Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-03-23

a foreign power; and if so, whether he
could be justified by orders from the
President or Secretary Of War. This
was looking into impeachable matter
which might involve the Secretary Of
War, and even the President both, by
the Constitution, impeachable officers,
The Committee were not restricted in
that case, but they did investigate, and
made a report which, in explicit and de-
cisive terms, censures the conduct Of the
commanding General, and this at time
too when the public pulse beat hieh III his
favor.
But, sir, this objection proves too much.
There is scarcely branch of the rcsolu-
ton of inquiry but is liable to the same.
The present condition and entire man
agement of this Department gives us a
broad commission indeed, and we cannot
move a single step without being expos
ed to meet, by possibility, impeachabIe
matter. The Senator from New Hamp-
shire is willing for general, but not for
particular inquiry rs basis of legislation.
What can he mean? What would be
general enough to suit him? Is an in
quiry into the causes ofrcmoval too 'par-
ticular3 How are we to inquire into "the
entire management Of the Post Ciicc
Department." without going into partcll-
larsi What prudent man would be sat
isfied with the concerns Of his farm or
plantation, without examining thc dctaIi'
The Senator from Tennessee insinuatcs
strongly that the question which so much
afllcts him and his friend, the Postmas-
ter General, is "unbecoming, and caIcu =
lated to convey false Impressions" With
all due Difference to that Senator, ! must
take the liberty to be my own Judge OF
propriety, subject however to the discl-
pline which the rules Of the Senate pre-
scribe Unbecoming Not suitably re-
spectiul, ! suppose, to the high dignltary
to whom it related! Cnbeconing To IN
quire Of a witness why this dgnitary did
certain official act? And has it come to
this so soon? Sir, if decorum is to be
properly graduated, let this clerk of the
President, this new hedgcd Head OF a
Department, always solicit, and with all
humility, that this Senate will charltably
examine his case, and hear his reasons
or his excuses. Calculated to convey
false impressions How' Impressions
are made every where that these remOv
ais are prosecutions. Are these impress
sons correct or laIse' Ii false, how can
an inquiry into the true cause make them
more false than they are;
These removals may have been made
purposely to increase Executive power
and patronage. Ifso, bill like that of
1896 may be reported to correct this "a.
buse. If, then, when no prescription in
that Department had been felt or even
suspected, it was deemed neco ssary to
prevent even the possibility Of Post Of
flee patronage, how much more is it now
necessary to nterpose, when every one
opposed or even suspected is swept off rs
with whirlwind' Then no. Post G llice
patronage had been lclt--evcn jealousy
had scarcely imagined it, Then the
Postmaster General had not subscribed
to the prescription system. The late
Postmaster General had never deemed it
consistent with his official duty to require
political creed as a qualification for Of
flee. His inquiries were, CTS he honest,
capable, and faithful to the Constitution. !"
Adams or jackson were no questions
with him; and had it not been for this his
Roman virtue, he would stf.l have been
retained-thc managers had need Of his
character and influence, but they were
afraid of his integrity. TO keep hun,
they made his Department a constituent
part of the Cabinet, that his acts may be
under its control. If they could get him
in their team, they might use him to their
purpose. But Mr. Mclean had too
much integrity and indC Cpendcnce OF char
acter to become a machine To execute a
system which he abhorred-he was not
prescribed, but laid on the political shelf.
Removals from Office are to be made for
the benefit Of the people, for whose pro-
lection and safety these officers are es-
tablished If officers who were unwOr-
thy should have been retained, the error
should be corrected; if officers worthy
should have been displaced for the pur-
pose of providing for others less qualified
or vicious, why should not this mischief
require remedy? In the case before
as, it may be that the removals in the
Post Office Department have created the
embarrassment there are cmbar-
rassments we have no reasons to doubt.
Would it not be well then to inquire
into the causes, and if these unPreccden-
ted removals should have been tho eau
ses, TO prescribe a remedy?
Ii is most certain that since the pres
ent Postmaster General took charge Of
the Department, its movements have been
retrograde.
The late Postmaster General, Mr.. Nc.
otatn, a. III In lpOQ the finds