Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-01-11

S"~ eaa bo AEahsot y W npDCaE " III
side against the Governor, they declined publishing Il, un.
less rs an advertisements IL should not have boen the
h in'hn a s;Ns Sa.h 10 S b, n. aPPesrsa through ,sa Enquirer,
my memory be faithful. I have seen In that paper sesolu.
tons, adopted in primary meetings of the people, asking
him TO resign into their hands tho office he now holdsE
l have, therefore, to beg Wing indulgence. know no
reason why a Governor, any more than the hnnibiesf citi.
zen in this land Of liberty, should be held sacred from
eensurc, or the charge, if need be, OF prostitnting his
office TO the accomplishment of unjust and personal ends;
bu', on the contrary, In my opinion the strongest and most
.aii:faeiory reasons exist to induce the patrio, to hold up
such conduct to the public view and public reprobation.-
You will oblge me IL you will give this paper an carly in.
sertion in the Wing.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. n. BROOKS
FOR rRE ENQUIRER.
RIcuNoSp, Va, Jan. 9, 1854.
To Jos. JoHSsoS, Governor of Va:
sir-As 1 was just now about starting from my Office TO
pay my usual morning visit to the Penitentiary and Armo-
~, a friend stepped into my office and informed me that
you had appointed DIR. Roddey to the office Of Surgeon Of
these Institutions, which for eight years previously had
been held by myself. You, doubtless will recoilect that
last year, Just before the time of my resppointment, hav.
ing heard that there were applicants for the Office, (Dr.
Roddy was then an applicant, and had been, a. l was in.
formed, several times before during your administration
and that OF Gov. Floyd 1 askei you if any charges had
been preferred against me and whether you designed to
make a change m the office. You replied that none had
been made, and, unless there should be, that you would
not; and If any should be made YOU would inform mo OF
them, asi they should b. properly Investigated; this. you
' St""S s"1 a Jaw u tsut otNcpcCt. MOI
having heard of any charges being made against me
since. j therefore, had not the slightest doubt Of being re-.
appointed until l ws told that DR.. Roddey had been. Now
whilst i do not aud cannot question your right TO appoint
TO this office or TO any other Office within your gilt any
persons you may choose, yet | do think, and l am sure
you win sgree with me, as all right minded persons must,
that when an officer has been displaced, and especially IL
he belong to the same political party with the power tina;
displaced him, that justice requires that he should be in
formed Of the causes of his displacement Unjust, there
fore, request you TO inform me what charges, if any, were
made, and BY whom made, that induced you to make the
change. Respectfully,
The above is a copy Of a letter which was handed to
the Governor, and the following u copy of his repl,
ID it
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT., Jan. q, 1853.
On. j. y. BRoocKs,
Sir-fours ofthe 9th insi. has beeh received. In reply,
have TO state that no charges were formally prefer red
against you, but ] had become satisfied that public opinion
required that another should be appointed to the position
filled by yourself, and, in mskingt the change, | have hui
carried out the Democratic doctrine of rotation in Office,
in "a much as you state that you had filed the office 70,
the last eight years.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOS. JOHNSON.
1t IS very convenient for one to protect himself from
censurc by the shield of public opinion" twould have
been more satisfactory TO me, however, TO have been in
formed when and how this public opinion has been
expressed. / have not heard of any expression Of 1.-THE
vote may have been confined to the friends OF the appli-
cants for the office, and taken very secrely-my friends
being excluded from the polls. " so, candid and honest
minds will be apt TO come TO the conclusion, that there
was some foul play; something rotten in the state o..
Denmark" Some friend of the Governor ought to eau
ton him TO beware how he commits himself implicitly, to
the behests of public opinion, IL he loves the office he
now enjoys; for a suspicion has, some how OF other, been
created, that he il not an especial favorite of public opin-
ion; and il he leave it wholly to his will, he may, if this
suspicion be well founded, be dismissed from office, before
his term will expire, By the constitution. Few men, very
few, have held offices OF profit and trust for any length OF
time, aud escaped altogether charges, either formally CT
informally, made against them. Our aniahle oldGoyernor.
himself, can scarcely claim To be considered an exception.
