The New York herald., 1862-11-26
THE SCOTT AND BUCHANAN CONTROVERSY.
Reply or Ex-President Buchanan TO Gen.
W1nheld Scott.

,-"h few remarks ahal close the controversy with
~ voluntary and unexpected attack. This
=. ~ ~ ~ Dy ne ""rded me an opportuny Of correct
- as msNy nsyer,hslsss rs which had long borne in
silence and in :ssssS' all tho aliega.
" --.u cear and uistiaoI rs,r.--
cs Of Cen Scott and n ais reoindeT ns has no, caueo
% QUESTION any OF my statere.s, with single excep-
sf'sn whether his recollec,, ,oa of an event
.on we Gud more .fn eighteen monibs no. or tho
NJ Holt 1Ss reduced :, r.as On s vsr'
ay, y Is ssnsrsI sn,ssIenI = ~ credit - ~
a an for the CRITICS "A on nv pubic con-
duct that this merely inSio ata to his alleged ocia
report President Lncop on the condition Of our for tin
sat,0ns o sSs a saasmep primarily nssnnsd for myself
made such But where is This to be found2 For
!. he rsieIs TO the In:sgerc q the 2lst Of October
Mr. seward dated the Sd Of March, 1861, advising
TIE incoming President how to guide his administration
the single introductory this letter he barely
refers to his printed views. dated in October, 1s6o),
which had eeea long before me puoc on. ~ contains
whethcr the introduction Of this letter TO the public
without the consent OF President Lincoln by one Of tho
Generals friends in political speech during highly ex-
cited gubernatoria canvass, had influenced him TO pre-
termne.
Al what period did General Scott obtain the six hun
dred recruits to which he refers in his reoinder This
was certainly after the date Of his vews the 3oth
October 1850 because in these he states cmphaticay
that the forces then 9. ms command were IN an nye
.(nine) forts mentioned in the "views."
Did he obtain these recruits in November II so, had
he visited Washington written and explained 10 in
what manner this military operation could be accom-
plished by the four hundred men in the ye companies
and the six hundred recruits Ishould have given his
presentations all the consideration emnenty due TO his
high military reputation.
he he did not arrive in Washington until
the 18th Of December His second recommendation to
garrison these forts must consequently have been made
according to his statement on the l3th 15th 2Sh
30th OF December on more than one OF these days
At this period the aspect Of public affairs had greatly
changed from what it was in October Congress was now
in session, and relations with the seceing cotton
States had been placed before them by the Presidents
Message Proceedings had been instituted by that body
with view TO compromise Of the dangerous questions
between the North and the South and the highest hopes
and warmes aspirations then entertained for their
success. Under these circumstances il the Pres.
dents duty TO take broad view Of the condition Of the
whole country in all its relationscivi industrial and
commercial, well miltary-gvirg each its appro-
pirate influence 1t was only from such combination
that he could frame policy calculated TO preserve the
lated recommendations proceeding from department.
without weighing well their effect upon the general policy,
ought 10 be adopted with extreme caution.
But it from the rejonder that Secretary Floyd,
AT Richmond had chained the honor OF defeating General
Scotts pans and solicitations respecting the forts" sit
that but for that victory there could have been
no rebcllicn This is in plain English, that the
sonsts OF the Cotton states who have brought into
the field hundreds Of thousands OF undoubtedly brave
soldiers, would have abandoned in their unlawful
IeOeln0uS
among their numerous forts four hundred and eighty
in October or thousand men in December? This
quires no comment have never been able TO obtain
copy OF the speech OF Mr. Floyd at Richmond to which
presume General Scott REFERS but learned both OF the
time and sirce from gentlemen of high respectaoty,
that in this speech he denounced most bitterly
for my determination stand by and sustain the Union
with all the possessed under the constitution and
And here permit remark that is due General
Scott, well myself denv that there any por
tion OF my which justnes the allegation that
ey.Pf
swesk device beng marked quotation) FOR saving
the forts This mistake must attribute to his 'acci
dental ysitcr."
