Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-06-22
For The Enquirer
ro WILLIAM BALLARD PRESTON


mo. III ,.,ter of
no,o, su,ncsc that shall deem u ni ne ~
-, ,ons, mnorlauce whether you WIN spaI
lne ,. r. ,o,r time from official engagelne",s
- - r.,d wbal shall address you. ms ~
,.;Il he a matter of perfect iiaihe'e'
n = oply because by some strange ~
,ccuny The position Of Secretary u .ne
and the peculiar representative oi w h,na
,he Cabinet of General Taylor, .na'
nlaced your name al the head oil liiis aru.'e
N.nber YOUR public services, past GA
established reputation or sacrlhces iol w So -,
"a God entitle you even 10 this poor
But srandiog as you do before Inc COUNTY ,t 80
one of the selected agents Tor carryipg ou, ~
Motley Of the present administration ahu -
ing The high trust OF one OF the Secre'alie' GU
advisers of The head of that administrators ia
should be held responsible for tha' pohoy hra
made 10 bear your part Of the censule ~ a,as Ina
YOUR part Of The commentator winch .,n
bestowed on its acts. Adoeu " '"'.' r.,non.
Der that you are son of this ancien. .arasssd
wealth; that in times past you na'e p.o .bsr.
an ardent and abiding devolion ~ ~ S;no;nIes
ished and well established poi,u.a' f.a r. IN
that among these, and Prooapy ~. Wv"
aud uniformly chung, Is Inc 'lee 49, ,.a.aood
differences in political seh.iih'u.' .,oJ md
- rr.o, man If al parties have hated ana
Iaa,hod tho snoils system, and have inculcaleu
- ,na;n,oined the doctrine that no honest
s.;,hfnI o,d capable ministerial officer should %
,hrrot f,om office because Of any political oplli
;ons ba might entertain Remembering all tnis
. nd advertipg 10 the promises given 10 the people
,bot xo;r chief aud President chad no enemies 10
nnn;sb nor friends 10 reward" and that YOU anu
aIl his leading friends 10 The South, again anu
AGAIN, assured the people that his election "oulu
heal all our political strife, and bring peace anu
good will into The administration OF Inc Govern
mep,. and thai that administration Wouiu DC
conducted on those lair and generous pIiuc'pies
which governed and directed me poiiey VI ou'
earlier Presidents, the wonder IS, 'nd' any "id.
claiming title TO The character of fairness and OF
honesty, should have remained SO long ~ 'h'
service OF any leader as you have done, VINO, Nv
h,s conduci. has in The briei space ol three
months and halt So ialsified every promise
and every assurance given by him and his
triends-those promises and assurances re-
neaied by yuu time and time again, 10 WIN Inc
votes ana confidence Of the people. DO you re-
ouire specifications for sustaining these grave
chareesl II your own memory Will mol supply
them, offer no a, oosy Tor putting iheh ON me
record. RAISING by the removals by scores, nay,
hundreds, OF Collectors, PosImasteIs, Attorneys,
Marshals, Receivers OF PUBIC money, hu1i-
tors inspectors OF The Customs, and other eth
cers in other States, and al The City OF Washing
ION. and in many Instances, Inc ming ol lhese
vacancies by The appointment ut men who
have on all occasions, and IN every struggle
in war or in peace, been the opponents VI lhrir
country ant III" advocates and support 7
ri The cause 81 he nations with whom We
have had strife or difficulty not stopping
10 compare The relative meri', and devotion
10 our beloved country AMI lis glorious iusll'n-
cus, oi those eleclcd from office with lhelr sue
cessors--nor 10 institute an enquiry INTO me
relative qualifications ur The Offices n'led by
these prescribed with the selected appoiptees 81
the Executive, proceed TO enumerate the cases
in Virginia in which General Taylor and ms
Cabinet have grossly offended public senli.
msnl, and departed firm all The pledges given
BY them before ms election. Colonel Big
ger, Nj. Loyal and Doctor Butler have
been retained. For this iotbeafance, acsnow
edge that you and General Taylor have per-
formed your duly 10 The county look not be-
hind the act TO ascertain thr motive By which u
was prompted. II is enough that, in these nsisn.
ces,-allhcush occurring JUS on The eve oil The
first election in Virginia after Gen Taylofs
rlectiou,--l find nigh and honorable act per-
orme! by the new administration and good
faith .ep with Ihr country. prefer 10 believe
that, when Just fresh from The past stirring Pre-.
