Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-10-15
From the Tarboro' Press.
COL. PAINE AND LIEUT.. FENDER.

COL. PAINE AND LIEUT.. FENDER.
The treatment which Lieut. Fender has re-
celved at the hands of Col Paine, exhibits
degree OF perverseness and tyrannical exer-
else OF the ''llttle brief authority in which he
is clad, almosl unprecedented. Indeed his en-
tire conduct, since he took charge of the No
Carolina Regiment, towards both officers an
men has been naughty, overbearing and dicta-
torial-and marked by a series of petty tyran-
MES and veNations, prompted more with the
view of 'mpressing. the Regiment with the
fact that he was the Commander, than to at
tain any valuable or useful end Taken from
the walks of civil life, without particle of
/ military knowledge. he seems to have thought
it necessary that he should play the Colonel
in some shape. Hence we find him eagerly
seizing upon the forms and shadows of COM
mand, the pomp and parade of authority ;'and
hence his gags, acooden-horses Slcord-tak'ngs.
etc., etc. and thousand smch vexatlons,
which have reached us from the camp. In
short his whole course so far, seems to have
been the very pedantry of the profession.
We do not know, however, that we ought
to feel any surprise, at the conduct OF man
as peevish and petulent as Col. Pane Is &C
knowledged to be-and one whose head, as
the Wilmington Journal suggests, seems &c
have been turned by his sudden elevation.
His friends, we believe, have never yet con.
descended to explain the public, what claims
he had to the command ofthe regiment, unless
it be perhaps his course in the last Legislature
upon the discussion of the Infamous " Mex
can preamble" when he shouted at the top OF
his voice, '' clear the Hobbies, let's have gen
eral fight" or language to that eftect-thus
manifesting a willingness to convert the halls
of Legislation, into bear garden and an arena
for fierce and bloody contention.
Lieut. Fender was educated at West Point
and up 10 the period OF the departure of the
troops for Mexico, was the best tactician ir
the regiment; and we have NO hesitation in
saying, possessed more military knowledge in
his little finger. than Paine ever had in his
Uranium He left as lst Lieut.. in Il Compan5
Ost Edgecombe,) of which the late lamented
Col Wilson was Captain. The resignation
of Capt Wilson, death OF Lieut.. Moye and the
election of Lieut.. Buck to the aljutancy, left
Lieut., Pender in sole command OF Company
A. In addition to his superior miIitar. know
led, he possessed many qualities of head AMI
heart which endeared him to his men, most Of
3 whom like himself were young and ardent
and eager to distinguish themselves in the ser
vice of their country.
Lieut. Fender, burdened with the extra du
ties, time after time requested Col Paine tc
order an election in his company to supply
the vacancies, and this he as often refused II
do
Now the secret of this otherwise unaccoun
table perversty, may possibly be found in TIL
fact that Adjutant Buck Col Paine's pet,
sick an tire of his position and pay, 9TH
last of which was only that of 81 Lieutenant,
was anX Gus TO be ectrd to the command o
Company A but this was impossible Will
Pen Ter was in the way. He was 100 popula
with his men. and this Buck knew. Henc
the late difficulties in the regiment were seiz
Ell upon to inculpate Lieut.. PendeI, and upol
=, the preteXt that he and Lieut.. Sing letary wer
= rlng'eaers in the matter, (upon no sufficen
evidence, as we have heard,) they were bot
discharged. Paine Immediately orders an e
lection (what he had before refused TO do,) an
= Buck is elected Captain
We leave it to the public to say, if the mat
! ter Toes not look g as if CO.! Paine never in
> tended Lieut. Fender should be Captain of hi
company"