Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-07-25
RICHIE MON VA.
Saturday Morning. July 22, ls4s.
TUE WING AND RooRBAcKIsM.

sole authors Of that favorte instrument oil poii'
teal warfare In IFS revelations, however, the
Wing has been peculiarly unforlunate-ior II
now saws, "The monstrosty Of such state
ment 1.-THE branding Of forty-thrce negroes OF
Mr.. Polk with the initials J K. T. ~ was so
great, that it should not, 1t appears to u.s. have
deceived any one but in The North The iaise'
hood was immediately detected, and the changes
were rung upon it BY every Locofoco PRESS lar
and near. for the benefit of MIR. Polk" we
shall show that it was not regarded as such
smonstrosity' by the Wing press, and that II
was industrously circulated by them as the
genuine article, "for the benefit of Mr.. Clay
The Wing of September "a, 1874, has the
following emphatic editorial as copied oy inc
Enquirer of the next day
"THE WAY JAMES X. POLK MARKS his
SLAVES The following statement Is taken
from "Roorback's tour through the Southern
and Western States" in 1886, when James \.
Polk was Speaker of the House OF Represen'
tatives (Iadeed y Roorback's book was pub
lIshed wears before Polk was nominated, or even
dreamed of in his own dreams for the Presiden
CIV. (Iadeed y We sc not the slightest reason
for QUESTIONING the truth Of the statement In
deed y and if true it ought to damn Polk &c
eternal inramy, We know not q Shareholder
thank Heaven in all Virginia, who, if the state
meDt is true, will not heartily concur with Us 10
the sentiment, that James K Polk ought to DC
damned for this cruel deed to perpetual iniamy
IJust as the Wing is now "damning General Pil
low, to everlasting fame'"] II brings lnettace
able reproach Oh him, and it atfixes stigma
upon the country, upon the Southern States
false and undeserved! Ithods US up, as people
10 the horror and detestation of Christendom
Give us Jackson again Indeed Indeed d we
saw. with all his disregard OF Law and Constltu
tion-(iust so now talks the Wing OF President
Polk)-eive us Van Buren,, with his hurdles OF de
faulters, rather than this inhuman coward
IS amecss y We have never seen Roorback'
book-bm this is po,ched by the New York Anne
rcan, a print of the highest personal character,
TO be true extract from it. If II is, we cannot
question the truth of the statement, for there
was no motive, certainly no political motive, 10
misrepresent Here follows the statement from
Roorback"
The same Wing has the following editorial
Polk's cowardice. Who will doubt it after learn
ing the disgraceful fact the very memory Of
which, or his death. bed ought to sink his soul in
despair, that with no, iron he branded the init
ais Of his name on Tie shoulders Of 43 unofend.
inr slaves and fellow.crea!ures, merely that they
nigh, be known to be his il they ran away
When was such diaboical crnelty ever sepaia.
led from PoilrooneTy Never never! never!-
We trust in Providence, that the odious, the dam
uable accusation may be dsproved, for we would
no, have such crime established on The head Of
any human being But the charge comes in an
imposing sbape-divesled of all suspicion Of be-
ing con,rved for party purposes; and Polk mus
tisprove ii, or be subjected 10 The sbhonence OF
The Christian world" (No appearance of its be.
ing con,riyed for party purposes! Oh, of course
noll Nor is it eagerly circulated with any such
design. Oh, of course! Of courseD
The bold and infamous forgery appears in the
Albany Evening Journal, under the head Of
flames K. Folks slaves sold and driven in ma
nacles," beginning thus: 1.-THE following is an
extract from RooGbacks tour through The South
eru and Western States in 1886" Then follow
ed the extract, rurportins 10 be from the ionr Of
This Mr.. Rootback, in 1886, which is really an
extract from Fea,hersonhaush's tour in 1884
substituting Duck Tor New river, and with The Iol-
lowing words inlerpcla.ed:
"Fouy three oil these unfortunate beings ha!
been purchased, was iniufne!, ny ne Hon. }
K Polk. the present Speaker Of the .ionsc oil Re-
trc marx OF The branding iron, nun
The tittals Of his nams M their stOuiaers, diSin-
guishsa them frOm the rest
This a,rocions charge and infamous "Roor
back" was, as We nave shown, freely circulated
by the Southern Wing press, which saw mot The
slightest reason Tor questioning the truth OF The
So far from being treated asa "mon
s,rosi,y," calculated 10 deceive No none "hu i!
the North" il was endorsed by The leading Wits
organ in Virginia, and circulated Throughout
Virginia ard The South, 10 defeat his election anc
to ada;nn" James X. Polk 10 perpetual infamy.
So much for he first position Of Thursday:
Wing. But that paper, in lis vain effort to scrceI
it's own parry from The fatal odium and curse c
such poisoned political warfare, says:
"The Roorback fraud was device oil their OWL
Chc DcmocraIic) parry, 10 create sympathy II
the free States Tor Mr.. Polk, and Wing edio
was, innocenlly on his parl, made the tool oil de
signing men in giving il effect"
The Wing then produces an afiiavi; OF u
Mckinney that VIM Linn Of Ithaca called on hin
with an article purporling 10 be an extract iron
"Roorback's Tourthrough the Western and South
ern States" requesting him TO copy The same ant
hand il 10 the editor OF the Chronicle for publica
ton, which was done and the piece published
The Wing further "clinches The nail" as ii sup
poses, by asserting that This Linn was ia LEO
foco Office holder in Ithaca. This man bad beef
the candidate ortha, patty Tor The office oil Jasiio
of the Peace, and had been elected by them h
was also, at the lime 81 me forgery, Examiner ii
Chancery, appointed hy Locoioco Senate AM
recommended by Lccofoco Governor, Bouck.
The Wings concludes as follows:
"This infamous trick OF one OF their o1oa par
tizans, is The thing The Locofoco prints aiude IL
when they talk So flapan,ly about "Roorbacks !
IL is passing strange, that they should ever allud
10 subject which 10 .hem must be source 0
eternal shame"
The question nov arises, was or was not tsi
Linn a "Loco:oco7' VIVA, does he himself sa,
and can we have better evidence than his owl
word2
In a letter written on the LIST October 1874
Mr.. Linn says:
"IfI am 'Locoioco' as Mr.. Spencer Qhc Edi
Tor OF the Chronicle) will insist upon styling me
vel certainly Mr.. Mckinney is he rery rsrsrs
and the gentleman ,oao int2polat.d tic obnorion
paragraph, | do assure him, was and is OF ihs
same political sentiments as Mr.. Mckinney.
hope this has no, been done with the dastardly
motive OF driving The accumulated fury OF any
party press upon my devoted head. The truth is
and which is well known, that am no polica
parlizan "a sort OF no-party Taylor man, who
doubtless goes The Taylor ticket now y I'm ess my
having an exalted opinion OF The Commanding
talents and siaesmanlike qualities OF Henry
CLAW, and nv never having uttered one word de.
rosalory 10 The high standing and political purify
OF Col. Polk, can make me one"
Blu. we have further and conclusive evidence
In the following from The Albany Argus, quoted
- OOl 1914.