The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-07-07
"Posr OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

Use. Just before tho Governor election re.
ceived the following letter =
"Posr OFFICE DEPARTMENT
Office of appointments,
18th March, 1880.
Sir,-Before the Post Master General deter
mines whether the Post Office of Winchendon
shall remain at its present site or be removed
to the North village, he desires full express
sion of the public choice, with a statement of
all the considerations affecting the question,
relating to the location, the routes, and the
candidates for Post Master. The representa-
tions now before the Department do not furnish
sufficient information to enable the Post Mas.
ter General to arrive at a satisfactory conclu-
sion. am, Sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
S. r. HOBBIE."
/ aoould not, take this hint | chose to take
the letter literally; and accordingly procured
awriting, signed by four out of FIVE of the Sc
lectmen, the town clerk, and the three clergy
men of The town, all of different denominations
certifying it as their opinion, and as far as
their knowledge extended, the opinion of the
inhabitants generally, or large majority-that
the post Office was then in the most convenient
place Center of the town. that the people were
satisfied with the manner in which the business
of the stoffice had been conducted-that they
knew no objection against the IRcumben:-that
he was the most suitable man to fill the Office,
and that no alteration, respecting the post Of
hce was necessary or desired" which writing
was soon transmitted to the Department But
my very intelligent and Independent successor
seemed to understand the letter more correctly.
He improved his time and opportunity-rall:ed
made a party, chiefly from the dross Of fed
sraIism--all Jackson to the back-bone"-a
true branch of Benton's democratic church"
of " Peter"-all dipped and "dysd in the WOOL
at the same time, but with the reserved right
to backslide, by the Pope's d" indulgence" i'm
,mediately after the first act of felowship-par-
taking of the fatting Three days after this
,ncation for the General Post Office, which was
soon forwarded, and / presume, Sir, not much
time was wasted in CARRYING at a satisfactory
conclusion as the bond came in about six
weeks, and the Post Master was instructed to
take possession, without waiting the arrival of
the commission. How numerous the Jackson
party pro tenlpOre was, is not known, as the
whole business was done with much slyness.
The whole number Of Jackson votes, so called,
was SO, but part Of them were not founded
on Peter, having voted from other motives,
than removing the post office. How long it
takes TO be "dyed in the WOOL" and become
Jackson to the backbone" does not seem to
be settled by the precedents. An eminent Sem
ator in Congress thought half an hour sufficient,
face, but this case presents of those slow
and tedious operations where from the begin
ming. or services rendered, to the final conSum-
NATION or "reward," took six weeks!
The case before us, sir, is not new, OF
solitary one. Two others have Just been relat-
cd to me, where the same solicitude was mani
Tested for the public choice and the same defer
enee paid to it, after that choice was clearly
ascertained.
It was proclaimed in the early part Of the
present administration, that the rule as to re-
movals was to be applied to those Post Masters
only, who had abused their Offices for political
purposes-that is, mailed electioneering papers
and communications contrary to law, without
charge. ! have been Post Master more than
four years, and have never known but two in
stances of such abuse. Just before our last
Gubernatorial election large roll or lot Of
electioneering addresses and resolutions adopt.
ed at a Jackson caucus in Boston, came I'M
marked, in the mail, being Boston Statesman"
Extras; not far from the same time another lot,
being half sheets of the same 4" Boston States
man." came in the same manner, containing
Woodbury's (Peter) Speech in Congress No
one doubts what distinguished Post Master sent
thsm-but thank him for his polite attention.
He perhaps concluded on account of my politi-
cal moderation, that was jackson man =
and | would pray you not TO .Nortonize him,
but in truth, sir, | do not believe you will in
cline to great severity towards him--a little
gentle rebuke for being so little discriminating
IN his searching operations and charitable dis-
tributtOnS, l think will be all. After receiving
this bountiful supply, began to cast about me
for distributing officer to dispose Of these sea-
sOmabte fruits of reform. There were only
four Jackson voters in town the year before.
mentioned the subject to the captain of the
band, but he drily observed abe had left the
ranks So the papers were laid on the Ia
bic
The present system of rewards and punish
monts," =" for the good Of the party" may fairly
be claimed as the invention and distinguishing
CHARACTERISTIC Of the present administration,
and will long remain monument Of their pat.
riotism. 1t is agreed that political or rather
combination sins, are "punished" in this life,
and IL those Of the administration have been
rewarded il is only that the downfall, which
awaits them, may be the more signal. The
people may be deceived for time, but they
cannot be Kept deceived--they will soon turn
with distrust from rulers who have abused
them Fortunately, there is one man pre- emf
nently conspicuous, on whom all eyes are
turned as their future head, toward whom the
tide Of popularity 10 now moving on with
force and current which will sweep down ali
opposition. Already the name OF Henry CLAW
IL more terrible to- the scattered ranks of the
administration, than tho alarm word " Cos
sacks" was to the vanquished and fugitive
French soldiers in the late Russian war.
3 IL nay natural temperament has betrayed me
into an undue warmth--if any erroneous or
unjust expression has boon made, in any part
of this letter, Sir, regret il. harbor no 70.
scntmcnt--I wish no III sir, to you or any Of
your associates in office ] wish you ala
radical and hearty reform moral, political
and official--und so in duty bound, will ever
pray DANIEL HENSHAW.
Jvincheadoa, June a. 1880.