Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-04-12

made
50. Albert Lester, Postmaster, Canandaguo' New
York, 3ist March
(aj 81. William J. F,ndiay Treasurer of the Mint,
Cd of April.
On the 4.h of April, General Harrison died, and was
buried on the 7th While he reposed III his coitn but
unbured, the following removal appears
James N Barker, Comptroller, 9Th Of April, lS4l.
Thus far speak the official reports to the renov-
ais made under General Harrison, his brief month
of power, in those important cases which afterwards
came before the Senate for confirmation But the vast
mass of removals were OF character not required TO
be confirmed by the Senata. Computing these last,
during that month, at only onesi1th OF the NUMBER
hereafter estimated have been removed IN the hrst
elk months Of Wing power, and they w'ii equsi hVe
hundred This would make the whole average noou'
forty removals per day, from The adjournment OF 'hs
Senate to the commencement OF the PRESIDENT a'ai
sickness.
This is most lamenlnble illustration, and chiefly
from the official records OF his own Cabinet as TO The
manner in which prescription cas prosefoea uhoel Tue
first Wing President by his party, during The short
nerod of his ephemeral Chief Nagistracy
But look further under his successor. Turn to the
same official ments aud how ercely and wide
Iy the guilIotine was again put IN motion tie was
sworn into Office April 9th The next day was devoted
70 the public funeral What opposition and misgivngs
or remonstr ances, from him during the ensuing
Eve DAYS. urging the delay or abandonment OF his poll
CIV on the Cabinet he inherited, and with what COM
punctous vstpgs OF conscience ne al last proceeded
PieoSSSoSoa 70
Their removals. they know best who know most OF Inc
anxious discussions which engrossed that painful IN
terval Let Mr. Tyler have the tull beneht OF hem as
we accord most cheeTully to both him and General
Harrison much stronger wish to redeem their pledges
than what seem have actuated those in favor around
them But certain it is, that on the l2!h April, ere
the ashes Of Harrison fully cold, The HOUNDS OF
prescription again lei loose and under the very
man who had previously deprecated this whole power
of removal, as dangerous to ouoic Liberty ana espe
a ~ cra5 trial hv Iyh
to marshas not less than of that last class OF
officers and four District Attorneys were driven from
Office in two days. besides several others OF the higher
grades, with, it is presumed, the usual proportion OF
fty TO sixty subordinates In short during less than
FIVE months, amidst numerous other removals, nine
teen marshals and thirteen district attorneys, were re-
morseessly beheaded, and thus on the previous rea
soning OF President Tyler, bold thrusts made at the pn
rity Of the administration of justice.
Without further details, It may suffice TO add, that
this sangnnsry system Of prescription was persisted IN
TO the very moment Of the quarrel of the President
with his cabinet and the other Wing leaders; and the
entire removals down 10 two or three weeks previous
To September Of those possessing high a character
as TO come before the Senate for conrmaton were not
less than $50 rSee the documents before cited for
most Of the particular cases.
Those not coming before the Senate, could not he
less than $500 more; because, IN the fost Once De-
partment alone il afterwards admitted on the floor
of Congress by Mr.. Granger that while presiding
over IT, he had made 200 removals This is not one
seventh of all his deputies, ntolerant as seems and
had he remained two weeks longer and removed as ne
ayowed was his intention, 5000 more, it would not
have been one third Of the whole while we have 1t ad
United on official record under Mr. Wehsers own sig
nature, that before September he had removed near
half the whole number OF Marshals
MIR. Changers remarks on thus subject possess so
much naivee and frankness, we annex The whole OF
them in a note from the Congressional Globe Of June
30,h, 1872
Mr.. Buchanan on the oath OF June, 1871, (see the
Congressional Globe Of that da,e,) computed the re
moyals Of Postmas,ers to be then going at the rate
of 1870 per week; which, if continued SIX months, would
amount 10 $3.50, Independent of these smaller depu
ties. the subordinate officers in the customs, the light
house keepers the clerks in the land offices and de
psrtments-none of them going 10 the Senate, IN
doubtedy exhibited ten or eleven hundred more VIC
Tins |See FIVE Indian agents, and sx arsensl Off
GERS removed before September, s4l and not sent 10
Senate in Doc No SO, before cited All these would
constitute aggregate OF at least 3U0O removals III
less than six months under auspices entirely wing
IN their character and previous TO the rupture between
that party and their acting President Nor let any pre-
tend that one in hundred Of these was touched for
any cause, except u mere honest difference oil OPP.
