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“ A Horse ! A Horse ! My Kingdom for aHorse !•'*As ft matter olt; justice to Ool. Branch, We publish to-day his letter to Mr. Speaker Dortch and the letter of Mr. Pool to him, in relation to the Woody horse. • .We publisher] the memorial of Mr. Woody rnoro for the amusement of our readers than any thing else. It did not occur to us for u moment that Col. Branch would feel himself injured or affronted by • the memorial. We regarded that paper as containing',™ amusing but truthful account of the pursuit of eighty dollars under difficulties, but amusing only on account of the circumlocution process to wh'ch Mr. Woody was compelled to resort. But Col. Branch assails us because we headed our article “The Circumlocution Office.” lie says the cry o! “circumlocution offices” is raised by “traders i and politicians, who have contributed nothing to the ‘; public cause, but are seeking to make their pecuniary or political fortunes.” Of course this is meant for us. Now,-Ool. Branch, we will come to a showing with you any day, as to which of us has “contributed” most to the “public cause.” It is true that we have not volunteered, and been afterwards immediately appointed to an important and profitable writing office, but we have nevertheless done all we could to sustain the cause. So far as our “political fortune is concerned, that is made already ; but if it were not, we would scorn to avail ourself of a crisis like the present to do it. Perhaps Col, Branch measures .other peoples’ com by his own half bushel.Wo will not disturb the delightful self complacency with which Ool. Branch refers to his labors for the “glory of North-Carolina, and the welfare of its army.” We arc entirety willing that the Stale and the army should judge ofdheso labors for themselves; but wc still insist, and shall continue to insist that Mr, Woody hits not been paid for his horse, and that the sensitiveness which Col. Branch evinces on the subject, favors the conclusion that he is in some way responsible for the treatment which Mr. Woody has received.Nor have we anything to do with the controversy between Col. Branch and Mr. Moore. That the latter acted honorably and properly, so far as he it connected with this unhappy business, we entertain no doubt; and wc have as little doubt that if the horse himself could speak, he would sustain Mr. Moore, and give a most emphatic -neigh to the as-sumptions of Col. Branch. Nor do we think with i Col. Branch, that this horse memorial is in any i sense an abuse of “ the great and sacred right of petition,” or that it is calculated to “destroy confidence in the government in time of war. The horse biuisoll, we make no doubt, would bo astonished at such a conclusion, if it should, perchance, como to his ears; and wc feel sure that Mr. Woody would submit to almost anything except u repetition of the circumlocution process, before he would be in any way instrumental in destroying confidence in the gavernmcnt in time of war,” or abusing “the great arid sacred right of petition.”As to Col. Branch's attack on “speculators” and those having claims on the government, we leave it with him to settle the matter with them.
Newspaper Details
Weekly Standard
Raleigh, North Carolina, US
Wed, Sep 04, 1861
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Brandt W.
VA, USA 01 Sep 2015
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