Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-03-08
THE INCIDENT.

q
great deal Of speculation and rcmarE-the memorial
OF Mr. Abram Bradley, Srte assistant Post Master
General, addressed to the Senate of the L States
and deoatc in that body, theToupnn.
The facts of the case, are briefly these, MIR. A
Bradley, who had been principal agent in the Gene
raj Post Office, for between so and 40 years and to
whom that establishment was GER ainly Indebted for
much of the reputation reaped by others, one Of
those, reformed Of Office, at the commencement
of the administration Of the Greatest and Best in
April, 1829-dismisscd without cause, although the
Rcormcrs were humbly and respectfully requested
to assign The cause of The Mr.. Bradley it seems
however, still kept cOrious eye the proceedings
of the Department. ana in October last addressed
letter to the President, charging Post Master Gene
raj Barry, with extravaganza, in making extra al
lowances to contractors for carrying the mall not
cling particularly, the of Mr.. Harrall allowed
Sl,992 per unnum, for expedtng the mail one hour
and half between Georgetown and Charleston S
Carolnn. To this statement, Mr. Bradley made
oath before the Post Office Committee; and in an
Official Communication, Mr.. Barry denied its truth
and charged that this extra allowance had been made
by MIR. Bradley HIMSELF when acting as Post Master
General pro tenn in the interval which occurred be-
tween the retirement of Mr.. McI4ane on the 10Th
March, and the entrance of Mr.. Barry, on the 5th
April, 1929. This statement of AIR. Barry was
brought before the Senate in report, responding to
call made by Mr. Burnett of Ohio at the preceding
session of Congress, and was, upon the recommended
ton of the Standing COMMITTEES the Post Office,
ordered TO be printed The injurious effects upon
Mr. Bradley, obvious first view. If, Between
the 10th March and the 5th April, he had dispensed
extra allowances to the amount Of S4f oOO-if in his
letter TO the President, he had charged Mr.. Barry
with illegal and wasteful extravaganza committed by
hirseL-his character public and private was desti-
ned TO overthrow. "Unmeasurably astonished" as
he Gays, the statement of Mr. Barry he instituted
an Investigation, and discovered that in Harras case
and thirty sic others of allowance the name of
VIM. 7. Barry, had been erased from the entries as
the Officer making the extra allowance, and his osn
substituted Upon this discovery, he presented
the memorial (Which may be elsewhere) to the
Senate, asking the suppression of the publication of
the report-wth which request the Senate complied
mem. con. even Mr. Crundy, admitting the evidence
of Bradley's truth and Barrys error to be uconro-
vertihe.
W. invite an attentive perusal of the Debate which
arose in the Senate on Mr.. Bradey's memorial. 1t
wIIlb observed, that Messrs. Clayton, Holmes and
Chambers, refrain from enquirng into the notices
with which the were made. That matter
Is left to the Public. Every man must needs ask
himself what the motive of this Justification of
the public records? Mr. Barfy's name was at first,
properly entered the Officer making the allow
ance-tchy it rubbed OUT, and Mr., Bradley's
namo put IN the place Of his-Mr Bradley, by whom
the extra allowances not made? Could so strange
and fa!lacious, and unjust, and false rule as that
adopted at the instiga:ion of the chief clerk Ir.
Brown, (tte reverend Obadiah B be hit upon with
out some dark and nefarlous design? We imagine
every man of sense and candor, will answer in The
negative The excuses made, that the clerks were
young men inexperienced in business, who made a
aaisne; and this rule of Obadiah's are inconsistent
II there was miStne, the could not have been
done by rute-lt they effected by the operation
OF the rule, there certainly no mistake The
counts IN the declaration, like those which assign
the motives for prying into the Cabinet secrets of
1873, are in CONFLICT, and destroy each other The
Telegraph alleges the Washington Public to be ren-
orally satisfied with the explanation II So that Pub
lie is more easily satisfied, than other portions Of the
Community are like to be.
We confess that The agency Of the Reverend Oba-
dlah Brown. IN this transaction, inclues US TO re-
gard the transaction itself with the utmost suspicion
That Individual has been Wiley sandered if he is not
capable OF the worst acts--if he IS not that most
dangerou5'oF characters, schcmtng, meddlng, am
bilious and unPrlnciPIcl pricst-thc more dangerous
10 society, because his habit bfgets confidence This
was the man who acted the Jackson SPY in the
General Post Office during the last administration.
This IS he, who when the Greatest and Best came
iuto power turned norfnor against his associates in
thc General Post Oiee--not an informer arainst the
perpetrators Of crime, bit against those VINO had
given a preference 90 Mr.. Adams over Gen. Jackson!
This IS the reverend gentleman who procured the
dismissal OF his patron Mr.. Bradley and was rewar-
ded With his place, by this most pure administration
To The agency Of this individual the ensures are
traced, and every man will admit the character of
The agent IS not calculated to diminish the suspicion
winch hangs over the act. As to Mr.. Barry, we
unotsuppose but that he was an unconscious ipsfru
ncnt merely IN Browns hands we acouit him Of
the capabi.ity of participating with knowledge in
the fraud. hgainSta man occupying lis standing
and station, it is impossible TO credit charge so re