The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-11-22
How Gov. Ramsey Respects his Pre-
scribed Qualificati for Military APP
pOintments.

The Press, in giving the qualifications
required by Governor RAMSEY for IN Hillary
appointments, enumerates as prominent
among them, " administrative ability" and
military exp rience" Let US see how
these requisites are respected.
Gov. RAMSEY, on the 9th instant. appoint
Ell BENZ. + SMITH, Lieut. Colonel, and
JOHN A. HADLEY, Major. of the 81 regis
ment. The appointee ior Colonel was abb
sent from Tue State. His absence left
Lieut. Col SMITH in command at Fort
Smelling, with Major HADLEY as bis second.
On the 9Th inst, Governor RAMSEY issued
an order appointing WILLIAM CROOKS, Esq,
"a civilian, who had received military
educaton-"to the command of all the
troops at Fort Snelling," and directed that
he should "be respected and obeyed accord
ingIy."
This order gave, or was intended to give,
Mr.. Crooks entire military control al the
Fort. If Messrs. SMIr and HADLEy pos.
sessed administrative ability" and "mili
tary experience" why did Governor RAM
sey appoint MIR. Crooks over their heads !?
Ii they possessed these very essential re-
quisites, the appointment of MIR. CROOKS
Was an insult to them, and was calculated to
bring them into contempt before their Reg
iment, and so to breed dissatisfaction
and insubordination throughout the lower
rand aud file; if they did not possess the
required qualifications, their appointment
was worse than blunder, it was crime.
The facts are, tina. neither of these field
officers knew anything of the merest details
of their duties. They demonstrated their
ignorance before the officers and men of the
Regiment and it was to supply their pal
pable deficiency that Governor RAMSEY So
llcited Mr.. CROOKS to take the direction of
affairs at the Fort L, will be recolIected
that the duties to be performed by Lieut..
Col. SMITH and Major HADLEY, at the Fort
were those of the simple military routine {;
and it was their un6tness to perform these
to which Governor RAMSEY certified when
he appointed Mr.. Crooks over them. Yet,
when these officers were comm issioned, the
Regiment was under orders to march to the
seat of war. Within a fortnight they msy
be led into battle. Their Colonel is the
only officer on the field competent to give
orders for an Ordinary dress parade.
What is this but to doom gallant men TO
needless slaughter and death And, what ia
that but crime! And the sum OF all crime
-,murGer ! L. is the cool, heartless con
ception OF this crime that oe charge upon
Governor RAMSEY ana he will DE guilty
of its commission, before Cop, when these
men shall be led into battle, and shall suf-
fer there from the incompeteDcy to which the
Governor has given an official certifcation.
Aud it is crime conceived, and crime
that in the course of this war must inevita
bly, be consummated, for the purpose, as We
verify believe, and as the circumstances all
suggest, of gratifying the selfish, venaI,
unpatriotic and uuholy ambition of ALEX.
AMBER RAMSEY.
"A requisition from Governor Gamble,
of Missouri, on Governor Curtin, of Penn
sylvania, has been forwarded, 10 view to
return to the scene of his populations, Wat
son, the delinquent army contractor, now in
custody at Pittsburg. ;t1al
Official dispatches at the War Depart
ment state the number of prisoners taken
by General Nelson, in the Pikesville fight.
at two thousand and fifteen.
IRE La Crosse Republican announces
that an old contributor to the P1oNEER,
formerly Emily Hewitt Bugbee, now Mrs.
Moore, has become the mother of "a young
poetess, and that father and mother are
WE'LL"