The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-14
MILITARY APPOINTMENTS,

The President has been very unfortunate in fail
ing to secure the appreciation Of the Kentucky
wings, il, indeed, their appreciation be desirable.
The Kentucky Observer Of the 9th instant has
dedicated bitter article to this subject. The chorus
Of its song u.s. that Of the lately appointed generals
all arc democrats. When Congress PASSED the act
to raise a regiment Of mounted rihemen the Presi-
dent appointed Major Burbridge and Captain Crit
tenden, OF Kentucky, from that party, and the
thanks that they gave him were sneers and taunts,
and insnuations Of corrupt motives.
At the time the President was thus literally be-
slowing his patronage upon the wing party OF
Kentucky, hsw was il reciprocaed by the wing
governor Of that State2 The field officers OF her
three regiments Of volunteers were to be selected
by him. How many democrats did his excellency
select Will the editor Of the Observer and Re
porter inform usi We will ourselves answer the
question. He did not appoint ONE.
One burst of Indignation followed. The rank and
file of whgery itself felt ashamed. The rank and
file of that party arc brave and honest, and con-
demned the outrage. II 10 not sufficient to say that
none applied from the democratic party for appoint
mcnt. We will name one, worthy and respect
ed citizen of Lexington, well known to the editor Of
the Observer and Reporter, Of a family which hai
lost more than one of its circle in the last war; who
fell calamity fighting for their country Benjamin
F. Graves aided efficiently in raising more than one
company Of volunteers in Lexington and its vicinity
and was strongly recommended to the governor fol
the Office Of major We are informed upon good
authority that one or more leading wings of Lex
ington demonstrated against his appointment, and
he was accordingly passed by.
In this state Of the case the President, we'll in
formed of the whig prescription Of his friends, wal
called upon to nominate various staff officers fo
the quartermssters and commissary's services ir
those regiments He was also called on TO selec
suitable persons to command the brigades and d.
visions when they should be formed in the field
Did tho editor of the Observer and Reporter expec
the President to subject himself second time Il
wing insinuatons of corrupt designs by appointing
whig generals or staff oficers' Was he SO perdan
as to believe that the President would permit hi
friends, brave capable and patriotic as they are,
be prescribed, insuted, and trampled on wherever
whigery had sway, without extending to them hi
powerful aid, lfhe were soft enough to believe al
this then all we have to say is that he did not know
"who James K Polk is" We shall offer othe
defence Oft the President in this matter. He has Sc
lected good men and true, who will uphold the hon
or of the country whenever and wherever they shal
| be called on.
One individual is selected by the Observe
and Reporter for special attack. This is Genera
Thomas Marshall of Lewis county, Kentucky. O
him we will present few considerations to defent
him against the aspersons cast upon him.
The editor states that company was raised il
Mason county, for the Mexican war, in which
Mr.. Marshall was elected a lieutenant, that beins
as high as the company chose to place him. Wher
the political intolerance which governs Mason coun
~ is recollected and when il is recoeced that Gen
Marshall, by his jealous support Of democracy, hat
made himself very obnoxious to the governing par
ty in Mason, we consider it as strong evidence o
his merit that he should have been selected to thu
second Office in the company. But the editor re
members to forget, that at subsequent meeting o
the officers Of ten or eleven Of the rejected compa
MES, majority of whom were wings, Gen. Mar
shall was chosen lieutenant colonel, with Colone
Clarkson and General Desha as colonel and major
and that the field officers thus chosen were sent u
this city by resolution Of the officers, to offer thu
services Of the regiment thus voluntarily organized
to the President. Even wing officers thus CAV,
their testimony in his favor, and showed that the,
we're willing to place themselves and their men un
| der his command
| The true cause Of this attack on General Mar
shall s that he 10 democrat, jealous, entt us, site
efficient; that he will not worship Mr.. Clay, no
submit to wing tyranny. We suppose that tn
editor was broodng over the consequences Of tn
celebrated "free fight" at Frankfort last winter
when hatred TO "all the Msrshalls" stirred up SOM
fifteen aspiring young wing, Of Lexington an
\ Frankfort 10 attack Gen. Marshall at the Mansion
House, on the night Of the 9Th Of January-an ON
nous time for all the enemies Of democracy. Tn
"free-hghi," like the battle OF New Orleans, termi
mated in the route Of the sssailants three Of whom
were left senssess on the floor, one with his heal