Edwardsville Spectator

FROM THE FRANKFORT ARGUS.

JACKSON, SCOTT AND CLINTON

All our readers probably remember the famous general order of general Jackson, issued in 1817, commanding his subordinate officers not to obey any orders from the war department, unless they were sent through the commander in chief.

It seems that general Scott, then in New-York, condemned the order, and declared it little less than an act of mutiny.

Some listener communicated the substance of Scott's remarks to Jackson in the following anonymous letter:

Anonymous letter addressed to Major General Andrew Jackson, post marked "New-York, August 14," and received the 31st Sept. 1817.

"Your late order has been the subject of much private, and some public remark. The war office gentry and their adherents, pensioners and expectants, have all been busy; but no one (of sufficient mark for your notice) more than Major General Scott, who, I am credibly informed, goes so far as to call the order in question an act of mutiny. In this district he is the organ of government insinuations, and the supposed author of the paper inclosed--which, however, (the better to cover him) was not published until he had left this city for the lakes. Be on your guard, as they have placed spies upon Brown here -so it is probable you are not without them. The eastern federalists having now all become good republicans, and pledged to support the President, as he to them, government can now do very well without the aid of Tenn. &c. A word to the wise is enough. The enclosed is taken from the Columbian, a paper of much circulation in this state, New-York."

General Jackson enclosed a copy of this letter to Scott, inquiring whether he had made the remarks alluded to. The controversy ended in an abusive personal contest between the two generals.

General Scott has lately published a pamphlet containing the whole correspondence. In this pamphlet he gives his belief that De Witt Clinton was the author of the anonymous letter. In reply to this charge De Witt Clinton has addressed to the public the following letter, which contains as much severity as could well be crowded into so small a compass.

From the Albany Gazette, April 8.

TO THE PUBLIC.

General Scott, of the army of the United States, having in a letter of the 2d January, 1818, to general Jackson, insinuated that I had written, dictated, or instigated an anonymous letter to the latter gentleman from unworthy motives, and for improper purposes; and having also concealed this imputation from me, until the publication of a pamphlet which reached me on the 4th inst. I have considered it proper to declare, that I have had no agency or participation in writing, dictating or instigating any anonymous letter whatever to gen. Jackson. That I am entirely ignorant of the author-- and that the intimation of general Scott is totally and unqualifiedly false, to all intents and in all respects. This declaration is made from motives of respect for public opinion, and not from any regard for general Scott, whose conduct on this occasion, is such a total departure from honor and propriety as to render him unworthy of the notice of a man who has any respect for himself.

It is not probable that I can at this time have any recollection of having had the honor of seeing general Scott, on the 9th of June, 1817, at a dinner in New-York, or of the topics of conversation as he suggests; circumstances so unimportant are not apt to be impressed on the memory. But I feel a confident persuasion, that I did not make use of any expression incompatible with the high respect which I entertain for gen. Jackson.

DE WITT CLINTON.

Albany, 6th April, 1819.