The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-03-27

election were appointed to official FEEDER;
posltions-n0t, generally speaking. b,
cause of their superior qualifications f,
those places. but as rewards for polite;
services rendered, and as the means
Furnishing others who. being i'll Off,
under the administration Of Presidel
Adams. had not joined in the combn;
ton to put it down.
Up to that time. the national election
in the United States had not been mel
contests for the possession of federal OF
tices-there was victory and there wa
defeat; but the quadrennial encounter
affected only the heads of departments
tive Indifference to the subordinate off
ciai drudges, whose families depended o
their pay for meat and bread. y few q
these department clerks were revolution
AIRY worthless: others had followed tn
federal government from New York o
Philadelphia: all had expected to hol
their positions for life. unless they Shoul
resign to accept a more lucrative employ
mcnt. Some of desk slaves had origin
ally been Federalists. others Democrats
and while there was always an Alexan
der Hamilton in every family of the on
set. there was as invariably a Thoma
Jefferson in every family of the othe
set. But 10 subordinate clerk had eve
been troubled on account of his politica
faith by change OF the administration
and the sons generally succeeded thei
fathers when they died orreSigned. Ordi
narily. these clerks were good penmel
and Skilli'ul accountants. toilinw induStri
ously eight hours every week day. with
out dreaming of demanding month
vacation i'll the Summer. or insisting OF
their right to go tn their homes to vot,
i'll the Fall. National politics was t,
them a matter OF profound indifference
until hundreds of them found themSelve:
removed by newly appointed secretaries
and chiefs of bureaus. The greater mum
Der Of those thus decapitated by til,
Democratic guillotine had entered tn,
public service when young, and iounc
themselves without qualifications for ally
other employment, had the limited trad,
of Washington afforded any. Many %
them We're left in pitiable condition
but when the Telegraph was asked what
these men could do to ward of starva
ton, the insoent reply was, Root, hog
rdic. Some of the new political brooms
swept clean. and made great show o
reform, notably Amos Kendall. who was
appointed fourth auditor of the treasury
and who soon after exultcd over the dis
covery of a defalcation of few hundred
dollars in the accounts of his predeces
sor. Dr. Tobias Watkins. DR.. Watkins
had been appointed by President Mon
roe, and was highly esteemed in the So
cial circles at Washington. 1t was as.
serted by his friends that. while his ac.
counts, which had been kept withou,
balances or checks. disclosed deficiency
it was because he had not kept the pub
lie moneys separate from his private
funds. and that there was no evidence OF
any intentionson his part to embezzel ol
to defraud the government. The Doctor
was nevertheless prosecuted with great
and was finally sentenced
to brief imprisonment in the criminal
ward of the city Jail.
Postmaster General Mclean. of Ohio.
who had been avowediy Jackson man
while he was member of Mr.. Adams
rebelled against the re-
moval of several of his most efficient
suhordinateS because of their political
action during the preceding Presidential
At last. he fatty told Gen
cral Jackson that if he must remove
those postmasters who had taken M
active part III politics. he should Impair
TALLY turn cut those who had worked t.
secure the election OF General jackson.
rs well as those who had laborcd TO re-
elect Mr.. Adams. To this General Jacl,
son at first made 10 reply. but rose from
his seat, putting away at his pipe: and
and after walking up and down the tlonl
tive or three times. he stopped in front
OF his rebellious Postmaster General and
said. Mr. Mclean. will YOU accept u
seat upon the bench Of the Supreme
C"u!t?" The judicial position thus ten
dcrch was accepted with thanks. and the
Post Office Department was placed I'M
der the direction OF Major Barry, who
was invited to take Il seat i'll the Cabinet
(Eever occupied by his predcccSsurs)
and who not only made the desired le-
ninEals and appointments, but very soon
plunged the finances Of the department
into Il chaotic state of disorder.
Prominent amongst those jackson
men" who received lucrative mail con-
tracts from Postmaster General Barry
was " Land Admiral Rersile. an appel
l&tion he owed to the executive ahilit,
which he had displayed in organizing
nail routes between distant cities. He
was :; very tail man. well formed. with
ttoiil complexion. and red hair and side
whi>kcrS. Very obliyinr. he once had a
horse. belonging to a Senator taken
from Pittsburgh to Washin. ton, tied be-
hind stage. because the owner had
affixed his frank " to the animals hal.
ter. He was the first mail contractor
who ran his stages between Philadelphia
and the West, by night as we'll as b,
day. and Mr.. Joseph r. Chandler. OF the
tnitfd Sia:rs Gazette. said that the adj
miral could leave Philadelphia on six
horse coach with hot johnny cake i'll
his pocket. and reach Pittsburgh before
it could grow cold.
Mail robhcries were not uncommon in
those days, although the crime WAS pun
ishatlc with Imprisonment or DEATH
One day, one of Resides coaches was
stopped, near Philadelphia. by three
armed men. who ordered the nine pas
to alight and stand in line
One Of the robbers then mounted guard
W hiic the other two made the terrified
passengers deliver up their money and
watches. and then riiled the mail bags.
They were soon afterwards; arrested.
tried, convicted. and one was sentenced
to imprisonment in the penitentiary,
while the other two We're condemned to
he hung. Fortunately for one Of the
named Wilson. he had. some
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