Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-03-20
RICH nj d.:
SATURDAY MORNING. MARCH 40.
CITY POST MASTER.

Gen. Bernard Pey,on is now the Post Master o
Richmond, having received the Office from the lat,
incumbent, Col. Gooch. A better selection than
uen. r. in point qualification, believe could moi
nave been made; nor have seen the first man
who does not concede to him every Qualification
which ought TO be possessed by that officer-intes
rity, energy and the most admirable business ha.
bits.
IL sa little remarkable that these facts being ad-
mtled universally, Gen. Peyton's appointment
should be so unpopular; and is the more remark.
able because the propre,yof removing Mr. Gooch
Is denied by none, next to none-the Office
being an acknowledged sinccure in his hands. and
he himself having been appointed in opposition to
the known wishes OF Richmond, and on the principle
OF rewarding scurrious p,rtizan. The secret we
presume, IS that another gentleman, MIR Davis, head
clerk in the Pos, Office, had enlisted popular favor
Tor the 2lace-a gentleman worthy, competent and
unexceptionsbe. But Mr. Davis is a yefv vouns
man, and has been but a short time a resident in
Richmond. Ii Is surely no wrong to him that at
his period of life, he has teen passed by for the first
J office in the gift of the Federal Administration in
Virginia, in favor of another who has resided here
s5 years, raised large family here, was an officer
IN the war oflsl2, and is very largely known to
Virginia as a man Of high character and scarcely
rivaed business habits and qualifications.
No man objects any thing to Gen. p. but that he
is not popular! Is this a sufficient reason for that
vehemence ofopposition which has been manifested
Are all Offices TO be brought down to the standard
OF personal popularity lisa premium thus to be
held out TO Demngogues to make themselves &C
eeptabe TO the People, by every vicious art with the
promise annexed, that an Office shall follow POPULAR.
ty1 We protest against the principle. BY it, Caesar
would have been elevated to the diadem which he
seized, and Cato would have been driven from
Rome. Nineteen times out of twenty, the unpopu-
lar man Is the worthier of-the two; his very dis.
dainns TO court the popular suffrage proves him to
be a man of stern stuff-of high characteristics
while there walks not and breathes not, more
oiious animal than your smooth tongued, Sinking,
smiling, paavering Demasogue, who has compli-
nent for every one he passes in the street. bland
smile for every stranger. and lie for every occa-
sion.
The writer OF ,hs (the Senior Editor Of this pa
perl has been much blame for having recommend |
ed Gen. Peyton. Had he never done worse thing, |
and should he do worse, he should feel little
apprehension in the settlement of his final account
he did recommend Gen. Peyton, and that in the |
SN'N"bSSN hSlHHS winch ne knew now 10 use; q
man particularly and eminently qualified for the
places nor has he any apologies to make, or any
to express for the act. Being applied
to, he said what he thought and said it, too in the
absence OF any personal affection or extraneous in
huence of any kind, that he believed Gen. p
united the highest qualifications which it was pos
sble to ind in any citizen of Richmond. He took
however the liberty Of annexing one condition
as sine qua nOn-namely, that Gen. Peyton was
10 be Post Master himself and not a sineearisi;
holding sinecures as he does, and as every Repub.
lican ought, in especial abominatioh. This condi-
ton was promised. Gen. Peyton must fulfil it. or
do the most violent wrong to his friends. II he does
not intend to be literally and truly, the man who
does the work. we hope he will abdcate the Office
BE may depend upon it, that the public in this par.
cular will hold him to the most rigid accountable
ty. The Post Office must be opened early and |
kept open late, and he must be there to fuld his
promise.
The Senior Editor Of the Wing thus avows the |
part he took in this natter and far from repent
ing It would act it over again. His whole and sole |
object has been TO promote the public welfare, for |
there were many whose appointment to the p lace |
would have been more personally agreeable TO him. |