Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-08-17

| tration. have wounded their own brother. Lie
| must hold them. and not the friends OF the Ao-
minislralion, responsible for ihrusling the mat
Ter into the political arena, and icr involving
him in difficulty, which, they argue, is beyond
! redemplon. Their denuncaions ofthe discharge
of the volunteers are too rank and decided, 10 ad'
| mi, of retreat from their position, and II Inc
| facts are as the Times states, and as we 10 cel-
| tain extent believe, Gen. Scott and his deien6ers
cannot regard very highly the judgment or dis
crelion of one another Ii will be another lesson
for these heated Wing parlizans, TO examine cool
ly into facts, and to "look before they leap"
II will be observed, that The Times, in ex-
culpating the War Department on one point
namely, the discharge Of the volunteers, holaS
il responsible on another ground, The uniortu'
nate delays in prosecuting The march 10 The cry
OF Mexico. Ii contends, that had The War De-
parlment done its duty in supplying Gen. Scott
| with the necessary reinforcemen's at the proper
time, he might long since have entered the capt.
tai and dictated peace 10 Mexico. We have
already had occasion to refer to he zeal and en-
ergy with which the Administration pressed upon
Congress the importance of a speedy passage
Of the bill TO raise len regiments. We have al
the same time dwell upon Inc ineYcusabs delay in
the passage OF that bill, caused either ~ factious
opposition or miserable waste of lime upon irrele-
want and improper collateral questions. The
Administration counted confidently upon that
measure, 10 furnish full reinorcemens for Gen.
Scott; bu, The bill was delayed most unreasona'
bly,, (indeed, at one time il was considered as
deleated,) and the hand OF the Government
was paralyzed for long time. Had Congress
promptly passed the measure, we doubt not that
The War Department, would have been enabled
long since to provide The necessary troops with
which Gen. Scott could have captured the CITY OF
Mexico and established peace, If that infatuated
people could be induced BY so summary mea-
sure 10 close The war upon The liberal terms we
have rendered 10 them. That the War Depart
ment has, since tie passage Of The Ten Regiment
act, employed all its energy and industry in rails
ing troops and despatchiDg them 10 The seat Oh
war, we have every reason 10 believe. They
may have been disappointed in some OF their
calculations but who that is aware of The dffcu!-
ty of enistng armies, furnishing Them Tor the field
and transporting them 10 their destination, will
not do Justice 10 an honest and jealous discharge
OF duty, even should unforeseen accidents delay
and embarrass the most wisely-planned arrange
ments7 But We have no lime, now, 10 discuss this
point, growing outof the original question. twill
be more convenient and proper hereafter, when
all The facts shall be submitted 10 the public.
---
The Union makes The following comments
upon the absurd charge Of potomac" that MIR.
French, the Clerk of The House of Representa-
tives, was in The habit of giving hints TO his par
ty friends, by his manner Of reading eff the ayes
and noes:
"But how ridiculous is the reason assigned for
Mr. French's removal! Here we have il grave
w asserted by one interested IN Mr. Fre,schs defeat
tina, when The vote is close one, French casts
aside his rapid manner, and becomes so slow,
careful and certain, that The absent Locuioco
members could be sent for" &c. Now, the cor
respondent OF the patriot inc,1, when he wrote
The above, that the vote Of The House when deci-
ded BY yeas and nays, was taken by Tie aiiirma-
live and negative columns being both car
ried down al The same time, and The number
OF each given 10 his assistant al The desk.-
II The vote was close, as matter Of course
more caution and care would be used by The
clerk, 10 see that the aggregate was correct, than
when there was decided majority either way.
We undertake 10 say, upon the most reliable in
formation, that tie charge oi political bias as an
officer is utterly untrue, when applied TO Major
French. He has but one duty TO perform, and
that duty is TO the House, and not 10 any party in
the House. We venture the assertion, that there
is not one ex-member Of Congress who will al
firm that during his service in The National Le-
gisalure, he has ever observed Major French,
either as assistant, chief clerk, or clerk, swerve
one iota from the line otright 10 serve any party.
The Clerk of the House OF Representatives is
Democrat, but he is also every inch oil him an
honorable man; and, we doubt not, would scoFn
alike The base insinualion and its interested au-
thor"
We doub. no, that MIR. F.s sole object has
been 10 avoid errors in the count, and, IL ne sns-
peced close vote he would be more cautious and
slow, so as 10 keep the count strlight. But, how
could this give hint and warning 10 The "Loco-
foco" members to bring in their friends TO decide
the vote in their favor2 Would it mol equally be
hint and warning TO The Whis members TO do
the same thing; and would not both parties then
stand upon exactly the same fooling2 But The
story is perfectly ridicuous-and, if the Wings
cannot raise more plausible ground OF parii-
zanship on the par, Of Mr.. French 10 justify his
removal, it will be much more manly in them 10
throw away the mask, and avow that they pro.
scribe faithful and efficient officer, simply be-
cause he is "Locofoco." The country will re-
spect them much more for such bold course
than for the sneakirg insidious prelcxt Sc, up by
HPotomacu