Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-10-30
From the National fptelligeseer.
wAsaisoroS, Oct. 8.
THE GENERAL POST OFFICE.

| The Postmaster General, we regret q
see. has been guilty Of very gross viola.
ton OF official rropriciy, in publication
which he authorized or procured 10 be
made ~ the Government paper Of yesier-
day. We allude TO the PRONUNCIATION oil
his Official answer 10 a call on him for
certain Information, by the Committee OF
The Senate, now prosecuting its investiga.
ton into the management of the Post or.
Zee Department.
| That the inquiries OF the committee are
most unpleasant to the Postmaster Gene.
raj. and TO all his adjuncts in the manage.
ment Of the Department. and that he
should seixe on any plausible ground for
evad,ng the scrutiny, we ale not surprised
to d'scover.-The report made by the
COMMITTEES 10 part, at the last session Of
Congress, justifies the belief. that this Ia
qa'ry Is both unpleasant and embarrassing
to tue department. We said, when we
perused that document. that. bad a. its
developcments were, they served to show
that there was great deal more equaiiy
bad, which yet remained to be fcrreled
out and disclosed.
| II 10 not strange, therefore, that the
Postmaster General should shrink from
the prohings Of the Comtniitee. What
We deem reprehensible, and feel called
upon to condemn, Is, that he should not
only have refused TO supply the informa
uon called Tor by the committee. hut that
he should have made his refusal the occa
sion Tor an elaborate party appeal through
the newspapers. and have effected bis
purpose by dlvulging the transactions Of
an unfinished and still pending investiga.
ton, We think that all candid persons
will agree with us that in taking this step,
the Postmaster General has been guilty
Ola violation Of official propriety and good
iai'h. For the purpose Of political effect,
and 10 operate, doubtless, on pending Ell
eciions, he has made public use OF trans.
actions between himself and the invesiiga-
ting committee. which the committee IL
self, he knew held in confidence - What,
let us ask, would be thought Of disclosures
oil an adverse character. IL the example Of
the Postmaster General was followed by
the CQmmittee Suppose the committee !
should, m the same spirit, give 10 the pub |
lic, from day TO day. an account OF their
| transactions, and Of statements OF facts |
| Immediately developed Would not the |
Postmaster General complain, and Justly |
complain, Of unfairness towards him2 |
Doubtless he would, and the presses Of |
the Administration. from Maine 10 Geor
gia, would ring with denunciations Of the
committee for its violation Of good faith
and decacy. The considerations Of pro
priety, then, which have imposed silence
on the committee, we're equally impera.
tive on the Department, and should have
restrained the Postmaster General from
The breaeh Of decorum into which he has
been hurried
But Il seems by his own annunciaiion.
mat the Postmaster General has closed
the doors Of his Department upon the Ie-
gal investigation which was ordered by |
the Senate.
When, before the present disjointed |
| times, would an Executive functionary
| have dared 10 take such a responsibility 2 |
| Was there ever time, in the history Of
this Government, until preceden,s were
found in the conduct Of the Chief Ma
| gistrate himself for such contempt Of au.
thoriiy, when the head Of a Department
would have ventured 10 repel the inquiry
| of committee clothed with the authority
Of the Senatep What Secretary or what
| Minister would have held his place an
hour after taking such responsibility
Unhappily, the Postmaster General knows
full well that no contempt Of the Senates
committee, or even Of the Senate itself,
would expose him 10 the rebuke Of his su
periors, much less 10 the punishment Of
removal but IL the acts Of the mere SER
wants of the people, 10 the conduct OF their
most important concerns. are not 10 be
4 open TO the investigation of their Repre-
scntatives, then Congress may as we'll at
| once cease 10 meet, and leave the Govern
ment ostensibly, as II is now virtually, TO
the sole discretion Of the Executive
But although the Postmaster General
may feel himself safe. in the responsibility
which he has assumed, of Withholding in.
| formation from the committee, we are sa
| tisfed that he would not have taken that
responsibility but under strong considera
tions, personal or political; and we are
authorized 10 infer from it what the nature
Of the Developments would he, il the
committee had the advantage OF those e..
cilities in their Investigation which it is
the duty Of the Department to furnish in
stead OF being thwarted by the conceal
mens and impediments which they have
TO encounter.
In the case in which the Postmaster
General has expressly refused the infor
nation sought for. and which he has
made the subject OF bis appeal THAT Of
the removal Of the Postmaster AT Putnam,
in Ohiol 1T was one which had attracted
much public notice, and was within the
legitimate scope of inquiry and competen
cy Of the committee. Henry Stafford, an
honest, faithful, and intelligent officer, had
been removed. and man OF bad charac
ter appointed 10 his place, who, after be-
ing permitted to hold the office fifteen or
eighteen months. without ever making a
return 10 the Department. absconded with
!, the avaiis Of the Office in his pocket and
|. the Department has permitted the claim
, against the surities to lie without suit IN
!, I'll they are released from their responsi
: bilty. The committee. il appears, inqui
red into the causes Of the removal OF Sal
ford and Of the appointment Of Heron,
n his successor. The Postmaster Genera
n | ,afnsad IN rive the information. and The