General Taylor urged the President to give Johnston command of one of the ten new regiments.

Johnston took no part in politics; but his eminent brother, Josiah Stoddard Johnston, long a senator from Louisiana, was Mr.Clay's most intimate friend in public life, and General Taylor's letter was not even answered.

The places were wanted for adherents of the administration, and Tibbatts of Kentucky, Jere Clemens of Alabama, Milledge L.
Bonham of South Carolina, Seymour of Connecticut, and men of that grade,--eminent in civil life, active partisans, but with no military training,--were preferred to the most experienced soldiers.

This fact disfigures the energetic record of Mr.Marcy as secretary of War, and was eminently discreditable to the President and all his advisers.
Perhaps the most inexcusable blunder of the administration was the attempt to take Thomas H.Benton from the Senate, where he was honored, eminent, and useful, make him Lieutenant-general, and send him out to Mexico to supersede both Scott and Taylor in command of the army.

The bill to enable this to be done actually passed the House.