Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-04-17

IThe Reason why---More Developments.
Il IL the humor. as quaint old Falstaf would
lsay; of the present worthy incumbent OF the Pre-
sdsasial Office to Be- surprising his friends. iii he
has any y and the world, with succession Of
coup d. etats. or rather. coup de mains; which, at
the time when they 6rst break upon US seem to be
utterly insxplicable.
II turns out however, in the end. that there is
method in all this apparent madness and that
the successor Of Washington, despite bis +" indig-
nant protest. that the powers Of the executive are
being trenched upon BY the Legislative and judicial
l,departmsnts--is magnifying his Office" and, in
every case, 10 bringing The executive falchion to
bear.upon the people. to influence their primary
meetings and the exercise Of their franchise at
| the elections.
Recently, when the President removed his life
long friend and political associate, Vandyke, from
tho Office of United States District Attorney for
Penns yivania, and appointed thereto an old
Wing, who only wheeled into the Democratic
ranks at the last Presidential election; everybody
regarded it as an unaccountable freak, and. per-
|haps, the decapitated Attorney was as much sur
''prscd as anybody else. when he learned that the
President had nominated his successor, without
previously intimating that he had been deposed.
The reasen for this otherwise strange and inexpli
cable affair, has at length TRANSFERRED Mr.. Van
dyke having been cited to appear before the In
yestigating Committee OF the House Of Represen-
tatives, thus lets the cat out Of the wallet:
Mr.. Vandyke testified that he was acting Uni.
tied States District Attorney. he had received no
Al n IF al he nm
] erstood tho President had nominated person to
m, Senate a. his successor: that the ground on
e h, eh his removal was based a difference be-
ee him and the Collector Of the Port. the Prcsi
eat alleging that friendly relations were abso-
i, ely necessary among tho Federal officials in
p. Isdelpha. Mr. Vandyke replied that social
relations were not essentially necessary. rs NIL Off
ciai Jsiness had TO be transacted by correspon'
dencc. which had.to become matter Of record
icr nr direction Of their successors, and that lac
reg d the true cause Of his removal 10 lie his
re To take par, in and his opposition H.. all
e7u sons of Federal officers for the purpose Of
c.c !, lpcal elections and primary meetings
- be- pity - Philadelphia.
u C1,upI then asked the fl.opin. gu s;ion:
Did not the combination ale lei 10 extend to the
a,temp, to coa,rsl Stale tatcaSans. Wines
Such va. the underwriting q the party. Mr.,
CovoDE-Was not the Prea3eri Informed Vt these
combinations. and did he Approve d them? Wit
Myself aud other lea1,sg Democrats Of
Philadelphia had appealed 10 The President in n
protest against it. Mr.. CororL Have you had
any correspondence with the President with refer
enoe TO these combinations! Wi,ness-As u mat
ter Of course all such correspondence, il Any such
had taken place. was confidential and he was
the Committee would SEQ the improperly of hio
answering tho question. This question was not
pressed by tho Committee.
1t appears, therefore, from the testimony of
Mr.. Vandykc, that he was removed because he OPP
posed tho President and the Collector Of the port
Of Philadelphia in their efforts and combinations
to control State eectionsl lie aihrms that him
self and "leuding Democrats Of Philadelphia,
had appealed to the President in protest against
it, whilst the reply Of the President is the SUM
mary ejecmcnt of the only virtuous man in the
concern. from office The prctcxt Of tho author
Of the Fort Duquesne letter for this exercise Of
the power Of removal from office. is. that it was
essary for the Federal officials in Philadel hn
" to DO on friendly terms :" whereas, Mr.. Vandyko
shows that hc and tho Collector conducted their
business by written correspondence, and that no
such necessity existed. But, admitting that the
views of the President were thus far correct, it
would seem that the man who took tho Fort Du
quesnc letter for his gui lc; who, presuming that
Mr. buchanan was sincere in dcployiug federal
intervention and the use Of money in elections ::
and, in the simplicity of his heart protested to
tho President against what was going on should
have been retained whilst the nan who had out
ragged the morals incucated in the President
letter aforesaid and transgressed every law of pro.
priety should have been spurned and driven in
disgrace from tho Office he had prosttuted to such
unworthy ends Such would have boon tho course
adopted by the President il he had been sincere
in tho views expressed in his celebrated let.
ter. But tho donouement ends not here. Auo.
Their character figures in the revelations OF the
defunet Attorney. 1t appears that the Collector
had appointed his brother, Mr.. George W. Baker
editor of the iennsyiranian newspaper, to some po
sition in the Custom House, merely to aid linn
like WendelPs contributions to the Ftansyiraniah
without requiring of him tho performance Of
any particular duties. 1t further appears, that
Tbs Democratic editor and quasi official know
! aohing in tho world about the Custom House ant
/ simply pocketed the salary which his snccur,
! sfor I'd him. Mr. Vandyke shall make his swr
i hateraeut:
Nj 'ANDyKE further testified that GEORGE W
BAKER of Philadelphia, editor of tho Pennsyl
mmid. WAS incorrect when he said that he had il
i ~ way assisted Mr.. VANpyKE in his official dutie
|, S Dstrict Attorney; that Mr.. BAKER, scvcra
!, mouths after his appointment to position in thu
y custom, House, had been detailed by his brother
he Collector, to collect testimony in a certain cas-
which was shortly to DO brought to trial; that MIR
3AkER had been employed very short time il
he matter, certainly not over two weeks, and thu
II )ost evidence that he did nor tako rou,h ,toro