Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-02-27

The following extract from the Washington
Correspondence of the New York Daiiy Times,
shows to what mean shifts and expedicnts the
administration is driven in making the Lecomp-
ton swindle a test of democratic orthodoxy =
WASHINGTON. Feb. IS, 1865.
The removal of the Anti-Lccompton Post
masters nj Chicago, ILL.,. and Columbus, Ohio.
affords sad evidence of Mr.. Buchanan'S reckless
ness. and establishes the fact that in his eyes no
offence of public officer is grave his re-
fusal to indorsc fraud, and no test of fitness
for public place complete unless accompanied
by subscr,iencv. 1t is admitted that both these
gentlemen were faithful and honest public SER
wants. There is no prctence of complaint
against either. except that they do not think
Kansas should De ,yrannically forced into the
Union. How their sentiments on that point
can affect the distribution of mails will doubtless
puzzle ,imp le-minded people exceedingly Mr.
Miller. the Columbus MARTYR, is the friend of
$. Cox. the accomplished Young representative
in Congress from that District, whose Jealous
efforts to defeat the contemplated outrage upon
popular sovereignty demanded this second han
dcd revenge.
The Chicago case is peculiarly marked, and
dsgraeeiulll marked. Mr.: Cook who has just
held the office during the last Administration
and was so VIGOROUSLY incompetent to discharge
It's duties that it was with difficulty his friend
Senator Douglas. succeeded in preventing his
removal. After the appointment of his success
or, il was discovered that Cook was dcfaultcr
to the Government to the amount of some cigh-
teen thousand dollars, which Postmaster Gen
cral Brown percmptorily ordered him To pa, up.
if he did not wish TO be sued upon his bond
When Douglas callednipon him in relation to
the matter. Cook said that he had sold to the
Government a city lot adjoining the Custom
House for Slj0Oo. and had credited himself
with the price of it-but that the Department
had rejected the item, and thus made out the
dctdCltion.
The Senator accordingly wrote to Governor
Brown representing the case and asking him
if it could possibly be done, to allow the credit
for the lot to relieve the EX-po>tmaster from
the imputaton of being a defaultcr, and his
surety from the necessity of responding upon
his bond in these times of severe money pres
sure. The Department, replied that it was i'm
poS>iblc-that Cook knew the money could not
be credited to him, because the purchase was
made on condition that he should make perfect
title to the Government and that the iurisdc-
ton over the property should he cedcd to the
United States, which latter could not he done
for eighteen months, rs the Legislature would
not be sooner in session. Until these conditions
were complied with the purchase was not com
ple'rd and the purchase money could neither
he credited nor paid to Cook Besides, there
were several thousand dollars due on his ac-
counts over and above the price of the lot. In
conclusion, the Department again gave per
emptory notice that suit would be brought if
the defalcaton was not made good.
Thus it will be seen, that the best efforts of
the Senator, when he was in good standing with
the Administration, were not sufficient to con-
vince the Department that Mr. Cooks defalca-
ton was in the least excusablc or to be paliatcd
SO matters stood until few days ago, when
Cook came here, began to denounce Mr.. Doug
las, and was finally reappointed Postmaster at
Chicago, notwithstanding his deiacation, not
outstanding his incompctcncy. and notwith-
standing that he also ,rdS u member Of tie COM
miHce Which reporcd Ia the Chicag0 .inti-Lc
comIton meeting the resolutions indorsing the
Administration, but sustaining Douglas ON the
Kansas question. lie has consented to become
traitor to his principles and his friend, he has
denounced Douglas, and that entities him to
Mr.. Buchanan's sympathy and reward The
extraordinary conduct of the President in this
case is made the more hideous by the fact that
this very morning Cooks surety applied at the
Department to know how his account stood, and
was informed that the reappointed Postmaster
is still dciaultcr on his old account, and that
suit is to be commenced at once to recover from
his bondSman. When the Senate confirms Cook s
nomination, the President will be encouraged
in opening penitentiary doors, and taking from
within them candidates for offices that honest
men can't accept coupled with degrading con-
ditons.