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

forbid us to ask the question! Were the
Senators from Tennessee and New
Hampshire serious in their endeayors to
obtain the causes Of removal, when they
united in inquiring Of the PostmastcrGe G.
neral himself, and do they object to an
inquiry of the witness? None but the
removing and removed are presumed to
know the causes. You are forbidden to
ask the officer remove d, and are Ii
mited therefore to general inquiry Of
the Postmaster General HIMSELF the very
officer whose conduct is the subject OF
investigation. This is very easy way
to let off a delinquent-he is not only a
witness, but is the only witness in his
own case. And we must not be too par
ticular in our inquiries even of him. lie
is to classify, for brevity's sake" II
he chooses to smother the design, let him
resort to generalization. And why are
his friends so sensitives If your officer
is innocent, he can very safely answer
any interrogatory, however particular.
lie is in no danger from any witness,
however strong his prcjudices. An hon
est and faithful officer should never have
cause to fear investigation. Ours is a
Government based entirely on RESPONSE
bility, where the acts Of every agent
should be open to public inspection. All
secrets are grounds Of suspicion and jeal-
ousy, and especially when claimed by a
subordinate officer.
! The two questions which were put to
Mr.. Bradley, were maniiestly prelimn-
airy. They, on the one hand, went to
show the extent of his means of know
ing the state of the Department. He
had held the Office thirty years, and near
ly the whole time had managed its fiscal
concerns. Had he been removed by the
present Postmaster General, and if so,
for what cause? This, on the other,
would show how far he might be preju-
diced-presenting at once his knowledge
and his bias. Who could have appre-
hended any danger from such questions? !?
4 No friend of an innocent man could have
objected to the inquiry; and had an op-
poser of this Administration done 20, it
would have been complained of as evil
dence Of hostility.
But my principal object was, admit,
ulterior. 1t was TO ascertain the causes
of the Unprecedented number ofremovals
in this Department. This, know, is a
tender subject. Neither the minions of
power, or the slaves of ambition, like
very well to give reasons. Let motives
be divulged, and tyranny would soon be
banished the land. The Post Office and
the Press, when free and unadulterated, :,
are the efficient engines to demollsh ty-
ranny. TO corrupt these, is the prime
object Of every aspirant to absolute pow
er. Put into the hands of talents, COM
/ bined with ambition, the Press, the Post
Office, and the Purse, and you may talk
Of liberty-you may retain the shadow,
but you will have lost the substance.
/ Thus far the Committee have "madc
haste slowly" We have scarcely en-
tered upon the threshold of inquiry, and
now this resolution is offered, without the
least notice to the Committee-the oh =.
ject of which is to arrest the whole pro-
ceeding.
l shall not lorejudge the case. do
not say that the Postmaster General has
done right or wrong. This Senate has
directed its Committee to inquire, and
has given it ample powers, and |, as one,
do not feel at liberty to disobcy. There
is certainly dimnution Of the funds of
the Department, indicating that it is in
solvent, or verging to insolvency; and the
!, Postmaster General has officially inform
ed us, that from the 4th March, 1899, to
the Cd March, 1890, four hundred and
ninety-one Post Officers had been remov-
ed, not including those in the Depart
ment, or in the Post Office ofthis city.
i This Administration owes its existence
to its professions Of economy. The advo-
Gates of General Jackson told the peo-
\ pie, what they were quite willing and very
ready to believe, that the funds had been
squandered, and that Gen. Jackson was
the very man 10 correct the abuses. 1t
has been boldly asserted in this Senate,
and gone out to the American people,
that all this is miserable prete xt and the
whole affair is mere system of "rewards
and punishmenis. 1t appears, too, that
more changes have been made in the Post
Office than in any other Department,
and that this seems most in embarrass-
ment. Things thus appearing, it is most
extraordinarily proposed to stife the inqui-
/ ry which the Senate unanimously direct
cd. We have heard much Of "bargain
and corruption" as well as of "econo-
my" 1t may turn out that all this "bar-
gain and corruption" has occurred I'M
der his Administration. Ifany of it was
employed in establishing the former, it
has not been yet discovered. 1t was the
general cry during the last canvass; and
if any proofs can be adduced, they may