And in this connection emphatcally declare that the
General neither before nor after the publication Of his
'vcwsn in the Notiond Is,gencer of the 18th January,
1861, without my consent, assigned any to for
making this publications ever even alluded 10 the SUBJ
sion which the occurrence made upon my memory, Tor
the reasons already mentioned in my answer.
should have nohing moro TO add had General Scott,
in his reonder confined himself TO the topics embraced
in his original letter. He has extended them, and row,
refers 20 the alleged stealing Of public arms by Secretary
Floyd and thar transportation 70 the south in anteipa
ton of the rebellion. The most conclusive to.
this allegation y that, Notwithstanding the boasg Of
Nj Floyd at Richmond. evidently with the view Of
ciatine his new allies, cited by tho General as his
tbority, no pubic arms stolen. This fact Is
established by the report OF the Committee Military
Affairs OF the House Of Representatives before me,
made by Mr.. Stanton of oho, their chairman, the
18th February 1861, and to be found in the second vol
ume Of the Reports OF Committees OF the House for the
ls60-6 This report and the testimony before
the committee establish
That the Southern states received 1860 less instead
Of more tban the quota arms which they we're ent
tied by law: and that three OF then-North Carolina
Mississippi and kentucky-reccived arms whatever,
and this simply because they did not ask for them We'll
may Mr. have said the House sthat there are
good deal OF rumors and speculaons and msaprrehen
sion as to the true state acts in regard to this aer
3 Secretary Floyd, under suspicious on
the I'D December 1860 and but few days before he left
the department had without the knowledge of the pes
and eleven l) thirty two pounae;s TO be transported
irem rittsburg to SHIP Island and Galveston, in
to the knowledge of the President by commu.
nioation from Pnsbnrg, and secretary Holt inn
predecessor, and the cannon were never sent. The
promptitude with which acted elected vote Of
lect and Common Councils OF that city the President
the Attorney General and the acting Secretary of War;
After this statement how shall we account for the ex
plicit declaration OF General scott that, accidentally
bearing early in March that under this poshnmous order
Chat OF Dir Floyd Of the 22d December the shipment Of
these guns had commenced, communicated the
Secretary Hol tactng for Secretary Camersn) just
time dceai the robpery And this the same Secre-
tary Holt who had countermandea "the posthumous
order" in the previous December And strange say,
these guns but cor the alleged laierposion Of General
loyal states into iose which Jefferson Davis had
Had General Scot; rejected for msuen, he could no,
have taeu into this suder II is quite manifest he
withe1t printed document and my (his) OVID Official
g. Ihe government taa hand In the yess 1859 abost
500 Goo OLD muskets, which had bcon condemned Gas
1895. They Of such character that although Of
fsred both al public and private sale for 81 80 eac
chasers could not be obtained at that rate except for
snail number On The 30th Of November,
Secretary Floyd ordered about fifth OF the wht
$Vuber (l0s 0o0 " be sent IRON the Springfield armory,
.b see they had accumulated 10 five Southern aseuas
lin ,r ~rcp 10 their respective OF proper storape'
rbs order ~ carried into effect by the Ordnance Bureau
n the usual "orse OF administration and without rele
euce 10 the II is but Justice say that from
he TESTIMONY before zoe committee there Il no reason TO
suspect that Secretary Floyd issued tbs order from sny
sinister motive. lts date Tas months before MFR. Lin
- election ana whilst tho Secretary vas still an
|efore n.- of secession. Indeed, tbg estinony OF
vowed opp ponen. n Maynadier OF Tue Ordnance,
,oionc craig aua rh5ig inconsistent with anysyii
pteation on his fs-s ~
And yet these '.condemned muskes," with Few thou
ana RpSIsll Iasi q c,lib-e ,nv.. No onser USED as
ransofmed by Con Scott into "il5 900 extra Mlskss