The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-11-22
GOV. RAMSEY'S DEFENCE

posure of the criminal selishness which had
governed him in appointing the field Off
GERS of the Third and Fourth Regiments.
The article to which he replies, exhibited
these facts:
That, twenty,three out OF the thirty COM
missioned officers of the Third Regiment,
and comprising all of such officers as had
received their commissions. and were at the
time present with their regiment, united III
protest to the Governor, against the APP
pointmcnt of JOHN A. HADLEY as Major,
alleging general incompetency, as well
as want OF military skill" as the
ground OF their protest ard that, in the
face of such protest, he was commissioned as
Major.
That, after the appointment for these reg
iments were made, and two of the field off,
GERS OF the Third had accepted, and entered
upon the discharge OF their duties, Governor
RAMSEY certified to his faith and knowledge
of their incompetenCy to perform even the
simplest OF garrison duties, by the subse-
quent appointment OF civilian over their
heads " 10 the c0mm0ad u oil tie troops
at FoH Saellinq," and ordered that such
civilian should =" De rsspected ond obeyed
accordingly"
These facts, presented in our article, Gid
not rest on our naked assertion. out upon
the protest of the officers OF the Third,
which we published in full, and at their re-
quest and upon the official order of the
Adjutant General, issued by order of the
Commander in- Chief"
The defence urged by the Governor
against these facts is:
l. That the written protest cid not
reach him until two or three days after the
appointments were made;
H. That cit is an outrage" upon the
officers signing the protest to parade their
names in connection with an attack upon
Mr.. HADLEy, either personally, or in his
position as their commanding officer;
III. That " similar cabal might have
been excited against Lieutenaet Colonel
MILLER" but that that officer has justi-
fed the wisdom of his selection, and is the
idol of bis regiment" and that, by infer
ence, of course, Mr.. HADLEY will justify the
wisdom of his selection. and become the
idol of the Third and
". That the official acts of Governor
RAMSEY are Of too sacred character tor
criticism, and that whoever presumes to
question their wisdom, or the motives by
which they are inspired, furnishes /" aid and
comfort to the enemy" is in sympathy
with secession" ought to be visited with
universal contempt" and suffer "incarcer-
alton at Fort Lafayette"
To this defence, we reply:
First, That we have 20 means OF know
ing when the formal, written protest was
placed in the hands of the Governor but
We do know that its contents, and the OBJ
jectioos of the regiment against the appoint
ment OF Major HADLEY. were made known
to him Immediately upon bis arrival home,
and before the appointment was announced.
Second, That the publication OF the pro-
test was requested by the officers signing it,
after the appointment was announced, and
that our first information of it's existence
was received from committee of such off,
GERS appointed to procure its publication.
So anxious we're they to "parade their
names" in protest against this incompetent
officer, that one of the signers of the docu.
ment as published, and who had not the
opportunity of signing it originally, called
at cur Office and signed the copy. which
had been placed in our hands for publication.
Third, We Can fiud 10 point in the third
item OF the defence, excepting the gratutous
insult which is cast upon Col. MILLER, by
placing him on level win Major HADLEY.
Fourth, The saDctity which is sought TO
be cast around the official acts of Governor
RAMSEY, might be regarded in the light of
a pleasant sarcasm upon the man and his
Office, were not the idea so supremely impu-
dent, and urged With such seeming earneste
ness The public, whose vengeance is
called for against US, will bear in mind these
two tacts-tbat it was the gallant men OF
the Third, speaking through eight OF their
Captains, and fifteen of their Lieutenants,
who brought before the Governor and the
public the fact of the incompetency of the
field officers appointed to lead them into
battle; and that it was the Governor,
himself, by an official order, appointing Col.
Crooks over their heads-and thus virtu.
ally attempting to deprive them OF the COM
mands conferred upon them only two days
before,--who first certified their unftness
for the commissions he had given them, and
furnished ten-fold force to the truth and
propriety of the protest we have published.