Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-09-11
AR. AOOREs REPLY TO col. BRaNCHs
LETTER

AA1I Ii ~ SOlL bhANth ,
LETTER
Easfor IF the Standard:
SM: Allow me brief space to notice the remark
able letter Of Col Branch to Mr. Speaker Dortch,
Published d the Standard of the 4ib instant ; II
Claims my attention only because of the low attempt
which that functionary makes to assaiI my reputa-
ton. in order to affect e5eia, position Nv per-
nal or political character could not suffer in CON-
parison with that of the Quarternaster and Paymas-
ter General Of North Carolina
How the lofty and naughty Quarternastey could
bend las knee his hack SO low. as to condeseend
to notice the petition of an humble citizen who
songh: to get the just but paltry sum of $50 fur
horse sold to the State viii surprise his most .d
nring trends But why he should hare gone be-
hind tne statements of the petition and the action Of
the house upon it. to assail one who had never il
tentaoiiaiy harmed him, and who had only been the
innoe mt assistant of honest citizen to obtain the
just SIN due hun by the State for horse, which
he had valniy striren for weeks to obtain will as
tonish Eo,ody. Such a mode of warfare the lofty
Quarterlraster doubtless learned well in his glaia-
toral encounters IN the political arena in the OH 4h
CongressiO1 al District-an arena alas in which he
Will no more break lance with any chiyalrous
knight, beca1se of his unfortunate complications
win the notorious decentralization offices" about
Raleigh
/ come briefly to explain my connection with the
petition, the horse and the Quarterlnaster OF the
character, the mode Of doing business and the COM
plants against the 'circumlocuton Offices" had
heard much; Tor tn Csc things were not done in
corner, but IN the civ of Raleigh I received with
Others. many dolefu complaints from Mr. James NJ
Pool, the Agent of Mr.. Woody, about the horse, or
rather about the $50 winch he had failed to collect
rom The State 10: his principal after many toilsome
enorts The question a. ose. not how Mr. Pool
should get bis horse bach. but how he should get
Mr.. Woody's money from the State Itwas useless
to advise MIR. Pool to take another round with the
circurnlocution Offices He had tried that until
The poor man seemed weary and faint 1t Was
agreed ttiat as last resort, all appeal should be
mace 10 the Legislature. Bat who should write the
petition was mooted; and bel3g man OF ordi-
nay syihpathe> Tor the wronged and the oppressed
ana ~ithai having been eitor-a species of man.
kno ready towork for the putlc-I agreed to write
the petition about tie horse Or rather abont the $50
due Mr.. Woody
In performing this labor of love and work Of mer-
cy, designed TO &C; Mr. Pools ana .qse,sis sim
ply. hastily wrote out the particulars as Mr. Pool
suggested them, and supposed had strictly con-
formed the petition to the facts as he na,ed thein
intending however to employ such language as
would Certainly get the money for Mr. Woody, and
al the same time produce a little amusement: Cor
that grave body, the Legislature without for mo-
ment supposng that any of the gentlemen connect
ed With the decentralization offices would feel that
had attempted to diSparage them in the least or
designed to call in question their personal or official
integrity This. the entire naimus of the petition
clearly exhibits to every reader Its publication as
you know. Mr.. Editor, was without nv knowledge
As TO the forgery, will not allow myself to be in
suited by such charge coming from a man who
could make the insinuaton charge after knowing
the facts as he must have known them only
warn him not to repeat it soberly to niy face The
truth is, as Mr. Branch must have known when he
penned it, | wrote Mr.. Woodys name to the petition
at the request of Mr.. Pool his Agent simply to
show uniformity in the chirography of the document
So conscious was of having done no one any in
uonal wrong, that when my attention Was called to
1t in the House, | felt sure there Was no disparity
between the statements of the petition and those Of
Mr.. Branch's or Mr.. POOLS letters, but on compar-
ing them SINCE am free to say that must have
misunderstood Mr.. Pool while writing it, as 70 the
number of times Mr. Branch was applied to. Not
surprising that any would attach any serious
importance to that particular, if, as Mr.. Pool says,
he called my attention to it. which do not recollect
hence | remarked, it would only cause little mer.
riment So much for my agency in the matter.
There arc points in the Quartcrmaster's letter
which tempt me strongly to animadvert upon Sc
verey, but as hear intimated that he has resign
ed, will barely touch upon. | hope for the honor
of the State, that no other occupant of her public
Offices adheres to the principles of ethics which Mr.
Branch says, guided his action while in Office lie
says, "lt Mr. Woody's claim had been presented to
me before Maj Ramseur's endorsement on it, las is
= falsely alledg-i it was) would not have paid it
without proof that the purchase was made by au-
thority Of the Governor" Just before he had said
ut is the duty Of the Quartermastcr's Department
to purchase horses for the military service on re-
questions duly approved by the Governor" Now,
l take it for granted if l understand Mr.. Branch,
that he considered Maj Ransturs endorsement on
the note, prima tacie evidence that the Governor
had authorized the purchase. 1t was therefore
plainly Mr.. Branch's duty to pay the debt, when he
saw Maj. Ramseurs endorsement on it Why did
he not pay it: He says, when it was presented
to ME by his Agent Mr.. James NJ. Pool, with Maj
Ranseurs endorsement on it, told Mr.. Pool could
not or would not pay lt-that his only chance was
before the Board of Claims, but that did not think
he could get pay at all; and l advised him if Mr..
Woody could identify his horse, to take him and
cancel the traasaction."' Lack a day blush for
the glory Of North Carolina and the welfare of its
army if secured by such labor such "rect,-
tude OF my Intentions and such Fidelity" Why
send him to the Board of Claims, if Mr.. Branch
could not and would not pay it, even with Maj.
Ramseurs endorsement? Did Mr.. Branch prefer
that the honorable gentlemen who compose the
Doaru Vi CiaiiliS, Sloulu pay oeOt tnat ne would
not pagan unjust debt? or did he expect them to
find a legal bubble by which Mr.. Woody would be
choused out of the debt altogether? / hope not.
But Mr.. Editor, you and your readers must recol-
lect that Maj RamSeur did not endorse on the note,
that the purchase was unauthorzed-o or that it was
an unjust claim-or that the horse was unsound-
or that Mr. Woody had deceived the States Agent
in the trade-no, nothing OF that sort But he SIM
ply stated that the horse is worth the money, but
does not suit the service" or words to that effect
The fault then was not in Mr.. Woody, but in the
Quartermaster who challenges the strictest scrutiny
INTO his conduct, refuses to pay this just debt-re-
pudates it utterly and thinks the Board of Claims
will repudiate it; and urges that if Mr.. Woody can
identify his horse he has been out Of the use
Of him for three months during the busy season of
the year he had better take him and cancel the
transaction" Did ever any one hear Of such "rec-