Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-09-20 00:00:00

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The news we had yesterday from America, of the
efforts that are being made to eject from their situations
prominent federal officers in certain States of the Union,
only affords another illustration of the mischievous
working of a polity under which important public offices
are appropriated, not to persons qualified to fill them, but
only as rewards for political services,—and such services,
too frequently, of no very reputable kind. In the United
States, a man becomes a politician as a matter of business.
He embarks in it as he would in any other enterprise,
mainly with a view to his own advantage. He is, is
word, a mere trading politician; and trading, not evol-
I in the interest of a party, but only to his own or his
interest. He devotes himself energetically and
• unscrupulously to the most unprincipled political war-
fare ; and if he succeeds in his endeavour to get the party-
to which he attaches himself into place, then he has
gained his point,—he obtains an office in the service Of
the Federal Union, and immediately sets to work to
turn it to the best, the most remunerative, ac-
count. The consequence is, that as integrity even
has not been taken into the account in his appc.intment,
he very often turns out to be one who will not stick at
trifles, in appropriating as much as he can lay his hands
upon for his own special enrichment. Several such
worthies as these have lately been suspected to be
becoming unfaithful to the party of the Administration,
and consequently no pains are being spared to bring
home to them some malversation or other, for the.
purpose of getting quit of them,—in which, in marl
instances, they are proving successful. Such is the
of republican institutions.
The intelligence we gave yesterday, intimating, in
substance, that the French Emperor had at least quail.:
fled his concession of freedom to the Press, could licb
create surprise. We have more than once taken occa-
sion to express our own conviction, that no real liberty
of the Press would ever be found consistent withs/:
despotic a system of rule and governance as that which
obtains in France. And so it is turning out. The
semi-official Maniteurhas been instructed to dissipate the
illusion under which' several .of the Parisian Bedacteur
had began to labour, by declaring that i 4 the Gecerbg_
ment of the Emperor will not deviate from the estatr.
lished system which, in allowing a field sufficie%t;
large for discussion, controversy and analysis, prevc,d,
on the other hand, the disastrous effects of false"
nle°'
calumny, and error." This, being interpreted, d as.
that, virtually, the Press is to remain as shack the.
the
ever ; its Imperial Censor himself claiming t°
o m,ay andbe which
sure,
will
eh n e
v aew judge of any violation of the principle that is
on,
down,
call in question any of his public acts and de
has-
At no moment, perhaps, since Louis
NaP°
iona
ation to
whenever
ty hse b
Presse
ventures
we p
cist
been permitted to enjoy the leisure and recren
which he had entitled himself by the anxieties a I en
durances of his Italian campaign, has his Masaie lie mill
so severe an interruption to his enjoyment,
jure
ante;
seurx7eraniendielewdhuiininl,gitthise
upesardeernsttawode,ekin.
h?isChreerteirt a e