Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1849-07-11
. A scorching Letter,

to the President from our young friend
B. F. BRows, Esq, Of Ohio, (says the
Union, who was lately removed from
Office for his political opinions, by the
present .no party" administration; an adj
ministration which was elected by its
pledges to make no removals for opinions
sake, and is pursuing a course Of pro-
scription without parallel in the history
of the country; which dare not avoW
the true reason for that prescription, but
seeks to blast the reputation, while it takes
away the bread Of its victims. This let
ter exposes the matter in its proper light,
and ably vindicates the character Of those
whom the administration is endeavoring to
as perse. 1t severity consists In its truth,
and the fearless manner in which it enfor-
ces the truth:
WASHINGTON, June 4, l849.
SIR: On the first day Of this month ]
received letter from your Secretary of
the Treasury, notifying me Of my removal
from Office. Having distinctly declared
in your inaugural address, with the oath
of Office fresh upon your lips, that you
should make honesty, capacity and fldeii-
ty, the requisites for appointment to otflce,
and the want of them the sole cause Tor
removal; and it being repeatedly stated
by your principal organ in this city
that all removals are made upon that
ground, it would be presumed in the
transactions of honorable men that l have
been removed for dishonesty, incapacity,
and unfai,hlulness in the discharge Of my
official duties. 1t is due to myself, and TO
those who procured my appointment to
Office, that l disprove such charges. l
was appointed upon the recommendation,
among others, Of Gen. Thos. L. Hamer,
who fought by your side at Monterey,
and sacrificed his life in the war which
made YOU President. 1t is due to his
memory that these foul and Infamous i'm
putations upon my character be repealed.
Upon receiving notice Of my removal,
addressed the following letter to your
Secretary:
WAsHIeTos, June /, l949.
SIR: l have this day received from you
dismissal from office, l respectfully re-
quest Of you a copy Of the charges against
my honesty, capacity, and fidelity in the
discharge of my official duties, if any ex-
list. Very respectfully,
Benz. F. BRowS.
Hon. WIN. MEREDITH, Sec'ry OF Trea y.
To this letter | have received no reply,
for the reason that there are no such
charges. was removed for my political
opinions alone. Were this given as the
reason for my removal, should submit
cheerfully, proud that am considered
worthy to be sacrificed for my principles.
But you have neither the disposition nor
the honesty to admit the fact. By SO do
ing, you would place yourself before the
world self-convicted of the violation Of
your most solemn pledges, made in the
presence Of God and the people. You
prefer rather to attach the stain Of infamy
to those whom you displace from office;
10 prostitute the presidential office into an
infamous engine, by which you may De-
fame the private character and blacken the
reputation of your fellow men, after hav-
ing deprived them Of their means OF sup
pert; a course of conduct in Chief Mag
istrate which will find its parallel only in
the atrocity of the bandit, who first seizes
the purse and then driven the dagger to
the heart of his plundered victim. But
there is power in this country more
potent than the edict Of President, or the
DEGREES of an irresponsible cabal. upon
whom he may seek % throw the respon-
sibility and odium of acts which he dare
not perpetrate in his own name, but for
which he is himself alone accountable -
That power is PUBLIC OPINION, and to that
tribunal the humblest citizen can appeal.
Your fellow citizen,
BENJAMIN F. BRowy.
His Excellency ZACHARY TAYLOR, Pre-
sident Of the L. S.