Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-05-02
MORE LETTERS.

MOhE LEI
The Philadelphia papers contain the cores
pondence between Mr.. Vandyke, late U. S.
District Attorney in that city, and the Presi-
dent. 1t was brought ont by the Covode In
vestigating Committee.
The President, in note to Mr.. Vandyke,
apprises him of the intended removal upon
the ground that sc the official duties of the
Collector of an important port and those
of the District Attorney are in their nature
so intimately connected that it is quite
impossible tor them to conduct the public
business with due regard to the public in
terest, whilst they are in a state of such
open and inveterate hostility, as to forbid
all personal and official intercourse with each
other.''
Mr.. Vandyke replies by saying that the per-
sonal relations between him and the Collec-
tor, Mr.. Baker, are not such as to conflict with
the public interests, and are precisely the
same as they were at the time of his appoint
ment and when at the Presidents personal
solicitation he accepted the office, and are the
same as they had been, with the full knowl-
edge of the Administration, for nearly one
year previous to that appointment. He then
goes on TO say =
" Ny relations with the Collector, as have
frequently informed you in conversation and
by letter, are the result Of my unwillingness 10
approve the conduct Of the Collector an hrs tyran
aical abase Of the patronage Of the Federal Cor
eTHWeH, cIN u Cietc 10 COHLfO[ me UlSneS or LHe
people in their primary local elections. This, in
conformity with your own just views as ex-
pressed in times past, when in 1S39-'40,
1S43-'44 and l847-'4S, it supposed that
the same power was used to prevent your poll
tical advancement, have always disapproved
and discountenanced, to the extent of my abb
lity. The banding together by a Collector of
Customs, of the entire force of subordinate
federal officers, the necessities of many of
whom may compel them to yield their own
convictions to his threats of removal, and the
controlling of the political preferences of
other persons under promises of appointment,
are infringements of the rights of the people,
violation of the Democratic spirit of our
institutions. and at all times dangerous to the
purity and perpetuity of an elective govern
ment." ~
He gives, as another reason, the fact that
the Collector paid to persons professedly en-
ployed in the revenue service large salaries
out of the public treasury, wien such persons
notoriously do not discharge the duties OF
their appointment, but either devote their
time to other business callings, or are en-
gagged in the discharge of other public duties
properly compensated for at lower rate of
salary.
This is a very plain and very full justifca-
tion of the Attorney. Mr.. Buchanan does not
attempt to parry its force, but repeats that
Mr.. Vandyke must be removed for his hoSt-
lity TO the Collector. We have thus the Pre-
sident's own authority for saying that he has
removed faithful public servant, solely be-
cause he refused to become party to the ty-
rannical abuse of the power of the Govern
ment to help the Democracy, and was oppos-
ed to the squandering of the public money
upon political favorites who rendered no pub
lie service.
The Collector of the Port of Philadelphia,
Mr.. j. E. Baker, is relative of the Pres-
dent. Besides making corrupt and tyranni-
cal use of his office. with the connvance of
the President, he quartered his brother, Geo.
W. Baker, on the treasury, who, in his exa-
mination before the committee, said he receiv-
ed salary of ST 200 per annum, and yet could
not state any duty he had ever performed, ex-
cept single trip to New York, a service which,
it appears by the testimony, could have been
performed by competent person for the sum
of $50. 1t is added, by those familiar with the
case. that the committee will have evidence be-
fore them that Baker, instead of acting in favor
OF the Government in revenue cases, as alleged,
appeared to defend persons charged with snug
Cling, and this while he was holding an office
in the Custom House, and at time when he
stated he was assisting the District Attorney.
A certified copy of the Record of the u. S.
Commissioners Office at Philadelphia fully
makes out this fact.
Mr.. Vandyke, astonished at such acts as
these, made some inquiries, by letter, at Wash
the government; and it was probably the fear
of an official exposure through Mr.. Vandyke,
that caused his removal. The President stands
by his relatives and their corrupt use Of the
public money, and the honest public officer
goes to the wall.
AMONG the many issues of base coin which
from time to time were made in ireland, there
was none to be compared in worthlessness to
that made by James III, at the late Dublin
Mint. 1t was composed of anything on which
he could lay his hands, such as lead, pewter,
copper and brass and SO low was its intrinsic
value that 90 shillings of it was worth only two
pence sterling. William III, few days after
the battle of the Boyne, ordered that the
crown piece and half crown should be taken
as one penny and one half penny respectively.
The soft mixed metal of which that worthless
coin was composed, was known among the
Irish as uim bog, pronounced DOM bug, i. e.,
soft copper, i. e., worthless money and in the
course of their dealings the modern use of the
word humbug took its rise, as in the perfect
phrase. ssT That's piece of uimbug." Don't
think to pass off your uimbug on me-" Hence
the word humbug came to be applied to any
thing that had spurious appearance, but which
was in reality not spurious. It is curious to
note that the very opposite of humbug, i. e.
false metal, is the word sterling, which is also
taken from term applied to the true coinage
of Great Britain, as sterling coin, sterling
worth, &c.
~ When lover dotes on his darling,
refusal acts as an anti-dote.