.iteniaI election, and just coming into power
General Tayl,r anu his connseors remem
teied and Kept lheii promises 10 Inc people
rather han 10 suppose that they were acualed by
any apprehension oi mischief, 10 me then ap
preaching election, from contrary couiS" OF nc.
ton.
How sineulaTy, however, does this contrast
with what immediately followed Scarcely had
n .al NJ Mt a
comfilGrc and roul 9. your parry been ascer-
tanned; hardly had il been known 10 you and your
associates in Washington, thai This blessed Old
Dominion had by her De nocfaiic vote, elected
fourteen oul Of iieeen Of her mem ers IN The
next Congress, who STOOD opposed 10 General
| TAYLOR, and had, by the same vac, rejected the
| Star OF Culpcper, and sent man sound on The
| Wilmol Proyso in his stead, Than The Snilonc
ul prescription was -Trced v ithin our borders
| and the Posmaslsls at Winchester, al Wheel.
| inc, and al Harpers Ferry, we're removed. In
! medalely followed the removal OF Mr.. White,
| al Norfolk man who, bu the other day, III a
conversation which held with a distinguished
and faithful member u the Wing party, and who
| resides ia The ely vi Williamsburg, he, 10 lhr
| ENQUIRY "whal sort oi an officer did Mr.. Whiilr
| make Z" promptly replied, first rate" Was Mr.
| Whulle capable, was h honest, was he iaI,hluIi
| Who yares siaGd upani have the brass 10 answer
| nav 10 any one OF these enquirics} Aud YET you
whose honorcd ancestors constituted bright oIna-
menis Of The polished and liberal society ii the an
cienr Borough OF Norfolk, have, with subluet
spirit, stood passively by, an seen such man q
| mean public man, Tor hardly know Mr.. Whit
| tie sacrificed on the altar Of The demon Of party
| pfoscrip,ion. Whittier has fled the noble spirit
| and chvaric bearing oil your generous and kind
| father ot that uncle, Gen. Ro. b. Taylor whose
/ IL hald in uuu
by all who knew him. True, you dared not
touch George Loyal, bu. you have sacrificed two
victims while you have spared him. Whiule is
! remogci from lhr officer OF collector, and iheu, II
| voar particular department., comes As hearIless
| and cruel an acl Of prescription as has ever dis
| oraccd The annals OF the most corrupt aud iyran-
| nical government which has ever borne sway 10
any time Colonel Jordan, he Nava Store
keeper a, Gosporl, is known to be an old fash
toned Virginia gentleman Kind, hospisbc
and generous ne has been long distinguished in
Portsmouth as one o. her best and most beloved
citizens With large family, and most of them
daughters, he was dependent mainly for his and
their support on the slender salary which he
derived from the tolls Of his office All Of this
you knew, and you also well knew, or mlght
nave known, if it had been your pleasure 10 en-
quirc, that Colonel Jordan was capable, homes,
and failhful-that nc gave, in The discharge oil
the duties of his office universal satisfaction
The madness Of party prescription has, under
your guidance, driven this good old man from
the public employment, and his place is to DC
supplied by ono who many OF bis own party
declare their amazement should have been you'
fsrorits. Enough for the present. hope tc
follow these examples by others, not less concu
sive Of the failhlessness of YOU and your associ
aes, 10 my next. YORK.
lAn