American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-07-25
Communicated
Cabinet Ministers, DO.

Communicated
Cabinet Ministers, &c.
suppose will have to- say something. in
reply to No Clerk" and to the second epistle
of "T.," or those worthless may feel unpleasant.
Short horses are soon curried. No CLERK
labors in vain to represent me as attacking that
worthy class of divines, the Methodist preach
ers. What have published was intended to
benefit, and not to assail, the Methodists.
l should be an ungrateful and undutiful off
spring to assail class of Christians that my
forefathers all belonged to. My great-grand-
father, my grandfather, and two of my uncles
were all distinguished for their piety as Metho-
dist preachers and class-leaders. But no one
of them ever asked for or received a salaried
office under the Government. They were the
men to condemn the Government officials who
would attempt to make political capital by buy
ing up clergymen-taking them from their cir
cults, pulpits, and sacred calling, and making
salaried politicians Of them.
"No Clerk" says there are nothing like forty
Methodist ministers in Office in the Executive
Departments. l am glad to learn the fact.
He asks why do not complain of the appoint
ment Of clergymen of other denominations to
office. would if there were as many of them
in Office as there are Methodist preachers in
place. have no partialities nor prejudices in
the matter. All preachers who are good and
conscientious men, of whatever denomination,
stand alike with me. / could not be bigoted
sectarian if / would.
As to "T.," there is only this to be said.
Notwithstanding his attempt to deceive the pub
lie by exclaiming "Hurl not hireling at me"
he has been smoked out, and now virtually con-
fesses that he is an o6fce-holder That is enough.
His whitewashing of Mr.. Secretary Stuart and
other members of the Cabinet, will be under
stood. He may want to retain his place, or he
may want promotion. As to your call upon
him, Messrs. Editors, to avow himself a Wing
or a Democrat, shall leave the task with you
to smoke him out on that point
But away with the small-fry-I strike at
higher game. A few remarks respecting Mr.
Secretary Stuart, and q few more respecting
Mr.. Postmaster General Hall, will constitute the
remainder of this communication.
Mr.. Stuart is carrying out the doctrine he
ayowed in his Richmond speech. Mr.. Robert
Farnham, bookseller and stationer, of this city,
has been long known as one of the most promi-
nent and efficient Wings to be found at the seat
of Governments Wing who would advance
money for carrying on the Wing cause, when it
was required Mr. Farnham had contract for
supplying the Interior Department with pens.
For some three months he found the Department
getting pens elsewhere. He complained, and
asked for the cause. He was informed that he
had not entered into the usual bonds for fulfil
ling his contract. He replied that he had ever
been ready to furnish the bonds, when called
upon to do so. He was then informed that the
Department knew his standing and credit were
undoubted. Here was seeming contradiction
But it was passed over, and the Department for
some three months got its pens from Mr.. Farm
ham. Then the news came to Mr.. Farnhams
ears that the head or chief clerk Of the General
Land Office had dictated to the Secretary of
the Interior, that Mr.. Farnham's contract had
better be annulled, and it appears, Mr.. Stuart
obeyed the dictation.
Mr.. Farnham, getting out of patience with
the treatment he had received, addressed let
ter to Mr.. Stuart, and stated in substance that
he did not expect justice, as Wing, from him,
after the declaration he had made in his Rich
mond speech. This letter Mr.. Stuart returned
to Mr.. Farnham. His dignity had been offended
by highly respectable citizen and a true Whig
who had done twenty times as much for the
Wing cause as the Secretary Of the Interior
had ever done, and who had never asked to
have an Office conferred upon him. Mr.. Farnham
acknowledged the receipt Of his own letter re-
turned, with his compliments to Mr.. Stuart,
But this is not the only specimen of the ILL
treatment Mr.. Farnum has received at the
hands of members of this Wing Cabinet par
excellence. Mr.. Nathan X. Hall, the smallest
specimen of Cabinet Minister, perhaps, ever
known, was at the Taylor Inauguration ball,
where he lost coat. On his return to Buffalo,
he wrote to Mr.. Robert Farnham, the principal
business man on the Inauguration Ball Commit
tee of Arrangements, and asked to be paid for
his lost coat, which he valued at thirty dollars.
Mr.. Farnham was surprised to see this demand
from one who claimed to be good Wing, but
did not answer the demand, MS there were fifty
other Wings at the ball who lost coats or hats,
and who had not asked to be remunerated for
losses of such character on such an occasion
Some time after this, Mr.. N. X. Hall came on
to this city and called on Mr. Farnham, at his
store, and introduced himself, and also the sub
ject Of his lost coat, for which he repeated his
former demand to be paid He said he had
understood that money had been left, after all
the expenses Of the ball had been paid, and he
saw no reason why he should not be paid out of
it for his coat.
Mr.. Farnham asked IL he did not consider
himself good Wing, and as such was not will
ling TO sacrifice the amount of coat on such an
occasion as that of the Taylor Inauguration
Ball. Mr.. Hall admitted that he was Wing,
but insisted that he ought not to be called upon
to make q sacrifice of his coat
Mr. Farnham then told him that oil the money
remaining, after the expenses Of the ball had
been paid, had been, by order of the managers,
distributed equally between two orphan asy-
lums of this city AS for the coat, he could pay
for it out of his own pocket, if Mr.. Hall wished
him to do So Upon these terms Mr.. Hall de-
clined receiving pay for his lost garment
But was not Mr. Farnham remembered after