Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-05-14
POLITICS..
THE PoRrRAir Of a Member Of the WHO EXECUTIVE
Committee, ,rLo played the 1circs at Washington IN
IL u al EIrcIinn nf lSlnl

I
men of the Southland then say, what doyou THINK Of
the results of an Election where such man as The
Hon. c. F. Mitchell bore conspicuous part, along
with John c. Clark and others. This proiligate Pon-
tciun Mitchell, assisted in deug'ng the South WIN
papers calculated to blind, and deceive and betray eh
into the arms of the Wings lie assisted in expending
those enormous funds, which scattered over the
country for the purpose of assisting the PPeay
buying voters aud corrupting the Suffrage OF Ire.
Peope great part of these funds may yet be founa
to constitute portion of the l,Ole,61O dollars, when
the Committee of Investigation declared, and winch
Mr. Iippncot repeated to the Board OF Stockholders,
on the 9TH inst to be still unaccounted ior-whch
Cowperthwaite promised to explain, but which he mas
never vet explained-These expenditures are of SO
SO myseriousa suspicious character, That MI LIP
nincol in bis statement the Stockholders declares:
sNor is it surprising, that while was acting with the
on the state of the Bank those vouchers for
monies drawn out were not exhibited TO me, wnen !
state that the Investigating Committee, IN their cr'cai
and arduors examnation learned win astohshiheh.
from the clerk, in whose possession they ought 10 nave
BEEN that they had been destroyed By whose orders
and why the destruction Of vouchers tor the Oh
large amount OF money had been ehecea' vas o'
learned nor did that committee, to my knowieage, IN
ouire under whose administration IL took place -Nor
would it be surprising, ii Mitchell were concerned as
the secret agent for expanding this money Tor po'ea,
purposes This man Mitchell has just been detected
in the prossest forgeres-for which he has had to ny
the country-nnd is now ensconced IN Canada:
tFrOm the albany argnS
We place in our columns to-day, an article from
Western correspondent who sketches, with ability ana
fidelity the s'rise and progress OF this distinguished
Federal leader. We commend II TO an attentive peru
SAL II exhibits not only the facts OF tins casc-tle
proipatc career of this indvdua-but the morals Of
the party BY which he sustained, after me proofs
of his guHt rirc knocn 10 tic leaders V that paF3 :"
Niagara, and acih full knorlcdgc Of achtrh hfy pro-
cured has nomination and urged his election 10 Con,
grcsy-nay in whieh they zero interested actors ana
participaRtsi
These are truths which, however severely they may
reflect upon persons and parties, it is duty the press
owes the great of the people o. both parues-
who will revolt at the thought of sustaining and ap-
proving no, only gross immortality hut crime and guilt
TO bring TO their most serious consideration
THE "IIoN" l.. =. MircllELI~
A brief biography of this individual may now be
written out 'sNerno repentc turpissnus, "No man
becomes rascal in a day So with the snbJcc, OF
this sketch. What is now likely to prove consumma-
ton if flight favored far at eas. as this country
concerned is sudden Observation-Disclosures Immediate
abandonment of virtue, in an emergency, but cr'sis
approached By regular progression The plea IN ahate-
ment Instituted by his immediate political associate,
Thurlow Weed-the position he himself assumes, in
his letter 10 his friend, j. Watson Webb-is far from
the truth But of this more in its proper place
Charles +. Mitchell became resident OF Lockport
in 1898. lie was a native of Pennsylvania miller
by trade. After being employed for considerable pc
Rod by the month of the large Touring establish
of that village, his skill in his profession, as well
clever business qualifications, introduced hun
active partner in lesser establishment In TINS
connection he continued for considerable period
That he made money in it, is questionable-or at least
that he made il honestly, nasmuch as while thus en-.
gagged, his over-dras upon his commission mrie"-"'"
in the city of New York amounted to large sum
onc of his then partners be- seriously involved by
his connection with him, and it has frequently been al
legged that he pracsed gross frauds by using the credit
of that firm after il had been dissolved About the pc
Rod Of parting this business connection, ne purch-ed
ml.site out Of town, and erected small Touring So
adjustment The era Of extravagan real estate opera
tons commenced. lie embarked in it reck'essy, using
the money Tor the purpose that he had obtained upon
his New York over drafts, and what he had made ho
nestly in his business, if indeed it amounted TO any
thing. He was favorte Of the banks anu enjoyed
much Of their facilities.
