New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-11-01

M f s0 :" sair~ed authority over Collesors in the
S-suci their sgenis' -. 70 ,,
So hink singular that gentleman oil my legal &C.
qsfs.- maj the Collector appoints the various persons
500 IN the Custom Iioure--soms with the approval
80 scrttsry, snG sone on the sole authority OF the
y Singular this may appear to you, it il the
falh;eh has uniformly been pursued since the Oul1a
esf De Government. Weigbcrs, Measurors, G1agers
% gioTsstors have been appointed by the Collector
~ a. ,unrova Of the Secretary while Clerks P0rters
~ sborers and others have been appointed by the
bor alone II has MOI only been under all former
ts.sr;es OF the Treasury, but during your own time
" Clerks POrters, Carimen Laborers, &c, have
srron.ed wiihou, consulting you in any form; and
80 minated doubt a5Ou. the propnety OF this
e rnl you deemed it ezpedient to interfere IN tne
s s.si oolItes Of New iork
S derive their appointment and heir authority
ssi oSce from the Secretary Of the Treasury alone
-.son you assign for this new and ex'ravagant claim
IN Scw that it is wholly without any legal foundation
w isce upon the Consultation Of the United States
S;f po,ides that Congress may, by law vest the APP
i,sIoent of such inferior officers they may think
rar~rir the heads Of Departments You then add
~ scongress has not attempted nor If il had could it
hsye elected any modification Of this provision OF the
sConaiiuion" Aud hence you conclude that the APP
irtmen. Is in the Secretary 1t Is readily granted that
fsgrcss has not and cannot, modify the Constitution
nj s,l your argument amounts 20 no more than this
sssuse Congress may By LaT vest the appointment OF
,an officers In the Secretary Of the Treasury and Con
80 has not modified this Constitutional provision there
M the Secretary has the p0wero appointment In other
y0Ibecause Congress may If It pieases, confer power
A Tie Secretary and Congress has zone hothlbg on INC
s.bect therefore the Secretary has the power Such
elsw and the logic OF your letter
have thus far assumed that you are right IN suppong
bat the clerks, porters, iaborers &C. m the custom
House are public officers within the meaning Of the con
ttution in relation to appointments. But "a uatn tney
ne mere agents of the Collector to aid IN the discharge
= dc duties which the law has imposed npon nm lhey
he hands by which no works and no more officers
= be sene ofhe constitution than arc sooieTs ana sailors
~ army and navy They have never been treated or
bx,f ~
corecor or any else but only as persons employed
- The Collector / hazard nothing IN saying that the
,.im which you have now set up ma: not SHADOW OF
Srdson either in the law OF the land Or III any former
,,,rtce of the Government
W" ' sneak Of "unwsuantable assumptions and q
arsnfest spirit Of characterization on my part, a.
d Tor the removal But you have been wholly unable
.Soy that assumed anything beyond my just rights or
unwilling to act in obedience to your instructions,
" eases where the law had given you authority TO di
- Won must allow Inc TO add that subordinaton in Office
- M. necessarily prove nieriOry and, between gen
Tsr the relation Of superior and subordinate coners
;cM on The one use imperous language and imposes
~ dn,v on the other TO surrender his legal rights
Won oouran that the remarks in my former letter i'm
,,gn your motives did no more than state facts-facs
,rieb YOU have not attempted 10 conroyert and then
"A As 10 the motive Of this movement let others judge
Tyur motives have been mpugned it Is because the iacts
themselves and not any words of mine, create the i'm
psschm Mt
van ,sy about my selecting Free Sellers for Office No
nan can read what said in your first communication
without seeing that you called on me TO appoint larger
rop Of Free Sellers persons who had left the Demo
,rsde Marty and followed Mr. Van Buren, the slavery
oueston in l84s than had before done You spoke of
kepary as being divided into different sections and
complained that my appointments had been generally
made from that portion Of the party TO which adhered
You was not speaking Of the recent division at Syracuse
kr had made nominations after that event happened
Yu were sueaking OF the different sections they hal
existed IN tie past You know very well that adhered
10 that portion Of the party which had not deserted the
national standard in 1913 and no one can ai to see that
YOU Intended should give larger share OF the offices to
he Free Soil section and It's allies And now you think It
worthy Of animadverson that have "seiected Free
You cannot escape under bubble. did not inform
you as you now find it convenient to state. that had
sseleced Free SOilers for Office meaning persons who
are now Free SOiers On the contrary spoke of appoint
ing none but sound Democrats sincerely attached to tho
principles OF the party and firm supporters Ot the ma
"honal Administration spoke of different sections
the party just you had spoken Of thon and told yen
Dot that Free Soers, but that "the Free Soil sertson
lad got its full share of tho offices Your 6nnadver-
sion derives all its force from incorporating the Ian
mage of your adversary
More might be said but it. in reviewing this branch of
he subject you maintain your self respect nothing
that can say would be likely to reach you.
Having as trust shown that the reasons which You
have assigned are utterly worthless il now remains to in
cuie what was the real ground Of removal IL was not
m after the recent break in the party ut Syracuse that
Won found any of complaint against me After the
iy had been resolved into its original elements without
lny agency of mine and by which could not ap
gcye-aer had been compelled to choose between the
two sections and had very naturally adhered TO my old
association with the National DemOcrats-ater the paper
which protested without rebuke, to speak the sentiments
Of the Cabinet had taken the side OF the Free SO section
and denounced traitors those who adhered TO the prn
cps which brought the administration into power-then
twas that Won first discovered that bad not been su
fnty favorable TO the Free Soil section Can any man
Of aud candOr entertain doubt concerning the
i've for your nction think not You intended to take
ground against the National Democrats and throw the
weight Of the administration into the opposite scale The
men who had never swened from the principles OF the
party but had stood fast by the Union when It was IN
danger, were to be borne down by the strong arm OF
power; and because the Collector occupied place OF
some the blow 70 be rendered the more
significant By making il fell him. lOu then wrote me
nnsultng letter. and placed copy in the hands of an
cer of the customs who whispered it about and finally
rave il TO the press a of annoying me. Whether
you intended the officer should act is more than can
sy but far have learned, he still enjoys your
tonfdeIce
And now what was the nature Of the controversy to
which you have made the national administration party
1t wasnOt a conflict between Democrats and Wings but
between two sections of the Democratic party No can
ddates for national Offices in the field and the
Free Soil section honest in proclamng its conversion
10 the principles Of the Baltimore Platform and the lnaug
raj there were national issues at stake II wa
purely NewNork quarrel involving questions OF mere
State policy lnsuch quarrel, member OF the Cabinet
Washington. has taken sides aid has in effect told the
Democrats of this State whom they must select for their
local rulers, and what should be their policy in relation 70
ihe Canals and other matters of merely local interest
Your denial on this can amount to nothing so long
~ the facts remain unchanged
Aside from the principle involved the removal is mat
r Of little moment shah leave the Office AT the close Of
his day with greater pleasure than aceepted siN months
ago. But lave been assaed without cause, and there
has been a gross violation Of the Democratic doctrine
which denies the Federal Government the right to in
sneddc with the purely internal affairs and policy otho
Sse For these have not felt at liberty to LET
wu letter rass without some notice. -
| am respectfully youss, GREENE Z hIONSON'
He4 JAMES GvIHRTE Secre tAfy Of the Treasury
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THE FIRE IN NASSAU-ST.