Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-07-12

Col. Duncan K McRae Commissioner to proceed
tain goods to be purchased for the State by the lat
ter and to verify certain State bonds You contract
ed with Mr.. Sanders to exchange naval stores for
these goods, and he was to have q certain profit
for attending to this business, but you broke the
contract with him after he had arrived in Europe,
and gave the business TO Col. McRae. Did you not
know when you appointed Col. McRae, that you
already had State Agent in Europe, and that the
large expense of Col McRae's mission would be
the business returned ran for Congress, was beat
en-, came to Raleigh and after time became Editor
of the Confederate and advocated your reelection
as Governor. He stated on the stump that he
would be conscrpt as soon as he settled his
accounts as your Agent; hut his accounts are not
settled, and meanwhile he became Editor, and
was detailed for the latter business. Col. McRae
admits, in his paper of the 2Sth of last May, that
you and he selected Kemp P. Battle and Sion Il.
Rogers, Esquires, special private committee to
settle his accounts. This committee awarded him
Scs thousand dollars in gold for his services, bet
Col McRae claimed sleven thausand in gold and
Col McRae states in his paper of the 2Sth May that
GoO. Vanes thought his claim entirely reason
able" Did you not know, Sir, that there was law
OF the State requiring all State Agents and all per-
sons having accounts against the State, to settle
with the State AuditorH What authority, then,
did you have to appoint this special priUGte COM
mitteeS And how much, in gold, has Col McRae
received besides the eleven thousand dollars which
he claims ? You stood by as Governor and saw
thousands of honest poor men sent off as con-
scripts; why did you not require this man to set
tie his accounts, so that he might have gone also
as private to fight for his countryP Is he any
better than the honest poor men referred to And
why do you not nOw require Col McRae to settle
his accounts with the State AuditorH Are you
afraid, if you do, that Col McRae will cease to sup
port you for Governor9
Col. McRae has attempted 10 answer these ques-
tions for you, but he has failed to do so. We do
not impeach the Coloners personal honesty. But
he has very large eyes when he fixes them on the
treasury. 1t requires eLeUen thousand dollars IN
gold 10 I'LL them, rnd he says yoY consider his claim
reasonable" Is that so, Governors Do you
think he actually earned that amount or the fourth
Of it? If the money in the treasury were yours,
we would not complain if you gave it all to your
favortes for it would be none of our business; but
the people, Governor-the property of the absent
soldier, and the property of thousands who can
barely hive, as well as that of the rich-must be
taxed to pay these heavy clGims. Do you ever
think of that? We have read Col McRae's defence,
and with every disposition to do him justice, we
think he has not improved his case. Come, Cover
nor, let Us have settlement Of the accounts. We
again cali your attention to the lao on the subject
If you should require the Colonel to SETTLE and he
should trFn against you on account Of it, the day
of election is so at hand that he could not de-
priye YOU of many votes.