Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-10-25
THE REMOVAL OF JUDGE BRONSON


THE REMOVAL OF JUDGE BRONSON.
Greene G. Branson has been removed from
the collectorship of the port of New York, and
Heman J. Red6eld has been appointed in his
stead. John A. Dix has resigned the post of
subtreasurer at New York, and John J. Cisco
has been appointed to that Office. John Romeyn
Brodhead has been appointed naval officer for
the district of New York, to FIJI the vacancy
occasioned by making Mr. Redfeld collector.
In all these changes the prominent and
interesting point is the removal of Judge
Bronson, and the motives which prompted that
removal. Our readers have already been pre-
scented with all the facts necessary to guide
them in forming correct judgment in this
behalf except those we furnish to-day, by pre-
senting Mr.. Guthrie's letter Of dismissal But
notwithstanding this fact, the occasion calls for
comment from US, as the conductors Of an indie
pendent democratic press. l
Why was Judge Bronson removed? This is
the important question, and Mr.. Guthrie's letter
of dismissal answers it in these words, ad-
dressed to Judge Bronson: "You INDUCED in
tenor of remark as to various relations of the
subject, which not only impugns my motives,
but indicates an attitude on your part wholly
incompatible with harmonious cooperation be-
tween us and the proper conduct of the bust
ness of the government" This, then, is the
real point, as presented by Mr.. Guthrie himself;
and, with the lights before us, we can only in
terpret Judge Bronson's removal to mean that
there was an issue between him and the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury. 1t was necessary that
one or the other should retire from Office
Other members of the cabinet had been
coupled with Mr.. Guthrie by common denun-
Citations, so that, practically the President was
forced to decide between reorganization Of
his cabinet and the removal of the New York
collector Was there any choice left to him?
Could he have reorganized his cabinet? We
think not 1t is now the twenty-ffth of Octo-
Der. Congress assemblies on the fourth day
of December. BY no possibility could new
cabinet be organized in time to prepare the
necessary reports for the representatives Of the
States and Of the people, setting forth clearly
the true policy which the President intends to
pursue.
Mr. Guthrie's letter from which we have
quoted is couched in coarse and improper
language. 1t is no better in that respect
indeed it is much worse--than his first uncalled
for communication to Judge Bronson, which
has been so fully criticised, and SO thoroughly
condemned by the press and the public from
one end Of the country to the other. Execu-
tons must take place, but the sensibilites of all
decent people are shocked and outraged by indie
cent exposures and indecent brutalities But
RES epistle are not confined to its manner and
style. There is an objection to its substance
as well as to its form, as the lawyers would say
for the letter is quibling, insincere, and want
ing in direct straight forward manliness II
denies that Mr.. Guthries first letter favored the
appointment of freesoilers to ofice-it affirms
that the first letter limited official consideration
to "those only" who have acted with fidelity to
the principles and organization of the demo-
cratic party, since the last Baltimore conyen-
tion---it condemns Judge Bronson for having
appointed freesoilers to Office without giving
Mr.. Guthrie due notice, so that he might have
withheld his appreciation from such appoint
ments!
Now, this rigmarole is all founded on a mere
play on words which would be unbecominp in
hard-pressed haranguer atthe crossroads. and
calls for the severest censure, when EMPLOYED
by high government functionary. What does
Mr.. Guthrie mean by freesoiler? Does he
mean one who sustained Van Buren, and Adams
in 1913? Does he mean one who has adhered
to the separate freesoil organization that has
General Cass for the Presidency? Ifso, he has
not spoken with due and proper regard for the
truth--for there is no man, even though he be
as blind as bat and deafas dead adder, that
does not understand that his first letter was
intended-plainly, pertinently and specifically
intended-to require Judge Bronson to appoint
freesoilers to custom-house Offices in New York.
But perhaps Mr. Guthrie looks upon the
freesoilers as an extinct race that has disap.
peared from the political divisions of New
York. Let us ask, then, why does he catch at
the word in Judge Bronson's letter, for the pur.
pose Of making it appear that he, Mr.. Guthrie,
punished the New York collector on false pre-
tences2 Does the Secretary Of the Treasury
mean to say that he has required the dismissal
of Judge Bronson, because he appointed mem
beers of the old freesoil organization to of
fee? Is that the point? Is that the issue
that the worthy secretary presents? If so, the
children in the streets viii leave their tops and