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

some interesting revelations respecting the man
ner In which . gsvsrnmsnt organ is sustained
He hal made clean breast relative to the mod
I'm wh;sh the government 10 plundered, with thu
knowledge and connisance Of high iunctionaries
who paw party iavorises double price for work. il
order that . fund may BE- created to support news
papers that are disgrace to journalism, and te
enable them 70 control clcctions.--and we COME
now 70 speak Of the auspices under which they
are edited.
sweteft Wendell, with the declaration upon hi,
lips that he never had anything to do about edi
ting his paper!" l. is trno that he VAS the %
.ensib.e editor. a. well rs proprietor, but If q
scrupuluus regard for truth had prevailed. the or
gan would have daily borne at The head Of its Co
lumns this taking andio'posing title. 4" The FASH
iastoa Coastttstion; published byAJames Bncha-
nan. from the proceeds Of the Treasury III the
United S,ates; and edited, under his direction, by
Hon. Jeremiah S. Black, q member OF the Cabi-
met. assisted By Hon. Nathan Appleton, OF tho
State Department"
This. We say, would have been more in accord
ance with existing facts, and instead Of holding
poor Wendell responsible Cor the s;okly and dis
rusting panegyrics Of the President. that were
daily paraded in the columns 81 the o-gan; the
public would have known that they came from
the very fountain head But, We hastsn to lay
the confession Of Wendell. on this point Of the in
dictment, before our readers.
In reply to the inquiry. Who was your editor
be replied
Mr.. Appleton. Mr.. VIM. "A Harris, Mr.. Simeon
Johnson, and Mr.. r. W. Hughes. They were
changed often. .
Q. / ask whether you can state from your own
knowledge. that any of the heads of the execu.
tive departments rrote editorials that were pub
lished in the Taion
A. Ny impression was may say, Judge Black
wrote for it. l think he wrote several articles.
but do not know positively that any other mem
Der OF the Cabinet did. That's my impression. /
could not swear positively. never having taken
manuscript from ,hcm. Mr.. Appleton contribu.
ted A. editor aftAr be went into the State Depart
meni.
Q. Were his prtcies on general politics
A. On general politics.
O. The editors ,of The Onion were designated
by the President whilst you had the management
Of the paperf
A. Yes, sir; whiIet I was the owner Of it.
Q. Was any ono of these editors in the employ
Of the Governmenti
A. Not when they were appointed editors; Mr..
Appleton was afterwards appointed Assistant Sc
cretary Of State, and Mr.. Harris elected Senate
printer.
O. You have spoken Of your liberality be kind
enough to state whether out If the profits Of tho
public printing. You contributed, in 1853. certain
sums to secure the election OF meml4ers Of Con-
gress in different districts in Pennsy lvauia. If
SO, in what districts.
A. | spent good deal Of money in politics,
bnt with all Difference la the committee, | must
decline To answer in what districts.
Here we have frank acknowic1 smen, that tho
Editors al tho organ were "desguntcl by Tho
President that they "were frequently changed"
when. doubtless, they failed to give satisfaction
to tina, august parsonage. whose merit. and that
Of his Administration. il was their chief business
to cxtol and hdld az to an ndmiring world
This must have been the secret Of the frequent
changes that were made in the editorial staff for
Wendell says that he paid we'll for the services
of those cmpl,yel about the paper. He did not
quarrel with the Elitors about the amount they
should receive, but paii them n liberal SALARY"
And when was it ever known that Democrat
would voluntarily reliaquish "fberaI salary
or anything that paid well?" The thing is pre-
posterous and We there lore conclude that sur.
misses relative to the cause Of these frequent
changes must be correct. And 70 the United
States Secretary, Appleton, by the 'designation'
Of the President, was i, receipt Of u salary from
two sources; receiving pay first for his services.
if any he rendered, rs assistant Secretary OF
State, and also as Editor of the Presidents organ
A very good trade for shrewd Yankee, us Mr.
Appleton Is. to drive with the Government.
But, with such amentablc cvidcrce OF moral
obliqu,ty, existing under tire Presidents eye will
his full concurrence, and when high iunc,ionarie
of the Gosernment are permitted to play penny
a-iiner to his Administration it is not to be won
dered at that instances can be found all over tn
country. of his liveried servants controlling hi
party Prcss. Such practice is not only incon
sistent With every rule of propriety. but is bur
.esque upon independent journalism.
Our deponent further exposes the manner il
which Mr.. Buchanan's paper was transferred t
his present fugleman, Gen. George Washingto
Bowman. .
In this matter, also, the President and his A
torney- General, who seemed to be cx.oficio Ed
tor Of the Constitution, are considerably mike
up. Wendell states that he gave Cen Bowma
the newspaper and IS 900 to start with, and II
following colloquy before the committee ana hi,
self ensues:
Q. Did you pay him any more on account
the $40 600?
A. gave him orders on the Post Office Depa,
ment in pursuance ,f an account he rendered IA
of what was due him, which orders subsequeu
ly countermanded. on account Of his not carryir
out his engagement.
@. What did those orders amount to?
III my memory serves me. gave him orde
to the amount If $1,000 or $4,000.
Q. Has he not received payment at the Pc
Office Department., ot thoae orders 7
A. i.elieye not: vet ] d. not know