MON.
We have exhibited the residence and names Of 80 to
60 of the higher officers first falling martyrs TO this
Draco system, in order that the public may know who
and what they were and challenge scrutiny Of
any charges against the great mass OF them No; the
faith Of all previous promises seems u have been VIC
lated merely, in cases, 10 provide avishly Tor
personal relatives in others, 10 reward sycophantic
frends-in some, To stop the mouths OF hungry patt-
cans hocking here by thousands io the spos OF VIC
tory in Others TO crafty members OF Congress, whose
immaculate purity during the canvass had denounced
the venal tendency of such appointments, but who h
forwards wished opportunities, Ike Messrs. Webster,
Bell and Granger TO figure as confidential advisers IN
the palace or like several others, la,ter royalty in
foreign courts, fatten on the. oaves and fishes
Of the customs. Or, i, has been done, because
a friend recommended this that Democratic
Postmaster TO be made "a heed shorter, merely
10 help satellite, or, because a sagaclous Sena
Tor from the remotest East, urged his share in the
spos of Offices for his Wing partisans fercely, be
tore he left the Capitol, 10 get early as the 18Th
and 10Th of March, and carry home IN his pocket
vndicive list Of removals and new appointments for
most Of the important stations in his State Besides
several instances in Hon Mr.. McRobers speech, be
fore mentioned where leading Wing journals had ad
mted tina, such in The Yves, Colonel Milburn,
and Governor Dodge, were removed without any jus
rhable cause, MIR. Clay himself AZ the Extra Session.
made a mockery OF the whole preience, that there
was any reason in morals public misbebavor for
most of the removals which had then taken place
Mr. Buchanan said to him "Had he, (Mr. } mt
over and over again denounced the late Administration
on the ground Of prescription" for making removals
from Office 1t is sated in the Congressional Globe,
June 81, 1871, page l02, that "Mr Clay, from his
seat in jocnlar way said, II did, Sir, bm our posi-
ZION groos cut cfe necessity Of The eose We can
not indeed Sir consent 10 ao~ Ioar friends 10 r,m"tn
confidence.
This IS masks off after the election. This is bare
faced.
Quite much were the masks off afterwards, IN
July, 1912, when General HARRISON Postmaser-Ce-
neral gored IN the feet shat LETT IN power two weeks
longer, he would have removed three thousand more
deputies; and without my pretence, that II vas either
for previous moral Official msconduc'; clss 'hs 70
lnovals ought TO have been made before he left.
When we examine with little care the names OF the
prescribed far detailed IN this article, and Of
others in the oicial documents before c'td j, ~ r.
dicuous make any pretence that most OF them were
expelled from Office for any cnnse nj oil Ike those -
Indeed SO manifest this, that many have been
since restored to their former places and others eie
va,ed By the people s HI her What Dare any one
cav that James ~ Barker removed from the station OF
First Comptroller, but since restored, aud retained IN
another situation the same department, was removed
for immortality and ncapaciiy? Or that stephen Al
len, Of New York. the faithful Spartan officer, was re-
moved from the situation Of ReceiverGenerel Tor pc.
culaton Or as to John r. Hall, now member OF
Congress from New Hampshire, was he removed for
uniiness from the office of Dis,rc, Attorney, and TO
make way for Abolitionist' Or as 10 james H.