/ did not know before, that rotation in office" was a de-
lnocratic doctrine and | have belonged TO the party all
my life; and am not willing to believe this great party
had recently decrced, that n faithful di charge of the du-
ties of any ONCE 10. a term of years, di~squaliies the officer
who has discharged them for u longer continuance in office.
IL so, what is to become OF the leading spirits of our par
ty-are they to be consigned to oblivion, aud our political
pathway no longer TO be lighted lay their experience and
WISDOM MOI the Democracy will disclaim this doctrine,
now attempted TO be ingrafted upon il, as originating IL
ignorance and selhshness ; hut will remind the old gen
tleman, as he appears 10 have forgotten il, that with tn.
party, faithful and efficient services, constitutes some CLAIM,
TO political p%refeTment. But. let mo ask if the Governor
practices what he breaches. In his recent appointments
to office, has he made many, or any other changes and
will he in those he will soon have 10 make? If he has
not and will not, he will not be considered To be strong in
the faith" Lest some may be nisled by the language in
the Governors letter, "that no charges were formally pre-.
ierrsd Against me" will state that it was the duty of the
officers Of the PepleniiaTy and Arnory, TO have preferred
charges formally against me, IL Ia their opinion. / had not
discharged properly the duties of the Office. They made
no charge, and the Governor did not even consult them on
the subject. They had received no intimation that he de.
| signed 10 remove Int-and when Officially notified Of tile
fact, were as much surprised rs I was, when first told of it.
They have kindly furnished Inc the following testimony in
their replies to my notes addressed to them
PEaIrESTIARy OF Va,
January 9th, 1854.
DR.. j. n. BRoocKs:
Dear Sir-Yours of this morning, by the
servant, has just been received, and | reply, that you have
attended regularly to your daily visits at the Peniten-
tiary, or when absent, appointed some other physician To
attend ia your place. Your obi serv't,
G. s. MORGAN,
Superintendent Penitentiary.
Richmond, Va, Jan. 9Th, 1854.
To DIR. j. n RRooEs:
DEAR SIR,-In answer To your note Of inquiry Of this
morning, asking me to state whether you was faithful and
attentive nthe discharge Of yOnr duties whilst surgeon OF
the post under my command, ! have to say, that With a
single exception, satisfactorily explained, about a year
ago, you have, so far "a ] know, been both faithful and
CHARLES DIMMOCK,
Capt. Pub. Guard.
al single exceptions" refers to a difficulty occurring
between It. Gay and myself, about Is months since, when
Capt. DimmOck was absent fom the post and from the
city all the particulars of which, were stated to the Coy
ernor before my last appointment, in 1859, and could not
hcreiore, have had any just influence on his recent action,
whether lOr 1t. Gay, OF both, we're to blame, asst was and
adjusted % our mutual satisfaction, | have no disposition
to open iLsRain.
soon alter my appointment as Surgeon to the Publis
Guard and Penitentiary, an editorial appeared in the
Richmond Wbig, written am sure, under a miscOncep
ton VI the fdcts. The noble and proud spirit and gifted
mind which then presided over and controlled that paper,
could not have Gno~iiJiV done injustice To any man
that was not the character Of John Hampden Peasants.
which produced the impression on the public mind that
first suggested the removal Of DocL Chamberlayne, with
the view OF getting the office myself Being compare
lively q stranger in Richmond, aud DR.. Chamberlayne
having many warm and devoted friends, and possessing a
strong hold upon the feelings Of this community, it could
not fail To create a prejudice against me with The citizens
generally, and an nnfavorsbe opinion with medical men
for any effort or cndeayor made by one physician to get
the practice enjoyed by another, has ersr been held by
medical gentlemen to be unprofessional and beneath the
dignity aud honor OF the medical profession. was an1.
ious to notice the article at The time, but was induced not
TO DO 20 10y the adyice Of friends. The facts I stated to a
number Of medical friends, who kindly promised to state
I, them whenever an opportunity occurred. Only a few
nights since, a medical friend told me that he had bad
frequent occasions to defend me against ihi. charge.
Thinking ii more than probable that this impression still
exists to some extent, ! will take this occasion to en-.
deayor TO correct it, by a plain and concise statement OF
the Dhois facts ia regard 70 This matter During Gov.
McDowelIs term OF office, Colonel Rutherford was re-