The national Republican., 1861-08-05

following rerbdtim report of the discussion he.
tween Mr.. Blair and others in the House on
Thursday
Mr.. Blair said:
When the gentleman from Illinois Mr..
Richardson adverted to this matter, and al
legged, as he did upon this floor, that General
Scott had been forced into this battle against
his will by outside pressure, I had occasion to
say that he was making charge derogatory
to the character of General Scott, and the gen.
tleman found himself compelled Immediately
to change his position, and to represent that
General Scott had acted upon orders given by
his superiors. And that is a point upon which
desire to say something to the House. As
to the charge against me, consider it trivial
and absurd. 1t is one which is infinitely more
derogatory to General Scott than it is to me,
or anybody else. No man is ft to command
the armies of this country-and do not mean
to say that General Scott is not fit to command
them-no man, sir, is fit to command the ar.
mics Of this country who can be driven into
battle by outside pressure against his own best
Judgment.
ing report Of the remarks of the gentleman
from Illinois, Mr.. Richardson in reference
to this matter. They are as follows:
L UtlltNc Tue RcHticHuu iIOm lhlsSOuEl lao
taken issue with me upon the fact that Gen.
Scott was forced to fight this battle. will
tell the gentleman what occurred yesterday
morning in the presence of my friends McCler.
nand, Logan, and Washburne, Of Illinois, and
also in the presence of the President Of the
United States and the Secretary of War.
will try and repeat what was said. Gen. Scott
said: 'Sr, l am the greatest coward in Amer
ica.' l rose from my seat Immediately. Stop,
SIR said he, Il will prove it; have fought
this battle, sir, against my judgment; l think
the President of the United States ought to
remove me to-day for doing it; as God is my
Judge, after my superiors had determined to
fight it, did all in my power to make the
| army efficient. l deserve removal because
did not stand up, when my army was not in
condition for fighting, and resist to the last. !"
At this point his colleague Mr.. Wsshburne
interrupted him. The report continues:
"Mr. Washburue. As my colleague has
referred to that conversation, l hope he will
state to the House what the President said to
General Scott.
"Mr. Richardson. l will state it. The
imply that forced you to fight this battle.
Gen. Scott then said, Il have never served
President who has been kinder to me than
you have BEEN But, sir, he did not relieve
the Cabinet from the imputation of having
forced him to fight this battle. He paid a com
piment to President Lincoln personally; and,
Mr.. Speaker, standing here in my place, de-
sire to say Of Abraham Lincoln-and have
known him from boyhood's hour till now-if
| you let him alone, he is an honest man /; but !
am afraid he has not the will to stand up
against the willy politicians who surround him
and knead him to their purposes
Now, sir, as far as he went, the gentleman
from Illinois reported that conversation cor
rectly; but that which he left unreported gives
q very different aspect to the conversation from
that which it really bears. The gentleman
from Illinois, Mr.. Washburne, who was
present, as well as others were present, have
informed me that Gen. Scott not only declared
the President had been kind to him, but he
absolutely negatived the idea that Mr.. Lincoln
had forced him to fight this battle. General
| Scott went on to say that he had never served
a President with greater pleasure than he had
served President Lincoln.
| Mr.. Richardson. ] desire to say to the gen
tleman from Missouri that | called the gentle
men who were present-Messrs. McClernand
| Logan, and Washburne-and who had heard
the conversation in question, as witnesses to
deny or to avouch the correctness Of my state
ment when l made it the other day. If any
| thing had escaped my memory in reference to
that conversation those gentlemen ought to
have corrected me. l am ready to be cor
rected 10 reference to anything which occur
red on that occasion.
Mr.. Blair, of Missouri. When the gentle
man was giving the conversation as he recol
lected it, / was unable to catch distinctly what
he said. | had heard the conversation re
peated before, and knew what it was; and
have since conversed with the gentleman from
Illinois, Mr.. Washburne, aud he will bear me
out in my declaration, that General Scott neg
atived the idea that the President had forced
him into this battle.
Mr.. Washburne. Mr. Speaker, l have thi.
moment come into the Hell, and am not suf
fciently acquainted with the matter before the
House to answer the gentemans question
Will the gentleman from Missouri enlighter
me on the subject?
Mr.. Blair, OF Missouri. l will state the ques
ton. When General Scott, as he was repre-
sented by the reported remarks of the gentle
man from Illinois, Mr.. Richardson made thu
statement that he had been forced into the fgh
at Bull Run, the President inquired whether
he intended to apply that remark to him, anc
to declare that he (the President) had forced
him into that battle. Now, what i wish to asl
Of the gentleman from Illinois Mr.. Wash
burne is, whether General Scott did not q
the time negative the idea that the Presiden
had forced him into that fight?
Mr.. Washburne. l certainly understood
from General Scott in that conversation, and
presumed that my colleague also understood
him, that he fully relieved the President from
having in any way forced him to fight the bat
tie of Bull Run.
Mr.. Richardson. My colleague was presen
the other day when l made the statement ad
verted to. l do not intend to raise the ssu
here now, as did not the other day, that Gen
Scott intended to imply that Mr. Lincoln, tn
President Of the United States had forced hin
to fight that battle. do not think that it is