American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-07-18


Justice 60 mr.. stuart.
am not all unmerciful, Messrs. Editors, in
my structures upon the official conduct of Mr..
Secretary Stuart If he does good act l am
sure that will commend him for it, He has
appointed several good Methodist ministers to
Office, from Maryland and Virginia, and would
commend him for it, only fear the Methodist
church-going people are getting to believe there
are too many of their worthy preachers bought
up and placed in office. 1t is understood that
there are near forty of them now in Office in the
Executive Departments. What an amount of
good these pious divines could accomplish if
they were out of Office, and in travelling circuits,
exhOrting sinners to repentance. But MIR.
Stuart, good man, seems to think that they can
do more good, at higher compensation, among
the sinners in the Executive Departments!
And then, if he were to be nominated and run
for the Office of Vice President, how much aid
might not these pious divines whom he has
taken from their circuits and made Office-hold-
ers, at good salaries, bring to the support Of
the ticket honored with his name.
But digress. My object is to render credit
though slow of foot and tardy, to Mr.. John B.
Mark, of Philadelphia, q most worthy and up
right man, and noble Wing | must be par
doned by Mr.. Mark for stating to the public his
peculiar case. My name is with you, Messrs.
Editors, and / hold myself ready to fully sub
stantiate all / shall state in this matter. Mr..
Mark was appointed in the autumn Of 1849 to
a temporary clerkship in the General Land Of
fee. l have no hesitation in saying that he
was the best clerk in that Office engaged in the
same branch of work that he executed. He was
energetic, prompt, quiet, faithful, and correct
No word of complaint from any quarter was
raised against him. This every body in the
General Land Office well knows. After he had
served in the Office for some months as tenn
porary clerk, vacancy occurred in a twelve
hundred-dollar permanent clerkship. BY Mr..
Commissioner Butterfeld's direction the salary
of the said clerkship was for time paid to Mr..
Mark. But after service of about eleven
months Mr.. Mark, who had growing wen upon
his breast, desired leave Of absence for month,
to 60 to Philadelphia to be operated upon. His
nephew, Lisle Smith, esq, of Illinois, q gentle
man to whom, more than to any other, Mr..
Butterfeld was indebted for the force which
pressed him for the Office he now holds, was
here at the time, and he applied to the Commits
sioner to grant his uncle Mark the leave of abb
sence asked for.
Mr.. Butterfaid promised his friend Smith
that Mr.. Mark should have the leave of absence
he desired, and told him (Mr. Smith) to come
to the office the next morning and get the ne
cessary papers to that end. The next morning
Mr.. Smith called at the Office of Mr.. Butter
field for the promised papers, when 10! he
found that Mr.. Butterfeld had left for Illinois
that morning at six o'clock, and that he had
left positive order with his chief clerk for
Mr.. Mark to be dismissed from Office
Mr.. Mark went to Philadelphia and had the wen
cut out of his breast In about month, having
recovered his health, he came on to this city
and made suitable representations of his case,
and the cruelty practised upon him by Mr..
Butterfeld, to the President and Secretary of
the Interior. Distinguished members Of Con-
gress and others did all they could to get the
worthy man restored; but Butterfeld, who was
promoting Democrats and turning out Wings,
was against him from some unknown cause,
and no restoration, for the space of six months,
could be had. AT last, however, Mr.. Stuart
has had the courage, not to put Mr. Mark back
in the General Land Office in spite of Mr.. But
terfeld, but to give. him a place in the Census
office. For even this tardy act of partial JUS
tice, the many friends of that honest man, faith
full public officer, and good and true Whig
John Is. Mark, will cheerfully give Mr.. Secre-
tary Stuart credit, with the hope that he may
keep on doing well. COMMENTATOR.