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OSL GRIFFIN GREENE TO MEIGS

Marietta August 6th. 1812

Sir,

You may perhaps recollect it was, while you was here, insinuated that it was the intention of a certain person in Marrietta, to deprive me, if his influence would effect it, of the Office of Post Master, so soon as my only surviving parent, who was then in a rapid decline; should cease to demand my filial attention & suppose. Recent events have proved, notwith- standing the denial of it to you by the gentleman above alluded to, that my suspicions, in part excited by the suggestions of my friends, were not wholly groundless, and that such was actually his intention at that time.

I lately received a letter from Bradley assistant P. M. Genl. in- froming me that it had been concluded upon (to gratify the Citizens) to establish a Post Office on Point Harmar; which proves the professions of friendship &c. to have been merely a garb to cloak the above gentleman's hypocricy, and to put down all suspicions until his designs could be carr- ied into execution.

The good understanding subsisting between yourself & the gentleman above alluded to, might perhaps, at the first thought appear to render my disclosing the motives by which I believe him to have been influenced, im- proper. -- But when I reflect that you have ever appeared equally friendly to my family, and to me individually -- and more especially, that I may address a man of candour and disinterestedness, the idea of the impropriety of expressing my opinion fully & explicitly -- vanished.

It is well known to you, Sir, that the duties of the office of Clerk to the Court of this County are arduous -- and that the clerk has, gener- ally an assistant. For two or three years past the present Clerk has had an Assistant whose qualifications for that employment cannot be disputed - and as to his former character I shall wave all comments upon it. I have been informed that, owing to the smallness of the compensation for his services to the Clerk the assistant has threatened to leave hi,. However, in order to retain him in his service, the Clerk has promised to exert him- self to obtain for him several small appointments, the emoluments of which together with the wages he himself allowed him, and the gratitude he would naturally feel towards the Clerk for thus procuring him office, would still ensure to him the services of his assistant.

But in all his attempts to obtain appointments for this assistant the Clerk has aimed at those which are lucrative, or such as it would be a great acquisition to point Harmar to have the offices established there. He attempted to obtain the appointment of Clerk to the Commissioners of this County, for his assistant, (in which, however he has not as yet succeeded. He next applied to the Register of the Land Office to appoint his assistant his Clerk -- and I am told has succeeded in obtaining it. -- by this move he has got under his own eye the Register's books while at the same time he is the Receiver of the public Monies -- and these two officers were designed by Government to be checks upon each other. -- And lastly he is endeavouring to get the post office in this Town divided into two separate ones, when one is sufficient - This is a thing unprecedented -- Do we find an instance of the kind in the United States?

Thus, Sir, what his avarice forbids him to supply out of his own purse to the man who is in his employ, he is determined shall be defrayed by the