The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-06-02
For the Union
To the Postmaster General.

SIN When General Taylor proclaimed that he was
''lhe peoples candidate" his friends here believed him
When he, his present Secretary OF State said he had
"n6 friends to reward, and no enemies to p1nsh" his
friends here believed him.
He has made YOU one of his cabinet officers and when
you took your seat az SUCH the very act Of your accept
gave your sanction TO avowals such are named
above You clothed with power to do much good or
evil either By carrying out principles the PRONUNCIATION
OF which won for him his success, or by abusing the
confidence which the people so readily gave him
In no offices controlled by the government have the
people at large direct interest in the thousands OF
post Offices throughout the Union; and at commercial
points like this, that interest is ie every day and every
hour The business transactions which hundreds have
with the incumbent, may by his address, conduct and
disposition, be rendered pleasant or odous 1t were need
less en to say, that IN case Ike this the WISHES and
feelings OF those, who by heavy postage-iax sustain the
Office should be consulted before all things else.
You have Just turned out OF this post office gentle
man every qualified TO discharge his duties, and who
has TOR years discharged them with satisfaction both 10
his government and 10 his fellow citizens.
You have turned him out, because he is democrat
You have done So though leading and influential wings
who have long and intimately known him have by word
and by letter. urged upon you the mpolcy OF the step
You have done this regardless Of the pledges given by
General Taylor before his election and Which you, as
OF his cabinet officers undertook, by implication at
least, to see carried out in your department But you
have done more than this You have not only disregard
ed your Obligations (assumei at least) not "to punish
enemies or reward friends" but you have gone still fur
Their. You have not only Get aside faithful and ehce
ofcer who gave satisfaction to the government and TO
unnoticed the sentiment the feelings, the wishes of a
large majority of those friends, by appointing to this
office gentleman who, tomorrow, could not get as
many rhig votes III this city as the late incumbent whom
he succeeds These facts addressed TO your calm
consideration; and they may well challenge some little
investigation.
The present officer may do his duty to his government
He may act with all requisite industry and fidelity TO his
trust far he is accountable TO the government but
you must have known, from all the facts presented TO
YOU that his appointment would not give satisfaction to
deal
ing with the office and General Taylor being the peoples
candidate, it somewhat strange that their wishes
have been 80 little consulted in the premises And the
violation of this right is the more fragrant when il is re-
membered that you well knew there other mig APP
picans Tor the office the appointment OF either OF whom
would have given universal satisfaction to wings and
general satisfaction to their opponents The democrats
almost certain change would be made, and perhaps
a majority of the wings desired it but the
plant most loudly from the latter for the gentle
man whom you have honOred with the post is not the
one who could have united anything like majority OF
his own political friends TO support his claims for the
Office and there is not one democrat who would not
have preferred either Of the other applicants.
They stand equally high in public estimation, and are
regarded equally qualified TO discharge the duties Of
with pleasant they universally regarded prefer
able to their successful competitor.
But the injustice OF your prescription does not stop
here You had heard that the late incumbent, MAJOR
Winchester independent in the expression of his
opinions in relation to political men and measures he
dabbles too much in politics for public officer Being
honest IN his pOhucal CONVICTIONS, ana being Tree 10
speak them openly his private intercourse with his TEL
low men, il but too likely, you thought, that he
might bring the influence of his official position to bear
upon " the freedom of elections" Though he never
sought any public avowal of his opinions; yet your
estimation, his convictions too decsded for pubic
functonary 1t is pity but that the same rule had gov
erned you IN your appointment, as III your remouN But
this would not answer "To the victors belong the
spols;" and you not the first man who has adopted
practice this molio much rdicued in wing theory
After ousng upon grounds such these, II might
have been thought you would put in his place who
had meddled with politics, though wing. II
might have been thought moderate wing" would have
succeeded him But you have stamped your conduct in
his removal with acknowledged dupcty gross error
by appointing to this Office who, for the past ten
years, has been violent partisan edtor who as an edit
tor of the Alemphs Eagle has built up his reputation
who known the editor and proprietor of the leading
whig print the western district of Tennessee; who III
every political canvass Tor State national bonors has
taken ultra party grounds and who, by his untrDg and
uncompromslng opposition To democratic and meas
ures has for himself the credit of giving tone and
direction to wing political opinion in this section of the
West Had you felt your duty to reward such services
on the part of your wing friends then Mr. Latham before
any other man, could Justly have claimed the prize.
But such not the creed read TO the voters of No
vember, Is4s Then, the government was be "brough
back its original purity, By getting moderate" mer
in its councils, and by appointing to office whose
known views and conduct would reconcile political diff
ferepces Such was the inducement held out 10 thou
sands who had tired of high party exciement and hi
is the way you have kept the fshss the lesson you
teach prdcticniy after reading out your liberal theory
II the rights and wishes of those interested in the diff
ierent offices throughout this broad Union be con
temptuously spurned by you they have been in th,
case before twevemonh shall have passed away Gen
eral Taylor will earnestly excaim, Save me from my
| friends" MEMPHIS.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, May ls49.
I