The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-30
SIMON DRUMS CASE.
"Not a drum was heard,o

ri mot drum was heard"
THE DIRGEs OF LocoFocoIsM Their
! are many melancholy sounds in nature sue
as the croaking Of frogs in marsh TIL
mournful cry Of a hungry fox on mountain
side; the III phiis and Ia tshoos Of an ow
in wood the baying of a lecherous cur il
the night; and the nocturnal lamentations q
a bsreaved ram-cat. Combine, gentle read
er, and s'pensive public" in your magina
ton all these lugubrious " voices Of tn
night and add thereto
1.-THE VOLTS long howl on Oonolaska's Shore
and you may be able to form conception
of the ululation of the Union, Pennsylv
Man, and other Locofoco papers over TIL
bodies Of decapitated Locofoco office-holders
| Were these gentry executed in reality in
stead Of in metaphor, the lamentation woul,
not be half so great, and they have now thu
good fortune TO be adorned with more virtue,
than will be found in their obituaries ~
Horse-leeches are hard to shake of, and die
rery hard But they are equalled, if no,
surpassed by Locofoco office-holders, for the
blood Of the body polite seems essential to
their existence.
| Among the removals recently made by
the National Administration, that Of Simon
Drum from the post office of Greensburg,
Westmoreland county, has especially ex-
cited the Indignation and pity Of Locofoco-
ism, and caused its venal ''iiors, like hired
mourners it funeral, to put on an appear
ance of the deepest affection.
1t is alleged that the removal of Drum
was wrong because he held the office Of
? stmaster at Greensburg more than forty
five years, under various administrations
because he is old and poor, and had son
who was killed in the war with Mexico.
II is true that Simon Drum has held the
office Of postmaster for nearly half century;
but we cannot understand why party that
processes the doctrin, Of rotation in office,
should urge this Tact as reason for his con-
tinuance in office Mr.. Drum is succeeded
by man who is as fully competent as him
self to discharge all the duties Of the office,
and whose character for honesty and general
morality is as good as that Of his predecessor.
When other things are equal, the fact that
Mr.. Drum has held the Office so long is
reason why he should be removed, and not
why he should be continued He has held
office under various administrations, but his
retention was owing to no unusual ability,
nor fidelity in the discharge Of his duties.
Once Federal, Mr.. Drums political opin-
ions have undergone great changes, and he
had so well boxed the compass-so dexter
ously shifted his sails and made his calcua-
tions-.hat he always contrived to have in
fuence with, and friends around, persons in
power. For years past Mr.. Drum has in
terfered in politics--has supplied the ruling
powers at Harrisburg and Washington with
political information, and during the late
Presidential canvass openly oppo,ed Gen.
Taylor, and denounced him as man en-
tirely destitute Of principle. Both the doc
trine Of rotation in Office, and the Jefferso-
MAN doctrine that natl nal office-holders
ought OF to interfere in elections, fully
justify the Post Office Department in ma
king this removal
Mr.. Drum is not poor man. He is en-
gagged, along with his son-in-law, in the
mercantile business One Of his sons holds
government offi,e, with handsome salary
in the far west. Another son is member
Of the State Senate, and is said to be
wealthy. His family are all grown up, for
his youngest son is Lieutenant in the Uni
ted States army, to which post he was ap-
pointed during Folks administration
Great stress is laid on the fact that son
Of Mr. Drum was killed in Mexico. Capt
Drum was an !, fficer in the regular army,
and fell in the discharge Of his professional
duty, Government has amply provided for
his window and children; ard more than
this, the officers Of his regiment made her a
donation of several thousand dollars. So far
as the comforts and luxuries Of life can soften
sorrow, Captain Drums country and COM
panions have done everything in their power
for its alienation.
Prior to the nomination Of the Philadel-
phia Convention, the entire Locoioco press
in advance, were reviling Henry Clay. Had
he received that nomination, their abuse
would have gradually increased in intensity
until it attained the inlamy Of the foulest
language Of the inhabitants Of the Five
Points Of New York. Yet Henry Clay lost
a gallant son in Mexico, who volunteered to
fight his country's battles, and died in one
OF the bloodiest and most glorious Of them
Did the heroism Of young Clay ever prevent
one Locofoco from denouncng and libeling
his father; Did Gen. Taylor's services in
two wars--his brilliant victories--his uni
versal Kindness TO officers and mcn-hls
hoary hairs and many honors--keep this
same Simon Drum and his friends from OPP
posing and denouncing his sons old COM
mander'
A brother Of Gov. Johnston, Richard, vol
unteered for the war with Mexico, and after
fighting in five battles, fell in the sixth
sword in hand--at Moline del Rey. This
fact never prevented one Locofoco from OPP
posing and slandering Gov. Johnston. 1t
never prevented the Locofocos Of West
moreland, with whom Mr.. Drum has been
and is identified, from pursuing Gov. John
ston with calumnies more atrocous than the
ordinary mendacity Of the party leaders
l..l. ~