The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-26


Thus much promised, we cannot exple ess
our contempt Of the ignoble and ludi-
crous assault Of Winfield Scott upon the
dead lion. It. is quite characteristic of
the vain old person that he dilates upon
General Tay1or's ignorance-not Of the
military art, mind you, but of literature,
of which the said Winfield is such a bill
liant ornament. Taylor had not enlarged
and refreshed his mind by reading, quoth
Scott, or even by much converse with
the world, having made his home at the
frontier and small posts! He had great
contempt for learning Of every kind"
In addition to this, oh shockingt if an
officer looked like coxcomb, he was
given to calling him so, and would not,
to use his oft~repeated phrase, "touch
him with pair of tongs." An unpar-
donable offence in the eyes Of Fuss
and Feathers" The old man seems to
have been as prejudiced and illibcral as
Percy, surnamcd Hotspur Winfield,
who is familiar with the English classics,
and who is one of the first Of classics
himself, will remember:
81 had rather be kitten, and crv mew
Than one of these metre-ballad mongcrs."
And again:
"But, I remember, when the fight was done
When was dry with rage ami extreme toll.
breathlcss with rage, leaning upon my sword,
Came there certain lord, neat, trimly dross'd.
Fresh as a bridegroom, &c sc.
To be so pestec'd with popingay,
Out of my grief and my impatienco,
Answered negligently, know not what"
--orobably that he "would not touch
him with pair Of tongs."
1t is true enough that Old Zach had
little learning; and if he had possessed
ever so much-as much, for instance, as
Scott and Bacon-we doubt whether it
would have made him any more efficient
in tho Northwest, in Florida, or Mexico
lie might have talked Latin to Black
Hawk, Greek to Osccola, and Hebrew
to Santa Anna, without once convincing
them of the error Of their ways. Why,
even Scott, who, every one knows, is as
familiar with each of these languages as
with his mother tongue-with which no
man ever took greater liberties, could
not convince the people of the United
States that he was better soldier than
General Taylor. Every one knows that
Scott is an author of great and versatile
genius,-that he wrote the Commentaries
on the Bible, in such general use among
evangelical persuasions. and also the
Waverly Novels. But this did not cna-
BILE him so far to outshinc Old Zach in
the field as to become President of The
United States! Hence those tears! -
However, Scott graciously comedies that
Taylor had ga good store of common
sense" It's a pity that Taylor cannot
return the compliment. No man ever
possessed less of that substantial com
modify than Winfield Scott.
He even admits, in his lofty style, that
Taylor "was kind, sincere and hospitable,
in plain way" No one ever said that
of Scott. His kindness, sincerity and
hospitality, were all of gorgeous, gala
kind. Old Zach, whose pedigree was
"F. F. w." and whose purse could have
paid with ease even Winfield SCOTS
debts, never approached that magnifco
in hospitality at other peoples expense.
1.-THE frontier and small posts had been
his home" Undoubtedly they had, al
though he had plantation in Louisiana
that would have enabled him to live in
baronial style. He preferred to do his
duty, however, on "the frontier and
small posts," whilst Scott fourished
about in large cities, with equipages not
paid for, and went to Europe, expecting
to excite sensation in countries which
were yet reeling under the tread Of Ma
poleon's denigods. For had not Scott
killed the Kings English at Lundy's
Lane and Chippewa, and has he not been
repeating the same performance in his
autobiography?
The sting Of this famous assault upon
General Taylor lies in the tail Of the
paragraph. " In the blindness of his
great weakness, he, after being named for
the Presidency, seriously wronged"