Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-03-24

public judge 'AN
Ann, now, sir, 10 return 10 the resolution |,
Is aeelafaiory oil The limits OF the commi.sien
under which the Committee act, by il, YER.
terms. II afhrms what is untrue that me
aate no poRer under our commission 10 make
ms inquiry LIE original resoluaon directs
rs We have seen. an inquiry into the
entire management Of the Pos, Office De-
par'ment.s Why do not gentlemen saw IN
terms That their aim aud object is TO reueat n
pau vi Tue powers ofgInally conferred Wby
nor ooioly nvow at once, that the hoasIful de.
nance OF inquiry, Mt The commencement of the
session, when the Committee was appoiuted
was Out an empty saunt, which il il now found
necessary TO reIract2 The gentleman from
tennessee says, that be can supply with all
Information on the subject OF the causes ofT.-
no'"h. lie enumefaes nine of these Isl, In
temperance; %. delinquency Sd. Prying in
10 letters 9TH Concealng or Withholding Ter
fs ON, HaOHual neg hgence Of duty 9th,
iheompetency 7th Refusal to comply with the
| equations vi the department Sth, Dlseharging
TIE postmasters duties by deputies und.r age
9ihi Living OIL the post routes Aud the honora-
Die gentleman sums up this list OF Causes with
tue sweeping declaration, That he has no doub
there has not been il single instance uf r.
inoval but ior one or 9TH OF these causes -
81, are We 10 suppose that tho Postmaster
oeneral instructed him to MAKE snch "A DECLARE
ZION The honorable member can know bui
iillc on this subject OF his own knO Wedge lie
/ liVes IN district whose political sns have not
demanded su, Ia eKpiaiion as his OF removal
from office But We who live north Of Potomac
KNOW, sn, tlitt his enumeration OF caustS Ism
gross insult 10 hundreds OF our worthy cltizens
who have been removed without any other
transgIession than that which, according 10 the
orthodox creed, elnana,ing CT cdthtdfa here, Is
ut uplnlllHteu nultlIcal hpfe.k Ia tla
Time sir, this declaration OF The gentleman
SHOWS Us, how just were our suspicious, hat the
hies OF tnis department have teen filled with
g'ouniloso accusations against the victims OF
lis prescription, which may sleep there unIe-
iuted because they remain unkuowo, until in
the lapse OF limr, when the men have lad Ia
'heir graves, these receptacles OF filth may be
opened 10y The hand of malevoeuce, 10 tarnIsh
The memory OF those before whom, bic living,
The accusers dared not show their faces iils
very statement uf causes therefore exhibits Ii
strongest reason FOR demanding an exposition
ot the facts. Bot, 81 , the blow Is mol mersI,
itstli d al tie hundreds si removed posmas-
lers. II stakes directly at thur late cine who
retained them ali in Office. The declaration
thus made boldly 10 the world 10, that he
Kept Ia oiIiee some i've or SIX hundred men,
who were either drunken, or meie prying ito
correspondence, or guilty OF SOME other Of the
e.,
look at Tue slate OF tho n,oaey chest hoiD and
remember what II teag " h N John M'Leaa was
Compelled 10 leave II, Of surrender his ndepen-
dehCe asa man, aud become the tool oi this
hostiIPiIse aud arbitrary power.
al tue Senator from tennessee finds anoih-
ef chuSe tor SURPRISING the inquiry III what hr
calls tue verdict of Tue people. Tho genll,-
mnn iion Maine had complained of the reno
val VI some twenty live poslmd.ters in one OF
The Counties OF tbat state. The Senator from
tennessee says he has right TO c6mplaIn
because The people there have san toned the
prescription by giving their votes iorihe admin
istralton. on, pretend 10 know nothing OF the
case.
But, may ask did the people &C with n view
10 all Ihe snboI dinate officers OF the goyeInmenl,
when they meIely approved OF The general
acls VI the President The conduct of thest
suoof d'naies was probably no part OF The issue
joined before the people. From the nature OF
things. we must believe IL could MOI Save been
81. 80 far from passing sentence on by rcmo-
we'd officers by their vote, the people probIbly
we're engTossed by what they deemed more in,-
portant considerations, affecting the general
welfare OF their country. But, SIR, II they had
acted win Il view 10 tnese Offices alone, would
II have been quite lar 10 have utged ihe iUrce
vi their verdict upon US IL would not. sound
we'll, IN any suppoSdble case, 10 offer brides or
threa'S TO any part of the jury, aud hen p cad
their verdict ~ Justification Of the act and
he very evil complained Of beng the influence
OF executive patronage on their elective fran
ehise, do net hesitate to say, without refer
ence 10 the people Of Maine or any other par
icular state, that il you can had a case
which has Deeu decided by the influence Of thai
patronage, you might as well boast that yon
had emb, aced jury, and point III )ustfIce
lion the verdict, as 10 plume yourselves upon
the elect which that patronage has produced
Aud II the argument hasany weight what shall
be said OF those ycrdicts which the people have
rendered IN other districts ot country, where
the prescription has been equally extensive,
and where, III defiance Of your pat ronnge the
decision has been against YOU
There Is no department of this goveTnm eni
sir, ia which the people take SO lively an in
tertst as the Post Ofice. Ii should be SO con-
Quoted as to secure their perfect Confidence
1t should, Therefore, have no party character
whatever. SO ANXIOUS vas Mr.. Jefferson to
deprive IT oil dill political connexion, as We
learn from his memoirs, that he proh, Di,ed the
employment oi any printer III The department.
even so far as 10 be concerned in the lranspoi-
taiiou.oi the mai. Suppose that in his day, or
that OF any former PfesIden il had been char
ged with operating on the elective franchise
and the Iighis Of tue states, through the i'm
mcnse influence Of an army Of dependents
amounting to more than ten thousand men
sussidizmg The press, establishing a systeL, OF
espionage, aud wasting the poolc treasure in
disbursements TO poIitial fayouri,es-l ask,
would any party, al any former period, have
b I'd The hardihooj, after an lnvesiig alton had
been sci Oh foot 10 ascertain truth of such
onjeclures, 10 suppress the nvesl gation, OF 10
res riot 1t in any particular, ior the purpose Of
preventing a complete developenent OF all itS
operations; Yet such charges are now loudly
proclaimed against II such an nyeslis aton
mas been called for, and the very object uf the
resolution on your table is TO close the door
against inquiry.
SIR, have done. Ia the fearless discharge
of my duty here may have drawn on my own
heed the yengence OF aponer, more terrible
than any which all the other authorities ofthis