Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-03-13


ment oil an excellent friend, w. B. Ro-
chester Esq young man oil the first
rtspeclability and worth in the state
and the removal ofSmith, at Little Fails,
and the appointment OF Hollister--and
the removal OF Chamberlain, in Oxford,
and the appointment OF Lot Clark, Esq.
| am IN extreme haste, and can therefore
ado no more. Use the enclosed papers
according to your discretion, and if any
thing is done, let it be quickly done, and
you may rely upon it, much good will re-
suit from it. Yours, affectionately, M.
Van Buren,. April 4th, 1920. The
hon. Henry Meigs." The ostensible
object of this letter is the displacement
OF certain post-masters on account OF
alleged mal-praclices but the real de-
sign was to subserve the purposes OF
party. The removal of a few distin-
guished post-masters would serve as
monition to the post-masters IN the
state, to come out as electioneering par
iizans against the state administration,
or to MAINTAIN silence. The iuIprvper
and corrupt practices imputed to post
masters, by Mr.. Van Buren,, are, no
doubt, entirely unfounded. The private
characters of those gentlemen are per-
lectly respectable, and their official con-
| duct had never, as | understand, been
| impeached before that period. " Ii any
thing is done, let it be quickly done, and
YOU may rely upon 1t, much good Will
result from it, That is, let it be done
before the election, and many votes Will
be acquired.
The letterof Mr. Van Buren, produced
the removal oil Messrs. Chamberlain and
Smith, two oil the post-masters mentlon-
ed in it, 1t seems that MIR. }. X. Drake,
then a member of congress, interitred
very officiously against postmaster
living out of his district. Anc II Is be-
lieyed, that the removal OF Mr. Leonard,
whose case will be hereafter mentioned,
was accomplished through his lnslru-
mentality. 1t appears that Mr. Drake
cultivated an influence when IN Wash
ington, sufficient not only to inJure men
much more respectable than himself,
but to secure a contract with the govern
ment, which he considered of some con-
sequence. Mr.. Howell was kept in his
Office, by a personal acquaintance with
DR.. Bradley of the general post ctilce,
who very properly exerted himself TO
continue the services OF this excellent
officer for the benefit oil the department..
Mr.. Holt was not removed until the 7th
of December last, after the resolutions
of party meeting, marked DID, held Oh
the 3Oth October last, were forwarded
to the postmaster general. 1t is SAID
by the postmaster general, that Mr..
Holt was considerably delinquent, and
failed for a number ofquarters to render
his accounts according to law. In order
to establish the reality of this reason,
the application of removal ought to eX-
ist in every similar case; but an lntlma-
ton has been publicly and repeatedly
made of a great delinquency, and no no.
tice has been taken of it; and l am
greatly mistaken if many cases do not
exist where the returns required by law
have not been duly made, and which
have, Notwithstanding, been passed over
without anilnadversion.
The papers marked ZEE, probably con-
tain the true statement Of this case. The
papers marked GG, relate to the remov-
al of the postmaster at the Little Fails;
and the aflidayits of the honorable Ro-
bert Mcneil and Joseph S. Lyman,
marked IF, will illustrate the general
character of the transactions. On the
l5lh April, 1920, Mr. Stephen b. Leo
nard was removed from the office OF
postmaster at Owego. The letter an
nouncing this, is in the words following,
to wit: :" Post office department, 18th
April, l82o.-Sir, your being mail
contractor, and the only printer in the
place where you reside, it is considered
that you holding the Office ofpost-master,
gives you an undue preference over other
citizens and printers, not justified by the
usual practice ofthis department. With
your conduct as postmaster, | am we'll
satisfied. Respectfully, yours, &c. r. J.
Meigs, jr.-Stephen B. Leonard esq"
The report of the postmaster general,
marked HH, made at the presen, ses-
sion of congress, shews that there are SO
post-masters, who are at the same time
contractors for carrying the mail: and
it is we'll known, that in three important
cities, the pos,-masters are at the same
time proprietors and editors OF news
papers; and it cannot be presumed that
the circumstance of Mr.. Leonard's being
the only printer in Owego, would in
crease the force of the general objec-
ton. In this case, there would be no
immediate rival establishment which he
| -, h,