Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-27

many pei oOn5 dhOWCAAlF uOSLtlC " Tic
Union was, he tells us, taken in good
part, and he was even rewarded for his
wit by a ride home in the Presidents car
riage, and be being intrusted with a COM
mission to beautify the grave of a relative
of Mr.. Buchanan.
ut is said that Senator Benton, in the
interview he had with the President,
during the last illness Of the former, said
HWhat you lack, Mr.. Buchanan, is
backbone, and you will need a great
deal of backbone before you get out of
Ofice.V
1t viii be news to some, that a salute of
100 guns was fired at Mobile in credence
of the Tumor that Gen, Scott had resigned
from the United States army and tender
ed his sword to his native State-Virgina.
His reply to his old friend. Senator J. J.
Crittenden, is quoted in the second chap
ter: i have nOt changed; always a
Union man."
Zone can scarcely realize, without an
effort of memory, the swift movement OF
events that made It possible in October,
1860, for Gen. Sect to write TO Mr.. Sc
ward: There l. good reason to hope that
the danger Of secession may he made to
pass away without one conflict of arms,
one execution or one arrest for treason"
while in October, 1861, his letter of resig-
nation had been SO evidently asked for by
the retiring act Of Congress OF August 8,
1861, that all Of the forms Of respect in
cluded in the visit of President Lincoln
and his Cabinet cannot cover the evidence
that it was 70 longer considered prudent
TO continue Nirginian at the head of the
army. Gen Townsend believes in the
veteran of LUndy's Lane and Mexico, and
states truly that the famOus expression OF
Gen. Scott, ''Wayward sisters. depart in
peace" WIS the last of four alternatives.
But the record is unlmpeaCbable, that the
heart Of Gen. Scott was with Virginia,
only in a less degree thar that of Gen.
Robert +. Lee. A point of great historic
interest IN his publication OF the fun text
of Gen. ScOtt's recommendations to so
provision and garrison the Southern forts
and arsenals that it WOUld be absurd for
volunteers to attempt to reduce them.
MIR. Floyd, the Secretary of War of
President Buchanan, has been credited
with scattering the regular forces so as
to make IL difficult to put them where
needed, and with placing the arms of the
government where the South could most
easily reach them. But Gen. Townsend
shows that the handful of regulars could
not have awaited, and that it was upon
such volunteers as soon after swelled the
army Of Gen. Mcclellan to 100000 men
that the President should have relied, and
the arms were in the proper place, had
such been sent. j is high compliment
to tie sagaciiy Of Gen. Scott, that Mr..
Floyd should have said, after his own lot
wac cast ith the COnfederacy:
Had Scott been able to get these forts
in the condition he desired them TO be, the
Southern COnfederacY would not now ex-
ist-" A curious contrast exists between the
evident anxiety ST the war-WOrn veteran
OF so many fields to avoid the fraternal
bloOdshed then so probable, and the equal
" evident liking of the Hon. Joseph
EFrTf bor #
little blood let in honor of his accession.
The circumstances making this contrast
to the published views of Gen. Scott as
communicated TO MIR. Secretary Seward,
are as follows: Capt. Arnold
ENzey, a Marylander, and officer
of the Second regiment artillery.
was in command of the Augusta ga. y
Arsenal The comfortable but indetensi-
bic buildings were on the Sand hills, the
fashionable suburb, one mile out of the
city, and the seVenty-Odd men in the com
pany, having battery of two of the old
fashioned 12-pOunder brass hOWitzers and
two 6-pOunder smooth bOres, were sum-
mOned to surrender by Gov. Joseph L
Brown, at the head Of the city battalion,
about 1000 strong, With almost as many
more ''mlnute men," and field battery
superior to that of the United States. This
notice of Georgia, of her resumption
OF paramount sovereignty and demand
for exclusive possession OF her soil. was
telegraphed to Gen. ScOOt, and by him
carried to Secretary Holt. Gen. Towns
end would leave the impression that
Gen. Scott Inspired the reply, and that he
desired, as point OF honor, that at
least a shot should be fired before the sur
reader to the overwhelming force. This,
we apprehend, is a mistake. Gen. Scott
well knew that the young men of the
South were intent upon carving out the
idea Of the '-Scarlet Letter" of William
l.. Iancey, Of Alabama, which was, "tO
fire the Southern heart and plunge the
cotton States into revOlutiOn' Georgia
I had not yet much more than seeded, and
while Alexander II. Stephens was plead
{ ing with his people to wait for an covert
act" of Dir. Lincoln against slavery,
Gov. Brown was precipitating the crisis,
and blOOdshed by Federal troops was just
what the secession leaders needed. There
fore we think that Gen. Scott should still
be viewed in the light of his words to Mr.
SeWard-"There is good reason to hope
that the danger OF secession may be made
to pass away without one conflict of
arms''-and to reSd the following dispatch
as it is signed, as entirely the conception
Of the new Secretary of War. 1t reads;
The Governor of Georgia has assumed
against your post and the United states Sn
attitude OF war. HIS summons IS harsh ana
pcremptOry. 1t IS not expected that your de
Tense shall be desperate. If forced to surren-
der by violence or starvation, you viii stipu-
late for honorable terms and a free passage
with your company to New York.
j. HOLT, Secretary OF War.
An unnecessary slur is cast upon Capt
Elzey by the statement that his failure to
comprehend this dispatch and To permit
the humiliation OF his command that it
involved, is accounted for 10y his subse-
quent appearance as Brigadier in the
army Of Gen. Lee. He did not send to
beg an interview with GOV. Brown the
. neEt morning, for this writer, who was
an aid on the staff Of the Governor of
Georgia on that day, is aware that the
Captain OF artillery rather dictated his
terms Of going out. The residents Of that
fashionable suburb were very uneasy be-
cause platforms were being put up in the
arsenal TO make the loOp-holes for mus
kerry available, and to quiet their fears an
article appeared IN the CO2sfituti0nGjiSt
saying that a Marylander would not pro-
baEly fire en- GeOrgians nor imperil women
and children by his battery. Our personal
knowledge is, that Capt. ElZey promptly
resented this as an insult and made duel
the alternative of its retractiOn. This may
be news to Gen. Townsend, but the fact
is, that but for the slurS cast upon him
the MaTylander would probably have re-
manned loyal tc his flag. AS 1t was, it
only came down under the national sa-
lutte, While the Governor and stan stood
by with uncovered heads, and Gen. Henry
r. Jackson and Gems. Nacker and Cum
mings, also Of the staff, looked like cry
ing. The company marched to the boat
with flying eOlOrs and beating drums
through the principal streets, and there
is about as much probability in the trea-
son theory as there is ia the tale of Gen.
Shiras, that AdjUtant General l.. Thomas
called Robert L. Lee traitor to his face.
Army etiquette would not have saved
hlh from prompt thrashing if he had;
and there IS documentary evidence in the
reach of Gen. Townsend that the per-
sOnal relations of Gen. Scott and Gen.
Lee we've never disturbed by the action Of
the latter. In fact, this evidence in the
highest form is furnished by the writer OF
the book, in the shape Of the following
letter of Mrs. Gen Lee, now published
for the first time:
"ARLIN6TON, May 8, 1876 by Deur Gene
raj: Hearing that y0u desired TO see the ac-
count OF my husbands reception in Richmond,
Z nave sent il % you. 10 honor an reconcile