Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1834-10-16
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT

yet the developments made were sufficient mi an
ly TO eonfound the advocates Of the administration
If they had been made of penetrsble stuff. and to
starfie The nation, by their enrmy but TO Justify
the suspicion that there we're yet, amidst The /" Sc
cte's ot,hat prison house circumstances and facts
10 or disclosed, which would compare with those al
ready known as the corap,on Of laxsar- house
to the fragrant perfumes of Araby the best" So
strong were these suspicious, indeed that the rare
measure was resored 10 Of ordering closer scru-
tiny into lis aft IRIS during the recess of Congress.
that tina, body might its mex, session. either &C.
quit the head Of the Department of the offences
imputed against him, or adopt the necessary msa.
sures to do, what il seems lie Executive will no.,
Ten,ore dim from e0Eor.
| But II would seem that the Postmaster General
reluctant TO mceshe nvcs'c ation from consc ous-
ness that his Department canno, abide this "scsrch-
my operation else factomsiy opposing the or
ders of the Senate, for other reason than that
majority Of that body has thwarted the Presidents
march 10 Dieatorshlr-has abruptly shut the
doors OF his Office in the face Of the committee and
refused TO submit to their inspection the do euYnen,s
necessary to the discharg. of ,h,ir duties re has
gone even farther than this Following the exam
pie Of Gen. Jackson and perhaps now acting under
his orders, he attempts 10 foresial the public uJg
rnant on his con iuct, by pompousy putting forth
his dffence before any accusation is made Thereby
berayIng consciousness of guilt, as conclusive
against him as though subs,an,,s,cd by clear and
unequl vocal testimony. Why did no, Maj Barry
reserve his defence until the meeting Of the tribunal
before which he will be called to answer for this
contempt Of its au,hority3 Did he rrccpi,a,c him
self before the public nofc, because the month OF
December would be too late 10 operate upon the e.
lcc,ons in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey and
New York? Was he urged by the weakness Of
his cause, rendering it necessary that he should
furnish to the pcnsioned presses of his pnry the
grounds which they are to nike in his behalf
| Whatever was his olottpe, no unparalleled mind
can doubt that the act rs grossly indicate ard i'm
proper, and that, even if be can satisfactorily cx-
plain The matter proposed TO be enqurcd into by
the committee he deserves the severost reprehen-
sIol for thus anticipating It's accusation.
! BY reference to an article on this subject in an
o'herpart OF this mornings paper, which we copy
| from the National ln,eIgencer the character Of the
| proposed inquiry, which the Postmaster General
thus shrunk from will be seen. 1t was in relation
TO the removal of Henry Stafford, all honest and cf,
fcent postmaster in Ohio, ard the appointment in
his place Of ono Heron, man Of bad character
who held the Office upwards Of year during which
time he never made return OF its business to tho
Department, though bound to DO SO quarterly, and
who then OIL with the money of his Office
And, more than ALL SO tender is Maj Barry with
his friends, he has permitted the claim against the
securities Of this runaway favori,e TO lie without
suit, until by the terms Of the law they are entirely
relieved from all responsibility u Such are the
alleged fac,s-and Maj. Barry prefers TO remain
under the impu,aon which their virtual acknow-
edgment inv olives, rather than submit to an inqu
ry by the representatives of the people The
facts themselves, are doubtless true and we say so
whou, knowing any thing of that case,-lst
from tho reluctance ofMaj Barry to encounter in
! vcstigaton, which he would not have done if he
could have disproved them; and 2dly, because ace
knnp of a case very similar ia character, which &C.
Cured in county about 100 miles west Of this
lpace-s similar, we mean in the failure OF the post.
master to make returns 10 the General Post Office,
and the appropriation Of the proceeds OF his Office to
his personal use--and likewise in the failure Of the
Department to take he necessary steps to coerce
payment from the delinquent postr asler's surees,
until all lcga, responsibility had ceased We will
hereafter be more explicit, if Unnecessary.
We have not had time to read Maj. Ba'ry's de-
fence but shall lay II before our readers in our
next. In the mean time, we copy, from the Rich
mond Enquirer, which, as faithful soldier, has
taken up the gaun'le, in hs b;half, the subjoined
notice Of its character The Enquirer says:
1.-THE Globe has PUBLISHED Mr., Berrys Rely to
the Committee, in which he reasons the question
upon general Constitutional principles nd quotes
the resolutions adopted by the Senate themselves
in lS30--and those in 1881, "dclaring tina, the
Sclec, Committee apponcdto rqaire into The con-
di,ion Of the Pos,-Ofice Department, are not nu-
,horized to make inquiry into the reasons which
induced the the Postmaster General to mike any
removals of his deputies" But, MI. b. admits the
ris h, OF he n. Of r. Gas the ,mpeactis2 pewer) TO
institute such enquiries" Whilst denying (says
he, the right of the Senntts Committee TO inspect
the letters and papers received by the Depar ment,
respecting removals and appointments of Pcstmas'
tors or 10 exnUne The reasons O: them, would not
be understood dlsclamns any liability to scru,l-
ny by the House of Representatives,, or it's Com
mittee to which the Department may righ,fully bs
subject or rs affecting TO impair hat responsibility
in regard to which It is tho peculiar function OF that
branch of the Legislature to originate proceed
ings."
II is amusing that the Postmaster General should
cite a resolution, adopted by Jacksoa Senate in
1880, for the express purpose OF shielding Jack-
son taroritc, as Il chart by which committee APP
pointed by an Ant, Jackson Senate to ferret out the
abuses and expose the NAL practices and corrup-
tions of this same favoritc SHOULD regulate and Ii
nit their inquiries In $780, Jacksonsm was Po-
ential in the Sen-,e onj with the madness which
characterizes men who sacrifice 10 their pa'tl what
they owe to their conntry, n majority Of that
branch of the Legislature turned deaf ear to the
complaints which were even then made against the
Postmaster General, as far as they could do so
with the semblaEce Of propriety. II was such a
maiori,y which threw around the Post Office
Derar,men, this shield against a thorough scrutiny