Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-05-28
From the Mac-a Cheek Press.
ChevaIier WIKI Of--The Nature OF the
peciaI Dispatch Service--HOVv the
Secret Service Fund is Disposed of.

ChevaIier WIKI On.-The Nature OF the
peciaI Dispatch Service--HOw the
Secret Service Fund is Disposed of.
Henry WikOff, the unhappy lover of a Miss
Gamble, the no less unhappy follower of Old
Pam, the late occupant of a Jail, and hanger
on at the White House, commonly known
Chevalier Wikoff, has been appointed by
President Buchanan, Special Bearer OF Di,
patches to the Celestial Empire, and paid for
his services out Of the secret service money
PERTAINING to the Diplomatic Bureau of the
State Department.
This sounds very grand. and for aught we
know may be magnificent. or it may not be so
magnificent. The said Dispatches are likely
to turn out bundle of old Heralds or worse
yet few numbers of the Constitution. But
one thing is very certain, and that is the pay.
We have connected with the State Depart
meut IA certain amount of hard cash, known
as the Secret Service Fund, and it il general
ly disposed of as the President now disposes
of this, in errant nonsense. But our readers
demand an explanation. What is the mean
ing of this We are at IA loss to answer. Our
government is supposed to be a government
of the people-and why there should be any
Department, or any service secret, that is
known to the agent and yet unknown to the
ruler or sovereign, presuppOses considera-
ton difficult of explanation. Yet there is
such secret service fund. and Mr. Buchanan
not long since proposed to increase it to thir-
ty millions. The Democratic party sustained
the proposition. What "A harvest it would
have been to the Chevalirr Wikoffs.
A Bearer of Dispatches is dismal hum
bug, as general thing, and unless he hap
pens to be favorite at the White House, gets
nothing for his services. Sometimes he is
well paid. For example, Mr.. ID. X. McRAe.
late consul at Paris, came 10 the United
States as Special Bearer of Dispatches, fetch
ing home the celebrated OStend Dispatch, and
paid his expenses, amounting to over
$500. A month later Mr.. Dom Piatt was
sent home from Paris as special bearer of
dispatches, and presented his bill of expenses
amounting TO $500. But Secretary Marcy
who had grumbled at the McRae affair, swore
he would not pay this. The Cabinet over
ruled the Secretary, and this too was paid.
We trust when Congress comes to Investigate
certain strange expenditures connected with
the secret service fund, these may be looked
into.
We heard once of certain bearer of dis
patches who proved faithless to his trust and
| brought orr worthy old President into ridi
cule-he at the time being United States
Minister at London. Some lady-an Ameri-
can--in London, had commissioned the wife
of our present Minister to purchase her two
pair of stays-vulgarly called cOrsets in
Paris-and leave them at the Legation to be
| forwarded across the channel in the dispatch
bag. Now a Partisan corset is well worth
| this trouble. Made of satin and whalebOne,
the artist studies the form divine. and creates
not what the figure is. but what, according
to French notions, it should be. Now as
| American woman-to our shame be it written
never take exercise, their unhappy bodies
generally go in where they should come out,
and come out precisely where they should go
in a &c nd tn Hv
made that will exhibit all the attractions
| bountiful nature generally bestows.
The stays thus ordered were duly purchas-
! ed, aud left at the Legation, to b. forwarded
as directed. The laundering attache, how
ever, foI got to put them in the bag, and the
| next day the Secretary found them in the
bureau. An Irishman lately naturaliZed into
American citizenship. came along on his way
| to London, and the Secretary Immediately y,
TO Paddy's immense delight, nj ID: him
| Bearer of Dispatches, and doing up the stays
with quantities of sealing-wax, gave them to
| his courier as papers of the greatest impor-
lance. They were directed to the Hon. Jas.
| Buchanan. Minister, &C., at London-and the
proud Iiishman was told to give the package
to no one but the Minister himself. Our
| Pathfinder did bis task faithfully until he ar
| rived at Dover, and here he overdId il slight
| ly. He could not resist the temptation OF a
small flourish in the face of the English Off
| ciais.
ATTEND to me Immediately" he cried I'm
| bearer of dispatches, am"
LET us see your dispatches sternly res
| ponded the official. Pat handed them over.
They presented a somewhat singular appear
ance, and the official looked at them suspi-
| cicusly. The unfortunate bearer had punch
| ed a hole in them, and into this hole the OH
Ger peered as if he smelled powder. He
called to his aid other officers, and they
| whispered aud looked, first at the mysterious
packages, and then at Paddy, until our
worthy grew alarmed, aud at last fairly fed,
leaving his important dispatches In the hands
/ OF the Custom House officers. So soon n the
fact was known, the guardians ofthe revenue
tore open the package, and 10 T! the stays were
exposed.
Some days after this event, the Hon. lite
Baruacle, of the foreign Office. addressed the
| Hon. James Buchanan. Minister, &C., &C., in
| forming him that certain articles OF lady Is
wearing apparel, belonging to him, had been
detained at the Custom House, Dover. With
highest consideration. &c. To the Hon. Tite
Barnacle. the Hon. James Buchanan with as
surances OF the highest consideration, dc, re-
sponded that be knew nothing about said
articles Of lady, wearing apparel, and would
beg TO be relieved from further consideration
| OF same. This terminated the diplomatic cor.
respondence on the important subject, oc-
cupying ia all, sixteen pages OF diplomats
foolscap. two thirds of same being taken nI
..Sir, have the honor" &c, and with as
surances Of the highest consideration" &c
&c. And we believe the stays Ia question
are yet hanging in the Dover Custom House
labeled Hon. James Buchanan, warning tc
gods and men.
These little illustrations Of diplomatic ser
vice have taken Us from the subject we sal
| down 20 write upon. Chevalier Mikof Is .
specimen OF a class well known in Europe
but quite rare with u. Possessed OF a good
figure. easy address, unbounded impotence
and troubled with no principles, he travels
TO use "a Vulgar phrase, on the shape. As 10,
agent 81 Fanny Ellsler, he is said from the ex
hibition OF Der nimble l-gs 10 have pocketcd
more than bis contract called TOR. Tie l. mex
known as following aud prosecuting pOor
torlorn old female, called Miss Gamble. and
tor such persecution aud abuse was at lasi
thrown Ia a prisou. Escaping from this
| years after, when his disgust aud wrath had
died out. he published book. eatitled, " Ny
Courtehip and is Consequences" In choice
dull phrase, he set forth his own shameful
conduct fortnne-hunter, and A. the book
WIS iull ofseand Al dirt, and ieas. 10 sid n ell
| ThSA followed another work; that not BEING
! lull Of dirt, IDEAS and scandal. did not sci
we'll he has been the champion OF Lanii
Nspoleon--ihe associate OF jams GoTdou
Bennett and the friend Of James Buchanan
AID now our President. doubtiessly anxistls
| 10 preserve 50 rare = speeimeu, sends him
Special Bearer Of Dispatches 70 the Celestial
| Empire. Popular Indignation wsuld have
long since sent him so---well. somewhat
warmer climate shaa China has and quite lhs