Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-06-26
RICH MOND, VA.
Saturday Morning. June -, ls4s.
MR.. sOWDEN.-CAPTAlN McRAE.

j Card ID. this gentleman, Ia resident oi Prince
George county, though recently appointed Col
s:or OF the port Of PetersburgD in explanation
inns conduct in discharging from an humble
,ace in the Petersburg Custom House Richard
N.Rae, that gallant and merilorous patriot who
commanded The Petersburg Volunteers in The
Canadian campaign. The VIII, says:
nhse Mr. Polk was in Office TOUR years,
and suffered all that time 10 one day 10 elapse,
ErhoLl rewsrding Capt. Ms services. Ii any
hcy pu; a light estimate on them, II was the late
ADMINISTRATION. Capt NJ. was not pu, in The Of
Gee iii just as Mr Polk was going OUT. The re-
.p,usib,luy OF Iewardiug his services, which the
hrmer Administration did not choose 10 take was
,own on this, 10 which he was an enemy. The
,osc, was clear enough. |, wos known that
sncn new collector should be appointed. he
.cul', OF course. select his own deputies. Capt.
McRae wa pot in al The eleventh hour, in order
. have pfete1t for assailns the Adminslra-
| ioa. Nr BoWcenS declaration that he gave nc
9e.gss, IS conclusive IN il The contrary is es,ab-
saet."
Here |! will be perceived an effort is made to
SUSAN The prescription OF The old soldier, on The
Eound that be was appointed at the eleventh
In, that he has only held Office few moa,as,
r:,hat ne was an enemy" Now he Wang
,,ou!3 know, if it does moi, that Captain McRae
sas besn tor some years absent IRON Petersburg,
az: nav,ng returned but recently 10 needy cir.
cpmsxnces 10 The scenes of his earlier days,
tie ci'zels of Pe,erstusg were anxious TO re.
va:- he old soldier. To do this, one OF The in
spsco!s resigned his Office in the Custom House,
a.; Captain McRae was recommended TO Pre-.
si3ta Polk 10 & the vacancy. The old soldier
received The appointment, and The news was
aai.el with highes qualification by, We doubt
s'upon as deserved, though an humble &C.
inou'edgemen, OF gratitude Tor the honor con
Tered upon them by the tolls aud services Of
Captain McRae ano his gallant little band of pa.
alc,s, who, forming 10 .her midst, matched forth
niae defence OF ;!sif country, and bore our flag
! viz homo. when England invaded our shores.
History has since recorded their deeds and pos
miy (Virsinians a, leasD vii no, soon forget
,ose brave men-lhe gallant band OF "Peiers.
.i.2 Volunteers" But only TWO or three of
ae old veterans are now alive. Richard Me.
Rae 'neir Captain, {quiet. Courteous and unas-
diligently has been stricken from The roll OF his
1lnlry-thal country which he had served SO |
iiniully and SO honoraby The old soldier has |
been sought out by this mo party" prescription
administration; denounced as an ENEMY" and |
rruci down, 10 gur lhe revenge and reward with |
d. 'spoil'" one OF the "ao party politicians. Yes
Captain McRae. The old Petersburg Canada Vo- |
s1l'.er has been 'suiliotned"- ismissed from
al-lmoe public office, 10 make room Tor who2 |
Il! Nf Jabez Smith-a gentleman unknown be.
y'l.!ae limits OF his neighhorhood; Wing po
lhltlao, who was opposed TO The war with Next
Ca war forced upon us by Mexican injustice,
10. murder OF our citizens on our own terri.
DJ-a war without which General Taylor
seud ncveg have been heard .; as i Presileu-
III: can ,idae.
BIZ We need mol say more on this sutjeci--the |
pioscs,pion oil McRae, like numerous other acts
oflhis "spoils"- "no.paIly" administration
cannot be excused. The people will remember
lhsse Kings. And here we ask attention 20 the
following eIlraci. which we take from the Wash
inelon Union. Speaking of the wholesale fraud
Each " IS placlised upon Inc country during the
.a9 canvass and the violated pledges OF pracl !
al torbearance and independence OF party |
nhemes, which duped SO many honest men in |
lQuar,ers Of the Union aud the humiliating |
n.i.abasemep, which General Taylor's cabinets |
asIg advantage OF his ignorance, weakness
ana ineI perience, has forced upon him before the
syes OF the world, lhe Union says.
"He was elected 10 lie highest Office in The |
gil! Of the people because Of MS military services
and yet, as 10 rebuke the people OF thei. folly
whenever gfey-headed veteran of 1912 is found |
10 Office, he pleads his services 10 vain, for he is
hunted down and driven out, that his place may
De filled by some partisan scion OF the Hartford
convention school. Even those who Stood b.
him on the Rio Grande and served with Scot
10 The va''ey oil Mexico, may plead their services
in vain. They made him what he is. They
won the victory, but the spoils OF the victory are
not for them; Tor their leader is demonstrating,
with bitter irony, that services on The battlefield
are no qualifications Tor civil station. The re.
moval VI Halle who served his country faithfully
10 The LATE war-of Major Holding. VINO sustained
Colune, Miller in his celebrated charge al Lun-
dy's Lane OF General Bnicr, Of Florida, who
won such distinction as aid 10 General Jackson
cases in which gallant soldiers have been dis
Charged from public employment TO make room
for those whose exploits have been confined 10 the
political arena, and who now claim their reward.
Richard McRae, who led the celebrated Peters
burg volunteers TO the Canada frontier where
they endeared themselves 10 their country by
their gallant services, has been dismissed from
an humble Office which was procured Tor him
not by party services, for he mcddled not with
l,;oe h,,t hvf he nj trio uh,
membered his services and his sacrifices 10 his
coun,rv's cause, when Daniel Webster, whose
hands are now filled with patronage. was preach
lug treason 10 The Hartford convention allies oil
G;eat Britain. Those who served in Mexico
have shared the same fate with The soldiers oil
1912. They, TOO, have bced hunted from Office by
The heroes OF the late civil contest Clutter OF
Virginia, aud Law oil Indiana, who lost an arm
al Buena Vista, Blythe OF Mississippi, and Glen
denim OF New Orleans, who commanded com.
pany in the LIST Mississippi rides, the body
guard Of General Taylor, which did so much to
save the day at Buena Vista and shield General
Taylor from deteat-these and many more gal
lanl men have been sacrificed 10 appease the fe-
deral passions which now surround General
Taylor and sway and bend him al pleasure
Truly il seems ID 1t the members OF The cabinet
have no respect for their chief, aud no regard for
the popular Impulse which elevated him 10 The
Presidency. Since the administration OF Mr..
Madison, they have hated the soldiers OF their
country. and since the election OF General Jack.
son they have condemned military chienaiGs.-
And now ,hey have availed themselves of the
military enthusiasm Of our people, called forth
oy The brilliant ach,evepepls OF the Mexican
war, 10 pace them in pow r, they show in The
n'go Paces oil the government and before the
country their estimate # galan,ry On the bat
ue'neld oy using him as a mrre .ool 10 The face
Of The nation, and BY forcing him 10 perform the
Illuminating fash OF demonstrating 10 the world
that be was elevated improperly to his high post,
and that military service gives no claim 10 civil
distinction We doubt not hat the demonstration
Will be mos, complete aud satisfactory"
THE VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
This body, now assembled a, the Fauouier
Springs, is progressing zsalousy with the reyi-