Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-11-15

regard 10 the operation Of The Amsriea
Syssm on the Interests Of the South. aud Of eou
siu'looai End sbntedera,e rlshn."
/ FOR IHE ENQUIRER
! liSIaef OF a letter from Warrington.
"'he loud aud unceasing cry Of prescription which
has rung through the columns of the Opposition prints
si"es she commencement OF the present administration
has induced me 10 make such enquiries n would be
calculated to ascertain the merits Of the case, for the
have carefully compared the lists OF officers ia the pub
lie departments al Washington for the years 1929 and
1881 and noted such iacs connected wh each name,
touching unc0icer-iike conduct, may be relied on
for authenticity and truth The result, exhihi = p-r.
fsct b'Ii OF sbomnaons which, instead Of sustaining
tho charge Of prescription for opinions sake has not
been part requted by the Christening hand
OF reform Tn. following general view or synopsis
OF the facts detailed In the comparative list:
81: appears, as one Of the most striking and excep.
tionabie general acs that the mall grant party spirit
which characteristics tho public Journals, and Is dis.
grace to the age, pervaded all the public Offices feser-
ed the feelings and interrupted the duties OF the clerks,
during the late presidential contest and that the
malignant spirit has continued with but little nj
10 the present day. The oiciousness OF clerks in cir
cuiang handbilIs and other deiamatory matter at the
former period; and the protane haeluiah with which
they greeted the Calhoun and the Cabi.
net die solution OF the latter sufficiently attest the above
fact independent OF thousand other details that 20
subsantiae IT, As to the neglect OF duty /oTmey which
may be reasonably supposed aud proved be continued
by clerks OF the kidney present day. one
may be specihed The present 4,h Auditor found the
du'ies oil two Of his old clerks to be years
in He dismissed those clerks and assigned their
duties clerk, who brought them up in less
than year.
Publican principle OF rotation very many tho clerks
have been qusrered the government, from the time
Of It's to the present day, regardless Of
the mbectiity oil age apparently subject no other
rotation than that prescribed by natural DEATH
IS Il also appears that, contrary to another equally
Republican principle Of distribiou about one.hird
of the clerks in 1929 hailed from MARYLAND another
third from Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York; the
rest being from other States and foreign countries,
which had not one And a further infracton Of the
same principle there many instances of entire fami
lies being quartered on the government such father,
| sons, sons-in- law, grand sons Sc.
ga. IL further appears, from the best informatioh that
out oil between three and four hundred officers in the
Departments, there were only about 30 40 who
son. and that among these several obnoxious te
removal from fraudulent practices mbecility, and othe
faults For example there about twenty clerk.
who deal the credit of their salaries and then de-
fraud their creditors under the provisions Of the inso
vent law In which the pros and cons equal partic
pants.
mass OF political par'zans unriendiy to the present adj
ministration, and In various instances guilty of tno6
cer-tke conduct, there have been only about thirty
ovals; and that the places many of these have beer
supplied by Calhoun parsans, and others actively in
micai TO the President.
"6. That out of sixteen chief clerks unfriendiy Il
the administration, only four have been removed and
| course a still less proportion OF the under clerks.
81 That many OF the chief clerks heads Of bu
reaus VINO ISSUE orders Tor stationary, printing ohe
| contingent expences, have been known most perna
ciousiy 10 continue to divert the patronage from those
indicated by the heads Of departments; well to Civ,
comfort and support to the enemies Of the adminstra
| 'ra'ion, as to tceaken and dispirif its friends.
"IS And That there are many others who practice va
\ rous other impropriees- and political.-Soms
are continually guilty OF soishness and neglect of offic
duties Some correspond with the opposition leaders
| furnish them with deamatory scandal, and throw in,
circulation all manner Of faseoos to dsparage the ad
ministration OF the peoples choice.
~. Superadded TO tho above, NAV al her
are many OF these under officers who havo the charac
teristics OF malevolence, sottshness and imbecity
fiagrany stamped their countenances as to excit
an infuive horror at the very sight them Ii wou.
appear that the refuse OF the earth has been Nh
tn requisition TO fill some OF the Offices. great man
now no more, remarked on tho excitement
oy he removal oil - --, that, were there o. her
objection to him, SO offensive his personal appear
ance, he would remove him by instinct
TO- There are many gfoes holding desirable trusts
such as messengers to the different officers to the ex
ciusion OF white citizens who would gladly undertake
hose uuues, AMI IL not better, discharge them as ell
/ "What loathsomc picture And yet, such was thu
past and with the exception Of fe r.fo ms such
the Present character OF the inmates of the Depart
ments at Washington. Contemplate il in all of its re
voting shapes, and then say IL IL be not miracle tina
the President has been able TO sustain his popularity
and do justice 10 the public service, by toeratng AM
retaining such agents But wonderful to believe in
stead oil being encouraged 10 complete the desirabi,
work oil RENovATIoN, ROTATION, and DIsrRIBU
rIoN. the President is reved and charged with nro
scrfpfton for the few salutary removals that he ha
mado. Yet II lie obvious that were IL not for the few
friends Gen Jackson has brought about him, he woul
nave stood no chance 10 have justice done him befor
the American people II IL were not for Mr.. -