Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1832-11-15


lore the mail carrier called for has mail, and
whlie was engaged in arranging the letters
anu papers that belonging to my Office for de.
IVery, several gentlemen stepped into the Of
nee, and unobseryed by me, took up the pack
els and made themselves quite merry at Sec
ing the frank of Member of Congress. and
The endorsement of "Public Documents IN,
on large Packages of Dry Goods As soon
as observed what they were at, | removed
The packages beyond their reach. The news
soon spread through town that Col. johnson
had Tracked number OF packages of Cling
hams, apd sent them home in the mail. Sc
verai persons enquired of me TO know whe.
Their It was SO or not. My replies were gen
orally evasive. One gentleman declared that
he would write to the Postmaster General. if
did not, and make the facts known to him:
but afterwards informed me that he did no;
write. Some person, however, did write; hut
who 1t was, have never ascertained. The
letter was signed, as learned by a commu-
nlcaton from the Postmaster General, with
the name of "Chartes 1homasor." There
was no person by that name either in Geoi re.
town or Scott county: the signature must
therefore have been fictitious one This is
the letter to which the SeniiueI alludes. and
about which It talks Of pushing Its interro-
gatories;" and OF having withdrawn the probe
mo mercy TO nell Mercy to melt Could
expect any mercy from hireing wretch of
Col Richard vi. Johnson's. one who is ready
at every beck and call 10 do his dirty work?
From so low and grovelling a being as John
m jones could any honest man expect mercy.
If he should be 50 unfortunate as 10 be com
PEELED to ask If Of him? Let those who are
acquainted with him, those who have known
him from bis childhood up, answer the aues
ton. From the seducer what can any one
expect?
II Col. johnson has not list all self respect,
1t he IS not dead to every feeling of honor.
his catspaw has "pushed his heterogeneous"
much beyond what he could or ought to have
wished. lie surely cannot thank him for hav.
ing produced this public exposure of his
shameful abuse Of the ranking privilege.
NO sooner had il become known that Col
Johhson's packages Of Dry Goods had been
zen IN the Post Office at Georgetown, than
the Jackson batteries were opened gainst me,
ard poured forth their filth 10 torrents. The
Argue, with ITS characteristic ueanness in
sinIfated that | mast have 'sinduiyed in esni
onage" TO discover that Col. Johnson had a.
bnsed the franking privilege. BY single shot
in return silenceA that paper. Next CAME
the Louisville Public Advertiser with.a SINH
lar nsinoation, and demand upon SiSe~for a
statement Of The facts | replied TO Mr. Penn
by letter. Informing him that was ready to
state the facts when called upon by Colonel
johnson. and requested him to publish nv
letter. Tbs he refused to dc, but ndnlged
no more IN insinuatlons against me. And G.
ven Col. johnson himself, as was informed
wrote a long, ahu>ivc letter against me. and
forwarded it to tool of his in Georgetown,
who endeavored TO injrre me by secretly
showing the letter to such persons as he sup
posed could be prcjudccd against me b, il.
Finding, however, that it had an opposite ef
feet, and that was not only fully prepared
to meet and repel the insinuations it contain
ed against me, but TO carry most deadly
wal into The enemy's camp, he desstcd from
any further efforts against mo.
There is one circumstance connected with
Tbs affair, that have always regretted. II is
the only one for which can censnre myself
did not IN reply u the Post Master Generals
letter to me upon the subject. state the facts
OF the case fully and fairly endcavored 10
screen Col. Johnson as much aspossibe from
the odinm that knew must attach to him, If
the Whole facts had been made known to tie
Department | stated, however, that If the
packages Of Dry Goods had been sent TO my
office, should (as have previously done in
the case of the box Of pins) have demanded
the postage,
When first learned that il was known in
Georgetown that Col Johnson's Dry Goods
had been seen in the Post Office there, | sup
posed that il had been spoken Of by some one
of the gentlemen with whom had consulted
as to what should do in The case, and before
[ ascertained of them that they had not, wrote
4 note TO the Postmaster in this city. stating,
in substance. as well as can now recolecf.
Qor did not keep copy Of the note) that
had spoken OF il incidentally 10 two or three
persons; that understood the friends of Col.
johnson were highly iueensed against me and
woiiid do NE all the injury they could; that
was willing to let them alone if they would
me; and requested TO know of him If he bad
not observed the packages. His reply was
Just such one as | might have expected
My note (or copy of III have reason to be-
lieve. was furnished to Col johnson, or some
of his friends.
have said that there was no necessity for
me, or any other person connected with the
Post Office in Georgetown. to "indulge in es-
pionage into Col. Johnson's packages" TO OBJ
serve that many Of them were not what they
pnrported To be-"Pnblic Documents can
prove by Mr. JOHN Il. ZIMMERMAN, who was
my assistant for several years, that on vari-
Gus occasions. he observed very distinctly the
packages of Dry Goods, &c. that had been
ranked by Col Johnson, before they ,cere Ia
ken out Of the mail bags; and that several of
the bundles Of lead pencils, when empted out