Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1834-10-16
POLITICAL.
From the National Intehig sreer Od. ..
THE GENERAL POSTOF. ElCE.

Y Soiby w ~ b''"s "'"s'' W e"S ~
e,y, in n publication which he authorized OF procur-
ed to be made IN the Government, paper OF yes.er.
day, We ulluds TO the PRONUNCIATION Of lis onc,sl
ans wer 10 a call on him FOR certain ~informnt'on, ~
the Committee of the Senate, now prosecuting lis
Investigation into the mana cement OF the Post-Ot-
fee Department.
That The inquiries Of the committee are most I'M
plcasan, to the Postmaster General, and TO all his
adlunc,s in tbs management ofthc Department, and
that he should seize on any plausible ground tor O.
vadIng the scrutiny, we are not sutrrizcd 10 us
cover. The Report made by the committee, IN part,
at the last session Of Congress, justices I no belief,
that this inqairy IL both unpleasant and ombarras.
sing To The Department, We said when we peru
scd that document, that, bad ns It's Developments
were, they served TO show that there wns a gres,
deal moro, equally bad, which ye, remained TO DO
fcrreted out and disclosed.
Ii is no, strange, therefore, that the Postmaster
| General should shrink from the ~p'obinss Of the
Committee. What we deem reprchensible, ard
| feel called upon TO condemn, is, that he should not
only have refused 10 supply tho attenuation called
for by the committee, but that he should have made
his refusal the occasion for M elaborate party sp.
peal through the newspapers, and hive elected
his purpose by d~ivuleing he transactions Of nm I'M
finished and still pending Investigation, We think
lho, all candid persons will agree with US, that ~
taking this step, the Postmaster General has cccn
guilty of a violation Of official ~proprie,y and good
faith. For the purpose Of political effect, and TO
| operate, doubtless, on pending elections, he has
ma lie public use Of transactions betwosn himself
and tho investigating COMMITTEES, which the com
mit,ee itself, no kne W, held in confidence. Whit,
let us ask, would DO thought OF disclosures OF an
adverse character. if tho example Of thu Postmss'
ter General were followclby the comnitsce' Sup.
IL t-.tI - 49, AA.na Aytr,t N d A
10 the public, from day TO day, an account ofthtir
transactions, and OF statements Of facts ln,pcrtecily
developo19 Would not the Postmaster General
COMPLAIN. rnd Justly complain, Of unfainss,io
wards him : Doubtless he would, aud the presses
Of the administration, from Maine 10 Georgia,
would ,inc with denuncia,ions Of Tho committee
for is violation of good faith and delicncy. Tho
considerations of propristy, then, winch have m
posed silence on the committee, were equally I'M
pe,ative on the d, partmcnt, and should have 'a-
strs ned the Postmaster General from the breach OF
decorum into which he has been hurried.
But il seems by his own annunclation, that The
Postmaster General has closed tho doors of his DE.
p%srt,rent upon tho legal investigation which waa
J ordered by the Senate. When, before the present
!, disiointed tines, would an Executive fune'ionnry
have dared 10 take such u responsibility Was
there ever n time, IN the history OF this Govern
ment, until prccedcn,s were found in tho conduct oil
the Chef Magistrate himself for such contempt
Of authority, when tie head Of n Department would
have vcniurcd 10 repel tho inquiry Of a committee
clothed with tho authority of the Sen"in7 What
Secretary or wha, Minister would have held his
place an hour after taking such n responsibility
Uohappily, the Postmaster General knows full
well that no contempt of Tho Scns,e's committee,
or even of tho Senate itself, would oppose him 10
the reouke of his s~uperiors, much less to the pun.
ishment Of removal bu, # the acts OF the mere ser.
wants Of the people, l., the conduc, Of Their most I'M
portant concerns, ere not 10 be open 10 the inVek-
%tigation Of their Representative, thon Congress
mny as well at once cease 10 meet, and leave the
Government ostensihly, @si; is nov virtually, 10
the sole discretion ofthe Executive.
But although the Postmaster General may fsel
| himself safe, in tho responsibility which he hos AS
sumed, of Withholding Information from tie COM
mittee, we are satisfied that he would not have Ia
ken that responsibility but under strong consIde-
r%stions, personal or political and we are su'ho-
rixed TO infer from 1t what the naturs olihe dcvei-
ooen,enls would be, If tho mn'ttee Ind the nd
vantage OF those facilities IN their investigation
which il, is the duty Of tho Department ts furnish,
instead of beng ihwnrtcd by The concehlincnls and
impedimenls which they have TO encounter.
In the case in which the Postmaster General has
expressly refused The Information sought for, aud
which he has made the subject Of his nppeal-Olat
Of the removal Of the Postmaster at Putnam, III
| Ohio)-ii was one which had attracted much pub
he notice, and was within the legitimate scope OF
in7u.y and competency Of Tho nil Henry
! SeHoid, an honest, falthful, and intelligent ofccr,
had been removed, aud n man Of bod character mp
pGiulcd IN his place, who, oilcr being permitted
10 hold the Office fifteen or eighteen months, without,
ever making A return TO the Department, abscond-
J ed. with the ayails Of the Office ii hs poke, ; and
the Department has permitted the clam against III,
surelies TO lie without suit, until they arr released
from their responsibility. The com n'tce, II ar-
pears, inquired into the ciuses of the removal vi
Stafford md Of the appointment OF Heron, has sue
cessot. The Postmaster General rcluscd'o give the
Information, and the Government psper joins tho
Postmaster General IN asselllng the committee Tor
asking it. Such 10 the case on which the !fesdo
tho Department has joined issue with the commit
tee, aud has set Ihelr authority at deh'ncs
As for the committee, We doub, no. That u has
observed the silence on the subjec, Of their invesli-
CATION, which %proprie,y, and their own understood
resolution enioined on then, and we trust that they
will continue to do so, whatever rosoca'ion may
DO given by the Head Of the Department, or is
official organ, until they, a. the proper TIME, &c.
count to the high body by whom they are dc'cea-
ted, for their acts. 1t will then he seen whether any
new abuses have been detected, which the doors
Of ,be Department were not closed soon enough TO
cover.
"Thc FloridIan'' Of 10Th ut. says, that the YEA
Their during The tast ten days had been very tavora-
| bc for The cotton harvest some plantations have