National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-04-30
A c.r., ero... Ez.ch,er e,er. Freaeh.

To the Editor of The REPUBLICAN:
II is thought by some ofmy friends that owe it
to myself, and 10 them. 10 explain little more
fully than has teen done my exact official rela-
tons and responsibilities chiefelerk in the office
| of the Second Assistant Postmaster General, as
connected with the doings of that Office now under
criticism by the public press.
First of ALL desire TO say that 1t is not my pr-
pose in this card 10 attempt vindicatiOn of Gen
eral Brady the late Second Assistant Postmaster
General, for he is abundantly able to make for
himself any vindication he may deem proper.
Nor is it my purpose to discuss the wisdom and
propriety OF the large increase of service which
! has been made On ninety-th certain mail
routes This is aside from the present issue.
desire only to slate, as briefly and clearly as
can, my own relation 10 this whole business.
In order to do this it is necessary to premise that
neither nalfeasance in Office nor any single illegal
act IS charged against my late chief, or the Office
| of which he was the head. Every order lncreds-
ing the mail service which is now in controversy
was made as much as year ana a halt ago,
and Congress, hostile to him in politics,
after a most rigid and searching inveStiga-
ton during the winicr of 1878 failed TO find
that single order had been illegally made More
over, the present Postmaster General admitted TO
me, in our interview the 26th Instant. that al
this increase Of scrrct has been made IN strict accord
dnCe trith the forms Of ldtr.
This being true as l know it to be, 1t remains
that the increase of service on the nluety-three
mail routes referred to was purely question of
Judgment as to where and how much the increase
should be II is hardly necessary to say that the
sole judge i'll the matter Of this expenditure was
the Second Assistant Postmaster General, acting
under the direction of the Postmaster General.
But ii is said that being chief clerk i'll the Of
fee where this increase of service was ordered,
was necessarily cogniZant of great eXtrayagance-
some say waste and squandering Of the public
money-and that my Otfense IS the possession of
this knowledge, and yet not reporting 1t to the
Postmaster General or the President, and thus
making an effort TO prevent such extravaganza.
Ihls IS the grave and only charge on which my re-
moval from office by the Postmaster General is
based. To most minds the bare statement Of this
proposition is enough to show its absurdity. But
10 any who do not see IL at once few statements
willmake il clear
1t is certainly new doctrine, or rule of civil
service, that subordinate officer must supervise
the acts of his immediate superior officer and ar
raign HIM before his superiors. Had attempted
this my official life would have been speedily ter
minated and for good reason, too.
But ii Is said further that was much Ofthe time
acting Second Assistant Postmaster General in the
absence of General Brady, and therefore response
bic for the eXtraya5ant expenditures referred TO.
In reply to this say mot for the purpose of eYad
ing responsibility but simply stating facG that
ninety-three routes referred to were signed by me
while so actlng-plobably not half dozen alto
gether-snd l. not one ,eas eref 50 signad
% Of ny 0y e;c S pGSgs Seg, "S roS@ a s "hfeg ffbeg
proof of this refer to his letter of the 26th in
slant in the New York Herald and other papers, in
dSHIliltS tue itoic ISSpOllSl-
bility. My chief could not, and never did, direct
ME to sign an illegal order; and had be done so,
should have suffered the loss of my right hand
before obcyiug. But he had a right to direct me
as to matters involving the exercise of Judgment
and discretion and ii was my duty as a su5Ordi-
nate to carry out his directions.
Moreover, the Congress which Investigated this
increase of service on the ninety-three expedited
routes not only found it legally done, but u0tcd
d0iPR, after full and free discussion, amendment
10 the appropriation bill directing the Postmaster
General TO reduce the service these routes, and
OcpGrtGsRt 10 continue ii iR operation. This would
seem to have settled the question of
wise expenditures also. One more fact l ought
to state for the information of those unfamiliar
with the routine Of the Department Every order
marie by the Second Assistant Postmaster General
affecting cost of service is spread in full upon
the Journal of the Postmaster General, and is
signed 10y the Postmaster General each week.
lii fact, il is his signature which completes
the order, and gives it legal force The signature
OF the Second Assistant POStmaStCF-G General or of
his acting representative, is merely direction to
the Journal clerk to put the order upon the journal
tor the signature OF the Postmaster General l
fail to see what further complete report
could have made - the Postmaster General of the
transactions of the bureau of which | have had
the honor TO be the chief clerk.
My purpose is accomplished if have made
plain my tue relation 10 the increase of STAR SER
vice under discussion. | will only add that my
friends may rest securely in the confidence of my
integrity. assure them | have neither knOWl-
edge Of nor participation in, any single official act
which can Dting Il blush TO their cheeks or 10
mine.
shrink from nc investigation of ry official ects,
and am willing 10 trust my reputation in the
hands OF those who know most about me.
WASHINGTON. D. C., April so. 1851.