Martinsburg Gazette And Public Advertiser

REFORM.

Among the removals by the new administration is Mr. R. Turner, Postmaster at Portsmouth, Ohio, an honest and efficient officer. As soon as he received his dismissal, he published a letter written to him by Judge McLean, and as this letter clearly indicates the feelings of the late Postmaster General, on the subject of the present system of proscription, we publish it. "I have no confidence (says Judge McLean) in the principles of any officer who does not make the public interest his first and last consideration." Apply this to the conduct of General Jackson; and we have the true state of Judge McLean's opinion of the new Executive. General Jackson has taken away offices in order to gratify his own spleen and revenge; and has bestowed them to benefit personal adherents. When he sought out Moses Wright, and the friends of that man had to scour the country to find him, as he had absconded from his creditors, was that an appointment dictated by the principles laid down by Judge McLean? When the "ragged drunken vagabond," who "cannot for the life of him decipher the superscription of a letter," was appointed on the petition of the frolicksome boys of Connecticut, was that an appointment dictated by a regard to the public interest?--If argument cannot rouse the people, surely facts will.

PORTSMOUTH, July 8th, 1829.

To the Editor of the Western Times:

Sir: Having been dismissed from the Post Office in this place, without notice from the Post Office Department of charges preferred against me, and certain reports prejudicial to my reputation having been put in circulation, I think it due to myself and the public, to transmit the enclosed letter from the late Postmaster General to you for publication, in vindication of my character. You will have the goodness therefore to publish the same and oblige

JOHN R. TURNER.

Cincinnati, 30th April, 1829.

Dear Sir: I regret to see evidences of a more general change of officers than I supposed could take place. On this subject, my opinion remains the same that it was under the late Administration. Your duties have been faithfully performed, and you have not, I am sure, used the facilities of your office to produce a political effect. If resting on such grounds does not ensure your continuance in office, a private station is the post of honor. I hope you will not be molested. It might be well to address a letter to the Postmaster General, stating, frankly, what your course has been, and ask of him the justice to inform you, if any representations should be made, charging you with improper conduct.

I have no confidence in the principles of any officer who does not make the public interest his first and last consideration.

My recent change of position, I have no doubt, in every point of view, was judicious. I now am not involved in the responsibilities of others, and I have done enough, in a political point of view, to show my principles of action. I would write to the Post Master General in your behalf, but I cannot believe it is necessary, and there are some considerations which would render the step injudicious, unless it were indispensably necessary.

I advise you, by all means, not to resign. Remain at your post and continue faithfully to discharge your duties.

With very great respect, your ob't serv't,

JOHN McLEAN.

J R. Turner, Portsmouth, Ohio.

General Jackson would have the world believe that his pretended reforms are all changes demanded by the voice of the people. In many instances we have shown that the people have expressed themselves in direct opposition to these changes. In other cases, we have shown that the voice of the people meant neither more nor less than the voice of the individual who applied for the office. The following paragraph gives another version of the phrase, and shows the judgment with which responsible officers are distributed. The remark has truth as well as pith in it, "the Administration have literally come at last to be not only the scorn of men, but the jest of boys."

"Reform."--The Administration have acted such a ridiculous part in the prosecution of what they denominate reform, that they have literally come at last to be, not only the scorn of men, but the jest of boys. A few frolicksome youngsters, in a town about thirty miles from here, assembled a few days ago, and after making fools of each other, conceived the idea of making fools of General Jackson and Major Barry. One of the number more sober than the rest, drew up a petition for the removal of the Postmaster, and the appointment of a certain other personage designated in the petition. The instrument was signed by the other boys, and forthwith sent to Washington. As had been foreseen, the project succeeded, and the return mail brought a commission for the new Postmaster. Now the joke of the whole matter is this:--The new Postmaster is the most ragged and drunken vagabond in seven cities, and cannot, for the life of him, decipher the superscription of a letter.

Haverford Weekly Review.

The following statement from the Western Courier, a paper published at Ravenna, Ohio, is a suitable accompaniment to the above. In this case, it seems, an individual has been remembered by Gen. Jackson, who, two years since, attended a Jackson meeting, at which three others were present, and without further inquiry into his qualifications or character a commission is made out for him, and the country is scoured in search of the absconding Postmaster to thrust honor and profit upon him. Is this the way the public money is to be expended? Is this the man whom his adherents held up as the parallel of Jefferson?

[From the Western Courier]

"He'd debts to pay and could not stay.

"So Mosey ran away."--Old song.

It will be recollected by most of our readers, that a quarto Jackson meeting was held in Medina county, in the fall of 1827, to wit: a county meeting, at which four persons attended, three of whom were appointed delegates to attend the Jackson convention at Columbus, and that one of this immortal trio was Moses Wright, of legal memory. Now what less could President Jackson do than bestow an office, especially when one office would reward one fourth of the Jacksonites in Medina. It is well known that Gen. Jackson is not "slack in performing his promises" to his friends so, in process of time, on came the long looked-for letter, directed to 'Moses Wright, Esq.' and ornamented with the official signature of W. T. Barry, appointing the said Moses Postmaster, in and over Medina and removing Rufus Ferris the incumbent. But alas! the freaks of Dame Fortune! poor Moses's legal practice had not increased with his patriotism, and this boon of Jackson gratitude being too long delayed, he was involved in debt and his creditors, unlike true patriots, would not wait for him to pay them out of the milk of Jackson pap. and he had to--Mosey--alas, poor Moses. the appointment and removal came, but there was no Moses. An express was sent after him, that pursued as far as Cincinnati, when 'the long delayed' failed, and the chase was given up. As Ferris is removed, and Moses run away, we would suggest to Mr. Barry to direct his next appointment "to any one of the Four remaining within the county of Medina."

The elections in the state of Maine are now canvassing with great activity on both sides, and we perceive a Major Davezac, from New Orleans, a former aid of General Jackson, has made a speech in his praise. This Major D. has, we learn, lately 'received, or is about to receive, a diplomatic appointment. Quere, is he thus paid for obtrusively interfering in the elections of a distant state?

(Baltimore Chronicle.)

Reflecting citizens, when they understand the characters of numbers of the new officers of the government, and contemplate the means by which they have obtained their offices, must tremble for the commonwealth. When, with all their clamour against every man who is even suspected of being indebted to the government, but who is their political opponent, the administration appoint notorious defaulters to responsible stations:--when, in the revenue department, we see men employed who do not stand clear of suspicion before the public eye; when in the Post Office Department we find men lifted into station on the slightest pretence, and offices bestowed on the most frivolous applications, is it not time to ask ourselves what must be the issue of this line of conduct? Is this the way to protect the public revenue? Is it by such men that the sanctuary of the public treasury is to be guarded? If so, we may well tremble for the result. We may well apprehend that the number of defaulters which may have been found during the last administration, will sink into insignificance, in comparison with the number which will be exhibited during the next. With much reason may the people fear that the assertion of the Editor of the Cincinnati Gazette, will be borne out by facts. in one of his recent numbers, in reference to this subject, that Editor thus remarks:

"We will venture to predict, that should the powers that be continue in office for the term of eight years, there will be at the close of that time, more public defaulters than has ever been known in any one former administration. We are justified in this prediction from the fact that Gen. Jackson has already appointed a greater number of irresponsible persons to office, than were ever known in any other administration."

It is for the people to prevent, by timely energy on their part, that, which is only prophecy now, from being history hereafter.