Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1862-12-03

tSaas anu again. In naa report or NO
vaabsr, 1858, be says: r zs 81
ssThis want Of troops u give reasona-
ble security 20 oar cisi1sns In dissant set
slsmeasa, including emigrants on the
plaias, can searosiy he too strongly stated;
but | will only add, thar as often rs We
hase been obliged 10 withdraw troops
from one frontier IN order to reinforce
another, the weakened points hare been
Instantly attacked or threatened with
formidable snvasion.a @+'
These ssviswsn of Gen. Scott exhibit
sha crude notions then prevailing even
&moag she intelligent and patriotic men
On this subject Of secession. In the first
sentence the General, whilst stating that
"to save time the right of secession may
be eeneedsd, !" yet Immediately says this
10 instantly balanced by ths corrslasiEs
right on the part OF the Fed@al Govern
msnt against an iutsTior State ar States
10 re-establish By force, IL necessary, its
former continuity of territory For
shis he cites g apaiey's Moral and Po!iti-
cal Philosophy, last chapter" II may
be thsra, bat have bean unable to find
it, Whilst it is dificult to ascertain his
precise meaning in this passage, be rem
deTs what be did not mean quite clear in
his supplementary "views." La these he
says: tsIt will be seen that the views
0aly apply 70 y case Ut Bevcssion that
makes q gap IN the present Uaion." The
falling OF, say, of Texas, or Of all the
Atlantic States, from the Potomac south
{ the very case which has oecurrsd,l was
net in the scope Of Gsn. S.'s "proVision-
al remedies 'sthas is to say, 70 establish
by toroe, if necessary, the continuity of
our territory. Ia hIs "Eiewso he also
states as follows: "But break shia glori-
Gus Union by whatever line or lines that
political madness may eontTive, and there
would be no hope of recruiting the frag-
ments except By the Laceration and des-
potism of the sword. To effect such re-
suit the intestine wars Of our Mexican
neighbors would, in comparison with
oEss, sink into mere ahilG's piay" ln
the GeneraPs opinion, ia smaller evil
than these inta@tiaa ~@Es) would be 10
allow the fragments Of the great Rspub-
lie TO form themselves into new Confed-
eracies, probably four" He then points
out what ought to be the boundaries be-
hNS&A AA4S hS" y AiSuss a1AL NJ tAs Gnu VI
each goezso far as sSsu TO indicate the
cities which ought 30 hs the capitals of
the fhree 6rst ON this side Of the Rocky
mountains, TO wit, "Columbia, South
Carolina, ALTON, or Quincy, Illinois"
and "Abany, New York" excluding
Washington city altogether. This indi-
cation of capitals contained Ia the oFi-
ginal now in my possession, Is curiously
omitted in The version Published in the
National IgteiligenesT. he designates
no capital for the fourth Union on the
Pacific. The reader will judge whas en-
couragsment these views, proceeding
from 80 distinguished source, must
have afforded TO the Seoessfonists of the
Cotton States.
trust have said enough and more
than enough to convince every mind why
did not, with force of Ave companies
attempt to reinforce Forts Jackson and
st. Philip, on the Mississippi; Fort Nor
gan below Mobile; Forts Pieksns and
McRae, in Pensacola harbor; Fort Pu-
laski. below Savannah; Forts Moultris
and Sumpter, Charleston harboT, and
Fort Monroe, in Virginia
These "vicws," both original and sup
Elementary, were published by General
Scott in the National iatslIigenesr Of
January Is, 1861, at the most Important
and critical period of the Administration.
Their publication at that time coald do
40 possible good, and might do much
harm. To have Published them, without
the Presidents knowledge and consent,
was as much in violation Of the sacred
confidence which ought to prevail be-
tw cen the commanding general OF the ar
my and the Commander in Chief rs it
would have been for the Secretary Of
War TO publish the same documents with
out his authority. What is Of more i'm
portauce, their publication was calculated
| injuriously to affect the compromise
measures then pending before Congress
and the country, and to encourage the
Secessionists in their mad and wicked at
tempt 70 shatter the Union into fragments.
From the great respect which then en-
sertained for the General | passed it over
in silence.
1t is worthy of remark that soon after
the Presidential election representations
of what these "viewso contsined, Of
more or less correctness, were nnfortu-
naIsly cireulatsd, eSpeoially throughout
| the South. The editoxs OF the Natt0aaGl
fysaslasqenesr, Ia assigning reason for
| their publication, state thai both In pub
! lie prints and in public spesahes aIlusions
of thar character had got abraad.
II. aud Ill. General Scott States that
be arrived in Washington on the l2sh,
and, accompanied by the Secretary OF
War, held a conversation with the Presi-
dent on the 18th Of December. Whilst
| | have no reoollectian whaseEer OF this
| conversation, be doubtless states eoTrecs-
Iiy that did refuse tossnd three handred
men to reinforce Major Anderson at Fort
Moultrie, who had not then removed to
Fort Sumpter. The reason for this re-
fusal is manifest 70 all who recollect the
history Of ths time. But twelve days be-
fore, ia the annual message ct the Sd
! December, | had urged upon Congress
the adoption of amendments to the Con
stitution of the same character with thos'
subsequently proposed By Dir GriEssndsn
called the ssCrittea&en Comprorufse. ~
At that time high hopes were entertained
lthrougbout the coaaSry that these woulc
be adopted. Besides, | believed, ant
this correctly, AS the event proved, tba
. Major Anderson was in no danger of at
tack. Indeed, be and his command wer
. then treated with marked kindness by th
} authorities aud peopIs os Charleston
= Under these circumstances, to have sen
/. such foree there would have been ont
; to impair the hopes of compromise, {
/ provoke collision, and dissppoint sb
, country.
There are some details Of this eonTer
j sation in regard TO which the General
9 marnoKy mast be delscsive. As present
shall specify only one. Tcodld mol hav
. stated that on fusure contingent occa
Z sion would telegraph "Major Anderson
= of Fort Moulsris, 70 bold the Forts lMou
II trie and Sumpserl against astank ]" b
4 eauss with prudent precaution, this ha