Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-08-19

" s"S BaSN ohh HAC21hS NOiAOh
tion OF the Post Office Department.
Hereafter il may perhaps DO convenient TO resume
the subject. l may then examine the truth of the
allegations which have been made. under the sane
ton OF your name, against the honor and probity of
the officers OF your Department.; and review with
more minu,eness the measures which appear to have
been adopted, for the purpose of concealing the eff
iects of official blunders. At present. this inouirv
must be deferred. a regard for those who dcrcnd
on my eXertlons, compels me to postpone the con-
sideration ofsuhjccts which afect INV interests only
IN common with those of the whole community
When private engagements shall permit, YOU perhans
may hear from me: Until then, permit me to invite
your attention TO a subject OF less Importance 10 the
punhc, but not less interesting to myself.
Enjoying, through Your instrumen,alitv, tho riqhts
belong to to II private station. | have appeared before
uie puoiic, not SO much to aTraign your conduct a.
10 justify my own. In thus endcaVouriur to dcfend
Il character was bound to protect, | was no, una
ware OF the hazards | encountered: on the one hand
/ neheid the possession OF power, the influence, of
Office, and he controul Of a press devoted TO the Coy
ernmcnt. TN the other, an humble individual. with
oilt power, without Influence, liable to impu,ations
from those whose word waslaw; and relying for his
only support on conscious integrity, and the power
OF truth. In vcnturing to question the correctness OF
those who cXultcd in the proSiraiion of all who had
dared to oppose them, | knew that could not escape
the effects ofreScntment--that the weak might snecr
the malicious osSail-aud that errors of Judgment
would De tortured into crime.
IN tins anticipation | have not been disappointed:
out' confess have been disappointed, both in the
manner and the medium by which [ have been as.
sailed. 70 you, Sir, | had addressed nv remarl,s.
FROM Yof- 1t noticed at nil, expected the honor
OF rciutatloii; at least, I expected III al the champior
who would attempt either to attack or defend. .:ouId
nave SHOWN some ,nanineSs at cha ractcr, by appear.
lng before the public under his individual siunature-
Instead OF this, it would seem that the Editor
of the Telegraph has been compelled to come forward
TO fulfill the Office for which he is emnlovcd: and nv +,
noId perveTsion OF truth, assume a responsibility which
no other person, not a bankrupt in property and ron.
usitlOn, would have hppn uillinr - ~,
1t IS worthy OF remark, that while the Editor NJ
the Telegraph thus 0btrudes his rcplv 10 a letter di-
rectcd to y'u. he appears to be intimately acquainted
with the details ofyour Department; refers TO ofr.;oI
statements which are i'm voir possrssinn. nav, 81 bo
''"S Fe"t"fei t"e assertion ;hat 81 act with which |
am cHutged mas Oeen committed '~'a0iAtJYL The ksotc.
ledge of the Post Master General"
How, Sir, las the Editor ofthe T.lcgrari, beco,ne
acquainted with these official details, Has he. ton
Deen advanced TO the station of an official conf
dant: IS he charged with the well being of the Ma
tIohai government? Does he direct your move
mentS: And is il he, alone. to be held responsible
for your otfcial acts
These points, permit HIc tn assure Won, IRE n fsome
Importance TO The public. They desire to know who
III IcaiIty ~ the person upon whom the powers OF the
National Government have dcvu,vcd. This inform,-
more especially, concerns mysclf;. for if Won
have ceased 10 act as the Post Master Gcneral-if !
when remarks are addressed TO you. the Editor of
e Telegraph feels himself bound to furnish Il reply,
snail, perhaps, be indeed to change the STYLE of INV
address. But, IT. on the contrary, YOU should prefer
to act under the mantle of the Telegraph. and desire
to incur the responsibility which may properly ensue,
even tl : !act' II disclosed, may not be Wholly unin-
tercsting to the public.
Notwilhst anding the uncertainty which surrounds
subject, allow ne to call your attention To recent
in the Telegraph, concerning the De-.
part.icrt over which you preside.
In that paper of the 9th INST. the li,or. sne,kin, |
with the authority of an official" organ, has so far
disregarded the obligations of truth, as to reonirc
to refer LIS remarks to an impartial Jury of his
Respect for that tribunal, compcls me to
10 n future day the exposure ofthe artfnl
dbrication with which h. has attempted 10 dest row |
Character. | fo.bear from even referring to cir.
within your knowledge, which would ais.
prove that statement; nor need [ remind YOU, that
own declarations preclude the pussibin;y of It's
ruth. But, while restrained by these considerations
making an immediate exposure OF falsehoods. al |
most unexNtnpled III the annals of crime, it is AT the |
same time my duty to exhibit FOR your consideration.
an add i0nal calumny which appeared IN the Telc.
graph Of the 9;h instant.
In that paper, / am represented as having abused !
my official trust, by making an entry an tho day
ocok oil the Office OF 500 98,' TO close the account
ut Dir. james =. Scott, "when no claim Whatever
existed to furnish a pretnxt fr such an entry"
1t Is not -rctended, either that | received the mo-
Tor which this entry was made, or derived any
benefit whateverti om the transaction. And yet, the
attempted 10 be produced. is this:-That
Inc public have been defrauded through nv instru-
and that, to affect this fraud, I have knew
ngly committed a breach OF trust, with the certain
" VI exposure DcIorS me, ana without being iaDell- !
I'd even by the sordid desire 10 benefit myseic.
q plain statement Of tins trausac'iun viii exhibit 20
and a virtuous community, the extent of that
SPIRIT OF eXaggeratlon and injustice which threatens
10 destroy oil the mounds which have been raised flr
ne protection Of life, liberty, property and reputa-
ion.
The facts arc these:
On the decea.c of Mr.. Scott. onn Of the Clerks Of
hr Post Office Department, II was found that hc had
eit hts family IN a stale Of extreme restitution.
ms circumstance was represented 10 yov. With
bberallty, which ! then considered a dI.tnmusb-
NJ trait IN your character, yOu directed that one
months pay should be- granted 10 his family. and
hat The sninry OF Mr.. Srotts successor should not
until tho month had expired for which
Scots. family were allowed. On exanliujny b
however, the payments which had previously been
made to Mr.. Scott, bot with which | had had no.h-
Ug 10 do, IL was perceived that he was i'm advunco
1T tho time OF hs dcccase, something more liam tho
mount oi the one months pay intended for the ben.
'It Ut ms family. in order, therefore, that yoor
intention miyht not be defeated. I srgres.
ed n mod By which it miyht, in my oplpiou. viii