Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-06-15
The stauntan Post Office.


The Stauntan Post Office,
On last "Wednesday morning, the cItrzens ol 'i''S
,,,cs were thrown into quite an excitement oy tue
announcement that Mr.. n. G. BROOKS had been
,anovsa from the Post Office, and Mr. s. S. ABNEy
,n,o;n,ed in his place. Ever since the Presidon-
tal election, various speculatons have been afoat
in regard to this removal. Tho Wings, having
n, favors to expect from the Administration, would
not have been surprised to learn Of Mr.. Brooks,
removal Immediately after the Inauguration OF
Gen. PiERcE; and it was soon whispered that pc
,itions were circulating in thecountry among Dem
ocrats with view to the appointment OF citizen
ofthe town. From some cause or other, however,
this movement did not succeed the papers were re-
turned with very few signatures. In the meantime
come Of the mos. influential Democrats IN the coun-
", as we tho't them, interested themselves warm
Is in Mr.. Brooks behalf; they got up petitions
which were numcrously signed, and wrote letters
to Washington urging that he should be retained
in office. After this unusual demonstration no one
presumed that change would be effected All
u
has been done-when, how, or by whom, Is a pro-
found mystery TO the public. The most infuen-
tal Democrats of the county it appears are not as
influential at Washington as some others; their
efforts have proved unavailing; they have been
out-maneuyred; the small boon they asked, that
the man of their choice should not be turned out o.
office, has been denied and the President who
once upon time, in the United States Senate,
Indignantly denounced prescription TOR opinion $
sake, and declared in his inaugural that ne had no
resentments to remember, has lent willing ear
TO the solicitations of few parlizans and perform
ed an act which brands as insincere all the high
flown eloeuence in which he waswont to indulge.
There are circumstances connected with the
original appointment of Mr.. BRooXs and the man
ner in which he has discharged the duties OF the
Office, which render his case one of most ruthless
prescription. He was appointed twelve years ago,
during the administration of JOHN TYLER mo one
was removed to make way for him, but the former
incumbent died at an advanced age, having hetd
the Office since the time of WAsHINGroN. lie
has since then devoted himself exclusively to the
business, and has acquired the reputation OF being
one of the most faithful and efficient Postmasters
in the Safe. No one can say auyht against him
in this respect-nor indeed in any other, for While
his high sense of honor and rigid integrity have
commanded the respect Of all, his unassuming a
inability has disarmed malice itself. SGch is his
peculiar fitness for the place that If the State were
searched over better man to fill it could not be
found. His whole ambition has been to perform
his duty faithfully and conscientiOusly, and this
he has done in every particular. Out OF his small
income-not amounting to much more than hive
hundred dollars, after paying expenses,-he has
contributed to the support of an aged mother, two
sisters and other relatives, and has thus shown
himself model of ilal and fraternal affection, as
well as pattern of official fidelity. But nc is
Whigf He has been no active politician; not
participator in Wing meetings nor contributor OF
money for party purposes; all he has done was to
vote, and that he would have dJre--we say 1t to
his houor-if the axe had been suspended over his
head. Exercising the hamblest RICH; ola free
man, he saw fit TO vote for Mr.. CLAY instead Of
Mr. Polk, for Gen. TAYLOR instead of Gen. CAss,
for Gen. Scorr instead of Gen. PIERCE, aHd--the
crowning act Of audacity, perhaps,-the Wing
county candidates at the late election, instead of
the Democratic candidates. In vain was Wing
hberality exhibited through long years in retain
ing the late JAMES PoINrs in the office of Mar
shall in vain did Democrats and Wings petition
that Books might be retained in the Post Office
The has been unceremonously thrust out. He
now retires to seek livelihood in some private
occupation, fayorite with all classes Of the COM
munity, high and low, bond and free, unless we
must except a few virulent partizans, who have no
sympathies for any one outside of their own poit-
ical organization and, what is better and more to
be desired, he has the appreciation of his own con-
science.
Il is represented that Mr.. BRooxs regards his
removal as light matter and is contented to share
"the fate Of war" He does not indeed utter un-
manly lamentations, but to no one would such
change DO immaterial. The profits of the office,
though small, constituted his support, and, after
devo.ing twelve Of the best years of his life to the
public service, he is now heartlessly cast off.
We submit this case to the consideration of the
Wings Of Augusta county and Virginia, without
further comment at present. If they are not slim
ulated by it to make more determined resistance
to the tyrannical party now in the ascendant
they are not the men we take them to be
Mr.. ABNEY, the new Postmaster, resides some
eight or ten miles in the country. He is re-
spectacle gentleman, and the worst thing we have
ever known Of him is, that he has concurred in
this unjusti6abe act of prescription. Professedly
thoroughgoing Democrat, we wonder it does not
strike him as decidedly un-democratic to accept
office against the wishes of aine tenths of the pco
pie Immediately interested.
Circuit Court.
The case of the Commonwealth against SARAH
y. CROFT, for infanticide, was decided on We'd
nssday last by verdict ofnot guilty. The case
excited much interest and sympathy in the COM
rpt,rity. and when tbo ,,.~l;..