The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-12

iWe have seen, recently gazetted among the official
appointments that of James Lawrence Day, as"Agent
on the coast of Africa, for receiving the negroes m-
attos or persons of color, delivered from on board
vessels seized in the prosecution of the slave trade BY
commanders of U. s. armed vessels Now, we are
so distrustfu of this Administration that we must be
excused for asking to be informed of the legal author
rity for this appointment Is the Office one created
by law or is of those constructive posts raised
up by an ingenious corruption, as an exempfcation
OF the potency Of the rewardng power' Or is il not
bald snecure Where is the agent to resdei Is
he 10 be located 'on board the armed yesselsi II
So the appointment is supererogaton-for the ''com-
manders of IT, $. armed yesses supersede the neces-
sty Of any agent Is he to be set down son the coast
of African We scarcely think any salary in the
gift of the President could induce any person. loving
life better than money, to entrust himself to the
deadly climate of the African coast And if son
the coast of Africa" at what point the coast (for
il runs many thousand mles.) Is he to tarry at
Sierra Leone, or at Monroya, or at Capetown, or on
the Easternycoast the Western, the Northern
for we are anxious to know the tchereabou of this
most novel appointment. 1t to us as rank
sinecure as ever pronigate Government allowed"
The paper whence the preceding article is extract
ed is called The Independent, and published in the
city of Washington. II is ultra Wing paper, es-
ablished for the express purpose of opposition to the
present Administration; and the appointment of the
agent upon the coast of Africa forms in its opinion,
offs reasons forts opposition. As the editor how
ever has written in uterignorance alike of the crcum
stances the law the policy, and the character of the
case, we will give him some of the information for
which he inquiries. In the first place. it has been the
practice of the Government, for nearly quarter Of
century t, have agent for recaptured Africans
stationed upon the Western coast of Africa. Such
an agent was certainly appointed during Mr.. Mon
roes Administration, and continued until after
the accession of General Jackson-by whom, for a
few years, the Office discontinued Yet it was
subsequently revived, and as we perceive by the APP
pontment of Mr.. Day, is still continued.
The place of residence for this agent lis Monrovat
in the colony of Liberia and in conne1ion with this
fact we may as well state. that from the planting of
that colony it has been the practice Of the Executive
TO designate for that agency, matter of favor to the
Colonization Society, Of its officers in the colony
thus, to small extent, indirectly contributing TO
the funds of the Society In regard the character
and qualifications of the gentleman whose appoint
ment has given offence to the Independent, remark
that Mr. Day is ply scian late of New Jersey, He
is gentleman of character and standing enjoying
the confd and of the best citizens Of his
own State and Of those who know him in this No
farther evidence OF this truth need be adduced than
the fact that at the late meeting the Board of the
Society, DR.. Day was strongly recommended by Chan
cellor Frelnghuysen and others for the office of Gov
| ern of the coony.-N. Y. Com. Adr