The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-10-26

coins observation was not at all diminIahed by
! the fact that had Ions suspected that my chief
| lacked something which IL necessary to mako
! q successful politician. Hs tScettl
never came near enough to the lower strata OF
voters to be abio 20 sympnthizo with thoir nj.
foctious and motives. when ho undor.
took TO please the pooplo no offered them
toys. which they rejected. In his stump
speeches his jokes ard arguments were
not recognizable by his audiences: con-
seduently he lost votes. and WAS stifled in
his own illusions" That tho popular in .tnct
| was unorrinR in dlstrustinR Scott seems
demonstrated by tho following disclosure: 1T
was during the yoar lSi7 or 1913. in a eonver-
sation no had In my presence upon the subject
OF universal suffrage. that heard the ensuing
rsmurk from Gen. Scott: i was said ho. re-
Gently discussing this same subject OF unlvsr-
sal suffrage aud . democratic republic with .
highly distinguished Northern parsonage who
SURPRISED me BY saying that man who was
not Republican UP to 30 years Of age was .
rascal. but II after 80 he was a Republican he
was fool Many circumstances and casual
observations on other occasions convinced me
that Gen. Scott was not by any means In favor
Of making the suffrage absolutely equal and
universal. as it Is With US now"
Asto Gen. Scotia attitude ut the outbreak OF
tho rebellion. 1t is evidently the impression OF
his military secretary. though SO m UGH IL not
explicitly avowsd that Scott was incapacitated
for tho position OF Com m ander- a. Chief Mt that
momcntous juncture whom swiftnos5 Of do
cision was imperative and delay was supsrla-
tively dangerous. by tho conflict between his
attachment to tho Union and his fervont affec-
tion for his native South. He sIrnnk from the
Idea OF violently cOercing tho seeding States.
and sacrificed precious time to the deusive
hope that by mere show OF force he mght es-
capo the need OF using it. 1t is just possible.
however. that Virginia might have been held
faithful to tho Union and q war averted had
Gen. Scott been able to carry out his cherished
plan OF inducing Gen. Il. T.. Lee to accept tho
command OF tho Federal forces. That he on
tertained this project. and In the spring Of
1861 tried to execute 1t. Gen. Reyes. who
was at the time. we have mentioned,
In most intimate relations with him. deems In
controvcrtibe. When Leo reached hcadquar-
tiers from Texas. whsro lie had been second in
command TO Cen. Twiggs twho surrendcrc
his force to tho Secessionistsl. no was ut once
admitted to n private conference with Scott.
tho dctailB Of which contrary to tho Generals
custom. were not communicated to his secro-
tary. 1t is certain that Scott had IAN almost
idoatrous fancy for Lee. whose military genius
ha estimated fur above that OF any her officer
OF tho army" Indeed. he oncY told tho author
that IL hostitios should break out between
the United States and England IL would bo
cheap for our country to Insure I.eo's life for
50 .O00 n year. In the mind OF Con.
koyes. there Is not n shallow OF doubt
that during tho interview above referred to
Scott ofiercd to retire from cerv.ce and give
Leo the command Of tho Federal army. With
out question he employed his utmost powers
to convince Lee that IL was his duty to comply
with his suggestion. The two gentlemen. Ill
though their opinions wore usually harmoni-
Gus. probably disagreed in regard to the state
OF things then existing. Scott could havo no
idea that Loo would ever DO called upon to load
an army of Northern men 10 Gght against tho
South. On tho contrary he desired TO SEQ him
Mt the head of Union force sufficiently power
full to keep the peace. and to DyeUett civil
war. which they equally Rbhorrei. Both
those mon were born In Virginia, and
both loved tho Union. and neithor
Of them could bear the thought o! un-
shcathins his sword against his native State.
Tho younger man considered war Inevitable:
tho odor INDUCED hopes that 1t might be
avertcd. Lee. being in full vigor OF mind and
holding himself conscicntiously bound to COM
ply with the decision Of Virginia. departed to
Join tho seeeders. while Scott. weighed down
with yonrs and inlrmities and trusting that
hostllities might y9t be avoided or confined to
faw skirmishes. remained with the North"
Touching Lees strategic merit. Cen Kcyes
records that several foreign officers with whom
he discussed his military character thought
him superior to any leader in the Federal SER
vice" and no has beon told that on one &C.
casion Gen. Lord Wolsalcy declared Lee to be
not only superior TO all other American Cen
erals but that he was tho equal OF any one OF
ancient or modern times. In arriving at that
conclusion the distinguished English officer
took into consideration the smnlness OF Lees
resources in mon. material Of war. means OF
transportation. ct cetera." Tho author who.
DO it remembered. is n Northern man. goes
on to acknow ledge that Lees grant
ness Us chief was not displayed ex-
clusively tho field OF battle. for
ho ioresaw clearly the difficulties OF the mighty
task before him. to which the majority Of his
associates were made blind by conccit and
senseess prejudice. Whom one OF them boast
ell OF their superior bravery. and that one
Sonthern'r was match for nyo Yankees. Lee
robuked him with - serious reply, lie told
them that the Northern men wero q rcsolute
race, Astounding in resources of every kind and
that TO beat them would not only require the
whole strength Of the South and an ub'o leader
but also an abundant good fortune. Ho also
saw the difficulty OF feeding the Confederate
troops after access to the Northern stores was
cat oil. lie nrl q few other pru-
dent men would have taken stems to provide
for IA future supply OF brcadstufrs and meats
but the President OF the Confoieracy was too
frantic in his contempt Tor tho Northern people
to pay attention to such suggestions" After
pointing out how often in his own experience
some slight deficiency in the quality of the ra-
ton would excite obtrusive discomfort in the
rank and file. What can have boon" asks Gen.
Reyes. Tho secret OF Ices influence which en-
abIed him 10 keep an army together month af-
tor month. and could make it fight vallantly
when tho soldiers had nothing but raw corn to
eat? After tho surrender there was
n vcstge of military strength remain
ing in tho whole South. Everything had been |
in tho struggle the duration and |
intensity of which were duo almost wholly |
to the genius and energy OF this one |
man." Gen. Reyes mnnifestly coucurs with
those military historians who consider that |
Loo mado II mistake in crossing tho Potomac |
in 1863 to fight the battle OF Gettysburg. |
" Perhaps he had not" says tho author. "suni-
cently weighed the loss he had sustained by |