Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1849-09-22
RICHMOND, VA.
Saturday Morning, Sept, 22d, 1S49.
THE UNION HOAXFD

Our neighbour of the Wing has successfully per-
petrated cruel joke upon the venerable editor of the
Washington Union, the drift of which the reader
Will understand by perusing an article, whichwe
copy from the Union of Saturday last, in connexon
with the following explanation by the Wing:
about month SINCE we published in the shape of
letter from Washington extract from letter written
from the same place to the RchnOnd Enquirer 1929!
1t contained infamous proposition to establish secret
system of Espionage throughout the Republic We felt
some repugnance to SEEM by publishing it, to give cou
enance to such an abomnable proectand friends
detestabe proposition into columns But we said
nothing We felt presentiment that we were about to
hook the veteran and artu dodger He eyed the bait
long time nibbled very gently and last Saturday
larry gorged 1t. Lo and behold him fuering in the dust
WIN the exception OF change of date and the first
sentences prexed gid the bait and the substitution of
Locotocosm for Coalition and Union" for National Re-
publcan the Wing paper at that day. the letter an
exact transcript Of portion OF letter signed "Arsdes
published IN the Enquirer of 18th April 1899 and copied
INTO Niles Register OF May ID 1899
Wecopy the entire article of the Union and pray the
reader 10 scan closely every sentence of the text and the
comment and bear in mind all the while that all the fero
elous blows the Unon directed against the infamous
proposition and Its authors applicable themselves
alone'
We need not attempt to aid the readers appreci-
alton of this most extraordinary hoax, by pointing
out the many expressions of indignation and rebuke
with which the Union calls the attention of the
country to the momentous development supposed to
have been made in the letter from Washington
The most sober minds may draw profitable moral
from the whole affair. 1t exhibits, with force not
less overwhelming than ludicrous the reckessness
OF the opposition TO Gen. Taylors administration
1t is laughable enough see great political leader
denouncing as base, detestable and infamous a pro-
position which twenty years ago, he permitted to
pass uncensured in his columns Then, when the
mighty Jackson sWayed his iron sreptre esev tive
Republic, suggestion from the seat of the federal
Government that a Jesutical system of espionage
might be useful not only proved nothing against
the Cabinet, but put before the world through
the leading administration journal in Virginia, in
such guise as to be positively recommended to
the favourable consideration of the Presidents
friends. But, nop, the very same suggestion
couchedn the very same words, embodies an ssnfa-
nous propositon;' . and its publication in a Wing
paper is proof undenable that "this nile and aat-
NOUS system Of secret espionage" is one which
has been established unler the PATRONAGE OF THE
CABINET, and which its shameless instruments and
agents are attempting to ertend TO epery neighbour
hood in the Uaion'
Ref1echng men of all parties will ask, how is it.
that what convicts Gen Taylor's Cabinet of an in
famous policy established nothing whatever against
Cen Jackson's? They will consider, too, that the
letter, upon which the Union bases all its indignant
comments, though not genuine as published now,
was genuine as published in the Enquirer of 1929;
and every word which the Union now says of the
proposition it moots, holds strictly good of the org-
nall lotto roftb atd A.. ~
tar minds must be, that the virulent abuse of Gen.
Taylor and his Cabinet with which the Washington
organ of the opposition is daily freghed, is of no
more proper weight than this most unfortunate de-
nunciation of the Infamous System Of Espionage''