Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-06-20

"nS" iopoIlcu tue Oil 10
prevent the abuse OF this patronage OF
appo'ntment) came into power, they
changed their tone, if not their princi-
pies. Removals from office immedi.
asely followed, and they deny any OBJ.
legation to assign reasons Is Il not
strange, toc,---nay, is il not mysteri-
Gus, that, in the confiagraiion Of the
rost othcc, tho only papers and files
destroyed should be those relating 10
the exercise, il not the abuse, of the
power Of removal from ofiicc--the
very papers which the Postmaster
General refused TO suffer the Commit.
tees OF Investigation to examine I
said Mr.. Van Buren, changed his
tone on this subject. will a, once
prove II. The journal Of the Senate
shews that he was ono Of the Select
Committee who reported the bill al.
ready referred to. He entered the
Office of Secretary OF State with the
commencement Of General Jackson's
Administration. One Of his first off.
cIal acts was the removal Of merito.
rlous clerk from his Office in that De.
partment, and positive refusal to
assign any reason for IL, The gentle.
man removed is now a member or this
House, (Mr. Slade of yermont,) and
the voice of the People has sustained
INN whom the despotism Of Executive
patronage sought to destroy.
Tho manner in which this patronage
Is abused, and the readiness and alrnost
telegraph despatch with which the
wires of party machinery are felt
throughout and from the mos, distant
parts Of the Union, may be imagined
after reading this laconic note. written
by Mr.. Van Buren,, soon AFTER entering
on the duties Of Secretary Of State, to
gentleman in Louisiana
WASHINGTON, April 30, 1929.
My dear Sir have the honor Of
acknowledging the receipt of your
letter OF the 2lst uIt., and Of informing
you that the removals and appoint.
ments you recommend were made on
the day your letter was received.
With respect, your friend, &c.
IN. VAN BUREN,"
And, so far from being willing 10
reduce the number Of clerks in HE
Department, as the People were in.
! duced to believe would be done. Mr..
Van Buren,, when called on for that
purpose, saw the whole affair through
new medium, and replied: "My
opinion is, that there can be no reduc.
ton IN the number oil officers employed
in the Department, (of State,) without
detrlment to the public interest !"--
And yet the Retrenching Committee,
when Mr.. Clay was in that Departs
ment, reported "that they felt satisfied
that, had the officer at its head con.
Cured with them in the opinion, they
might have presented plan for not
only gradual reduction 10 the number
OF clerks, but for an actual increase
IN the efficiency Of their labors."
But other discrepancies between the
profession and practice Of these re.
formers remain to be noticed. X will
be found that the report of the gen,le-
man from New York (Mr. Cambrelsnp}
and his friends condemned "the prac.
tee introduced by the Secretaries fthe
Departments, of sending the reports Of
thsir clerks or heads Of bureaus, in
stead OF condensng them, and making
them substantially their own commu~
nicntion." This practice, il bad, has
never been corrected, but is daily in.
dulged in by all the Departments 10
the answers to the calls and resolutions
OF this House abuninntiy shew. But
a still more remarkable commentary
follows. When the Department or
War passed into the hands Of John Fl,
Eaton, a Jealous reformer, he, too,
vas called upon to carry out his re-
trenchment system, and reduce the
number Of his clerks, in the fulfilment
OF the public expectation, which he and
others had excited. To the surprise Of
all, he referred the subject to the clerks
themseiresf and here, sir, is his reply.
"WAR DEPARTMENT., Jan. 81, 1880.
/" Sir have the honor to Law be.
fore reports from The several bureaus
connected with the War Department,
on the subject Of resolution of the
9th inst, referred to me by the Com.
miitee on Retrenchment.
"Respectfully, ]. H. EATON"
+" Charles A. WickliGe, Esq"
These bureaus, so far from agreeing
TO part with any Of their escutchsons,
actually asked for an additional sup
ply Thus ended that farce
Another Precepts--This rstrench-
ment report alleged that our diplomatic
relations and foreign intercourse were
unnecessarily expensive, and recon.
mended "a fixed appropriation for the
contingencies OF each mission" ain
M casa excandinn E6nA lannn.II-A