Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-02-25

I had been informed by a highly respectable gentleman
of this city that he had learned from a source IN winch
he plac.d the most implicit confidence, that a clerk IN
Tho General Post Office, at an annual salary OF from
twelve TO fifteen hundred dollars, had gone TO Ken
tpckv with a view of establishing an Administration
newsnaper at the seat Of Government in that State,
and tat he had not resigned his situation, ot nad
hired a substitute at $40 per month to perform ms du-
ties. whilst he is drawing his salary OF from one nun
dred to one hundred ana twenty-five uoisa'' = "oi'
from the Government.
propose 10 write out and publish my remarks ont
before do SO, | have thought 1t but Just TO YOU'D ahord
Won an opportunity to answer whether all or any Por-
lion of nv information be correct, 50 that, II injustice
has been done you, l may SET le "atst 3" "a =!
written remarks.
The individual to whom ! had reference as having
nona ~ Kentucky TO establish a paper, is f. w. Robin
son. formerly postmaster at winchester, virginia, ana
Tho name Of the substitute he has hired IS Hollis.
Ir my Information be correct it is proper the public
hold no informed of it through the more authentic
source. If incorrect, it is due to you than an early OPP
nortunitv be afforded you to contradict 1t. Therefore |
srbm;, to your consideration, and respectfully ask you
- rosnond. with as little delay as your engagements
n;Il allow. TO the following Undergraduates:
| Was +. w. Robinson, recently a clerk in the &C.
neral Post Office: and if SO, at what salary:
, Does he still hold the same ~clerkslip, and if not,
when did he resign it, and when did his pay cease: And
;f II has ceased, have you officially informed him OF 1t /.
And cso. was il done in writing, or verbally: And
whether before or after he left this city for Kentucky:
3 Ifhe still hold the clerkship who Is, and has been,
discharging his duties since he left this city: and what
compensation does his substitute receive:
: Respectfully ,,n,.,.s W. Gs !, nfA'hs'
To this letter the Postmaster G%eneral, on the follow.
inc day, responded as follows:
80 WASHINGTON, Jan. 81, 1910.
Hon. w. J. GRAVES, II. R.-Prcsent:
Sir: | received this morning your letter of yesterday,
abiding to certain remarks affecting my official con-
.-. -, tlN Il,,,.a on tho Inn n
In that letter you say: 81 propose to write out and
nublish nv remarks; but before do SO, have thought
i but Just to you to afford you an opportunity to answer
whether all or any portion of my information be cor
rect, so that if injustice has been done you, | may sci
the matter right in my written remarks
You then inform me that you had reference to the
case Of f. w. Robinson, Esq, supposed to be a clerk in
lbe Post Office Department, who, 1t IS SAID, IS about 10
commence the publication of a newspaper at Frank
fort, Kentucky, and you put TO me several SPECIFIC IN
,erropatories touching those matters, to which you re-
quest my reply with as little delay as my engagements
will allow.
Now. sir, although | do not question the right of q
member of Congress to become the retailer, on the floor
of the House, of the false and malignant gossip which
taints the atmosphere of this city, do deny his right &c
call on the party so slandcred to aid him in escaping the
responsibility Of reducing such ISLANDERS to Ebels in
written speech. ] very much regret that this idea o.
dolnr Justice TO me did not occur TO you before you
made your attack IN the House. You admit it TO be
GluSt that l shall nave an opportunity 10 mdhe tH'
truth known before your speech be written. Was a
less Gust that such an opportunity should be afforded
me before it was spoken: If, before holding me up a:
a delinquent. in duty by remarks publicly uttered, to be
noted by reporters, and scattered by l~ettcr-writcrso vel
the whole Union, on no better authority than the Sc
cond hand conformation Of a very respectable gentle
man., : YOU had done me the Justice TO inquire into thcr
truth, / could have had no objection to putting you II
possession of all the facts of the case within my know
ledge. AS it is, deem that justice TO myself will BE-
best promoted by declining TO aid you in making up fo
the public a speech different from that you uttered OF
the floor of the House.
Respectfully, AMOS
And whereas, on the 2Sth Of last December, sait
Robinson did, by letter, published in the Globe, resigi
The office of President Of "Thc Democratic .fSS0ciatto'
of the District Of ~Columbia,' which letter of resigna
ton and the reply thereto are as follows:
a meeting of the Democratic Association of thu
District of Columbia, held on the Both of December
1889, the following resignation was received:
WAsnIyGToS, Dec. %, 1889.
To The Members of the Democratic dissolution of III
District Of Columbia.
GENTLEMEN: Being about TO take up my abode in
distant quarter Of our country, the necessity devolve
upon me of r%esigning the situation of President of you
Associations situation conferred upon nc NOR
through kindness than from any merit of my own.
cannot make this communication, and perform this act
gentlemen, without aya!ling myseif Of the privileg,
which it affords me Of expressing 10 you the gratefu
character of the feelings which your confidence in M
has MISUNDERSTANDING of gratitude which will induc
me to remember the members of this Association, col
! lectivelv and individually, so long as shall know hov
to appreciate the cheering liberality of friends, or retail
the remembrance Of any kindly act.
But, gentlemen, although about to separate mysel
from you, | beg you to be assured that | shall still
number myself as a soldier in the same good cause il
which you are engaged; that / shall still be found do
: ing battle in defence Of our common principles-in de
fence Of those principles upon (which we feel depen
our country glory and the preservation of the libeEt
of the people oil this great nation.
The nature of the service, gentlemen, will not b
changed by my removals; the field only in which it is t
be performed will. OF one thing beg you to be us
sured, and il is, that, wherever ! 90, | shall not ccas
70 use my utmost cXertlons to advance the principle
of DemocTacy--the principles which you and ! hav
been taught TO bclicye are identified with all that is de
sirable in our happy form of government.
For the success of 0ur Association, (or so | have tn
right to call it until this letter is read,O | have felt, an,
shall continue TO feel, the most lively interest; and 70
the welfare and happiness Of lis members, one and all
no one can entertain a greater anxiety than he VIII
now addresses you.
In giving you the parting hand, gentlemen, allow m
to assure you that | am, sincerely, your friend and scr
want, r.. w.
After the letter was read, a committee of three wa
appointed to prepare 4 response, which was compose
Of James Fl. Smoot, Col. Richard Coke, and Ben iamiI
Evans, who submitted the following, which was unani
mously adopted, and ordered TO be signed by the officer
Of the Association and transmitted:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 80, 1880.
Sir: In retiring from the Presidency ofthe Democrats
Association Of the District of Columbia, you bear wit
you the best wishes of its members for your health, AM
happiness, and usefulness.
Although they regret your absence from the Chair
in which you have manifested SO much suavity Of man
ners, accompanied BY all the intelligence desirable il
fulfilling IFS ~duties-dutes especially onerous, from th
fact that the Association, being in its infancy, require
a presiding officer acquainted with parliamentary usage
and in which you have been peculiarly happy; yet TIN
circumstances attending your departure are of a cha
racter which forbid, on the part of the Association, an,
selfish repinings; aware that in the more extended do
main of usefulness laid open TO your exertion, you vii
find a more abundant demand for your energy, and
wider field for the extension of Democratic principles
we take pleasure in recognising in you, sir, a con
slant and unwavcr;ng friend of the Republican cause
The polls, the press, the Legislative councils, cndors
your orthodoxy; and we speed your onward march o
usefulness in a field where the vantage ground is noy
the encmy's, satisfied that no Democrat could take th,
command of the Kentucky Argus, since a Kendall di
rected its course, with a prospect of a more sanguinar.
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