Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-12-26
WASHINGTON, d. G.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER %, 1855.
Nltives and Foreigners-Pos Office Quail
ficatiOns. Z.
VEsPAsIAN ELLIS, rd;,o.s
SAMUEL G. BUSEY, hui'orS'

We published, on Monday, letter from
Hon. r. 9. Puryear, Of North Carolina, cor
recting an error in previous account given
by correspondent of the Pennsylvania In
quircr, Of this genlleman's application for the
appointment of n postmaster in North Caro-
lima, and the grounds assumed by the appoint
ing power in comforting post office appoint
ments. We publish to-day letter from Ho-
ratio King, Esq, First Assistant Postmaster
General, who desires to correct what he as
sumes to be erroneous, in Mr.. Puryear's state
ment of the conversation between himself and
that gentleman. As an act of justice accorded
to agentleman who claims it at our hands, we
cheerfully publish Mr.. Kings account Of the
conversation, and, without meaning to dis
parage his claim to crcdcnce, we may be per-
mitted to say, that the Post Office Department
is party on trial in this instance, and that
Mr.. Puryear is competent and credible wit
ness against it.
In order that the public may readily com
pare and fully comprehend the differing state
ments, we insert first, the article which we
published on Saturday last as follows
"PosTMAgTER GENERAL AND THE KNow-NorH-
IsGs---' Homo the Washington correspondent Of
the Pennsylvania Inquirer says: There is some
little excitement among legislators attached to the
.s,~-;.aa Order caused by the refusal of Post,
master General CanpDeH To appont a gentleman
Postmaster in small town in North Carolina The
report is that the Hon. Mr. Puryear of the House
Of Representatives, waited upon Judge Campbell
and presented TO him strong recommendation,
signed by many respectable people residing in the
dtsbnr -. l..
ticuar person. Mr.. Puryear was asked by the
Judge il the man named for the office was Know
Nothing, TO which he replied be did not know, but
he would respectfully inquire If he did belong to
that organization, would il be cause for withhold
ing the commission from him. Judge O. replied
unhestatingiy, that under no circumstances would
he appoint Know-Nothing to Office" :.
On Monday, the Hon. Mr.. Puryear sent us
the following letter, rs correction Of the state
ment copied from the Pennsylvania Inquirer,
as follows:
House. OF REPRESENTATIVES,, Dec. "a, 1855
DEAR SIR; see in your paper of 22d instant
statement concerning tho appointment of post
master in my district at Madison, Rockingham
county North Carolina, which desire TO correct
The conversation to which you allude was between
Mr. Horatio King, lst Assistant Postmaster Gene
raj, and myself and not with Mr.. Campbell, the
Postmaster General as stated in your article. With
this exception the statement is correct, far as
1t goes, but IL does not embrace all that occurred
between Mr.. King and myself on that occasion.
When made the application for the appoint
ment, Mr. King asked me II the applicant we're a
Know Nothings / replied that did not know
whether he was or not and asked him IL 1t were
possible that his being Know-N Nothing would be
an objectiong He replied Yes, am acting un.
der orders not TO appoint any Know Nothing, and
TO turn out all whom / know to belong to the or
der" then asked him If native-born citizen and
foreign Roman Catholic, both equally competent
we're to apply for the appointment, on which would
he beetow 1t lie said he should be compelled to
appoint the foreign Catholic. / then left the De-
partment, and do not know whether any appoint
ment has yet been made or not.
Very respectfully, your obedent servant
r. @. PURTKAR.
In explanation and correction Of the above
statement, Mr.. King sends us the following
letter, to-wit
WASHINGTON, Dec. "a, 1855.
MrssRs. EDrroRs: In your paper of this evening
the statement given by the Hon. II. @. Puryear, Of
a conversation be recently held with me, in regard
20 the appointment Of postmaster at Madison, N.
c., is incorrect. | do not wish TO be understood
as charging the honorable gentleman with inten-
tional misrepresentation; but the conversation as
1t occurred, was substantially as follows:
When Mr.. Puryear presented the application for
appointment, remarked, laughingly that sup
posed the candidate was good Know Nothing; 10
which he replied that he was not himself mem.
Der Of the Order; that he did not know whether
the applicant was or not and asked IL mans
being Know Nothing really made any difference
at the Department in considering applications for
appointment Ny answer was, that II did; that
we net only did not appoint Know Nothings, II we
knew il, but that we turned them out whenever
good Democrats were recommended for their
places. He then asked, II Know Nothing and an
Irish Catholic, both equally competent, pre-
pointment2 ! replied, that 1 would answer by
saying that the fact neither of his being an Irish
man nor a Catholic would prevent his receiving |
the appointment if he was good naturalized citi-
zen.
l might, also, in strict accordance with the truth
have added, that In appointment Of postmasters |
neither mans birthplace his religion is ever
made the subject OF inquiry but denial of the |
obligations imposed and the rights secured by the
constitution is a matter which does not escape at.
tenton.
| am, respectfully, &cs
HoRATIo KING.
Nessrp ELLIS & BusEY,
Ids American Organ
Washington, ID. o.
Mr.. King seems TO be DESTROYS OF creating
the impression that his first remark or ques-
ton to Mr.. Puryear, was "laughingly," and
not seriously made, 10 wit: whether the can
didate was now-Notbing2' But unfortu-
nately for this position, it turns out from Mr. |
Kings own showing, that when Mr.. Puryear