) did not EN-
ouerate the Cabinet.
Mr. Richardson did not understand General
Scott to imply. nor did he mean to br UNDER
stood as implying, that the President Lad
forced him to fight shat battle.
Mr. Blair-thnt is the very essence Of the
matter I say further thai after the Presi
dent had seen information thar General J"hn-
ston had escaped from General Patterson, and
joined General Beauregard he Went to Cen
eral Scott. on Friday evening, and suggested
the prnprey of waiting until General Pat
tersons corps could come an and reinforce
the army before Manassas; hut 50 firmly
fixed was General Scotts determination to
attack the enemy there, that the Presidents
suggestion was disrpgarded. My princicpal
purpose IN making this statement is, that the
President may retain the confidence of the
country, which he cannot do if he is held out
as inlerrosirg and fo'cipg the commanding
General to fight battle against his will |
do not care for the attacks muie on me, and
dragging me.into the great cuHtest. feel
have no business in it all NY stump speeches
are as nothing, and high officer cond have
paid any regard to them have read an
article in the New York Times in which
General Scott is made to say that he was
ordered hy his superiors to cake the attack
He could not have eaid any such Thing. lie
has 10 superior but the President and the
President gave no such order, as is cunclu-
clu-ivrly proved 10y his own words he
Times Ihrtlcle also lays down what it calls
General SCOTS plan OF the campaign, to rni-e
and bring one great army here to defend
Washington, and to prepare anotnrr amy at
st. Louis. which was to be idle ill frost time
in other words. till the cotton crop had
forced itself. and broken ul' oar blockade
do not believe that this was General >cott's
plan, and.I q" not believe he has promulgated
his plan. If it was his nlnn Vtutl men. " it'll