Although gambler almost from his first start IN
life practising i 10 an extent which made him notor
ous and fully entitled him TO the character Of black
leg-loosc in his morals paying virtue not even the
poor homage ofan attempted concealment OF VICIOUS
conduct; vet he strangely commanded the confidence
of otherwise prudent men, and moral citizens Ii his
success in this respect created SURPRISE his rise and
progress, as politician, the Anti Masonic and Wing
ranks amounted 10 mystery. As ne advanced IN Ia
yor with his party, acquiring from small BEGINNINGS al
most absolute local control, even well skilled IN
solving the mysteries Of party and their sometimes sin
pular preferences, looked and wondered Talent,
or cducation he had to single him out from the
crowd There were FIVE hundred men in the county,
Of the same political profession, IN those respects vast
y his superior-in moral fitness how infinitely So lie
had the low cant, low grade Of cunning, the rlbald
Jest, the vocabulary of the gambling lsbir;-these
would please in certain quarters But how did he win
the zealons esteem confidence oil better class OF
honorable and moral men who possessed much of po
litical influence They wonder even themselves,
now, how it was. They may find the answer in the
peculiar tactics of their party-the crerons Of merit
and claims 10 preerment, that among them have pre-
yailed-all of which resolved themselves into that
word of doubtful import Wing policy,
which, with the end in view, is unscrupulous of the
means.
His first essay in political life was subordinate
in the Antma ranks lie had qualifications that
we'll fitted him for the Of the Antimasonlc leaders
He was early petled and flatered by them-by them
perhaps was his political ambition first excited Early
did Thurow Weed cherish the young asprant, push
inc him onward, and urging others to push. There
was nothing unnatural in this. And controlling and
leading Wing Senator from the 9Th district, used TO
speak Of "Chartey, The hHer's Boy and mouth it as
swee,ly as he has since, the cant terms, "Tppecanoe
and Tgier too. How interchangeable was he at two later
periods in promoting his election to Congress! And
present canal commissioner, was from rst TO last his
ready apologis-the first TO put down any dIsafecon
in the Wing ranks touching his favorite-a Partially
that strange to relate seemed to be increased rather
than diminished by an ac ofdishonesy Of which he had
full copnizance aud Of which he of the VIC
Tins Previous to the election in the Fall of 1896,
Mitchell occupied important place in the Wing
ranks. A sudden elevation had made him aspiring
and assuming-even boast(nl. He was Sir Oracle
He extended his political sphere--ennmera among
his correspondents the prominent Wing leaders in
this State pretended 10 be in close alliance with Thad
deus Stevens of Pennsylvania; and Wing credulity
swallowed the artfu tale that he was kinsman and
especial favorte of Nicholas Bidde lie sought and
obtained the nomination for Congress, and elected
by few votes more than party vote. Not that his
popularity broke party lines TO schis'n in The
Democratic ranks it should rather be attributed. The
Democratic party opposed to him popular candidate;
one tina, they took pride in contrasting with the
cessful candidate even in defeat The contest the
part of the Wings, answered very much the character
of their candidate drumming and singing, the open
dram shop carousing four horse teams with flags bear
ing Wing devices, conspicuous among which was
"Churley, the Miusrs Boy" The evening it
certained he elected the streets, the bnrrooms of
ockport presented scene which good citizen there
would wish 10 see re-enacted. The Wing congress
man elect elevated upon bar counter, knocked off