Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1811-03-15

~" ~ - NGN"
er have seen, and | never shah see, any of
these notorious solicitors of Office, for
themselves, or their relations, standing on
this, or the other floor, bawling and bully.
ing, or coming down with dead votes, in
support of executive measures, but / think
| see a hackney, labouring for hire, in a
most degrading service /; a poor, earth spi-
rited, animal, rudging in his traces, with
much a~ttyition of the sides, and induration
OF the membranes, encouraged by this
special certainty, that at the end Of his
journey, he shall have measured out to him
his proportion of 2rovender.
But have heard that the bare suggestion
of such corruption was a libel upon this
house and upon this people. have heard
that we were above the influence of these
allurements that beyond the Atlantic in
old governments such things might be sus-
pected but that here we were too pure for
such guilt, too innocent for such suspicious.
Mr.. Chairman, | shall not hesitate in spite
OF such popular defamation to believe and
follow the evidence of my senses, and the
concurrent testimonies of contemporaneous
beholders.-I shall not 10 ny estimation
OF character, degrade this people below,
nor exalt them far above the ordinary con-
dition of cultivated humanity. And of
this be assured, that every system or course
of policy which has for its basis an excess
OF virtue, in this country, beyond what hui
man nature exhibits in its improved state
elsewhere, will be found on trial fallacious.
Is there on this earth any collection Of men,
In which exists a more intrinsic, hearty
and desperate love of Office or place, parti.
cularlv fat places? Is there any country
more infested than this, with the vermin
that breed in the corruptions of power go
Is there any in which place and official e.
molument more certainly follow, distin-
guished se~rvility at elections, or base sour.
rility in the press: AS to eagerness for
the reward, what is the fact. Let now
one OF your great Office holders, a collector
OF the customs, a marshal, a commission
err OF loans, aPost-master in one of your
cities, or any officer, agent or factor for
your territories, Dr. public lands, or person
holding a place of minor distinction, but Of
considerable profit, be called upon to pay
the last great debt of nature. The poor
man shall hardly be dead, he shall NOT be
cold, long before the corpse is in the coffin,
the mail shall be crowded, 10 repletion,
with letters, and certificates, and recon-
mendations, and representations, and eve
ny species OF sturdy, s~ycophantic solicita-
tlon, by which obtrusive mendicity seeks
charity. Why sir, we hear the clamor Of
the craving animals at the treasury though
here in this capitol. Such running. such
jostling, such wriggling, such clamboring
over one another's backs, such squealing
because the tub is too narrow, and the COM
pany so crowded. No sir, let us not talk
of stoical apathy. towards the things of the
national treasury, either in this people, or
in their Representatives or senators.
But it will be asked, for it has been ask
ed, shall the executive be suspected of cor
rupting the national legislature? Is he not
v%irtuous? Without making personal dis
tinctions or references, for the sake of ar
gument, it may be admitted that all execu.
tives, for the time being are ~virtuous, rea-
sonably virtuous, Mr.. Chairman, flesh and
blood Notwithstanding. And without
meaning in this place TO cast any particular
reflections upon this, or upon any other
executive, this I viii say, that if no addi-
tional guards are provided, and now, after
the spirit of party has brought into so full
activity the spirit of patronage, there never
will be a president of these United States,
elected by means, now in use, who, if he
deals honestly with himself, will not be a.
BILE, on quitting, to address his presidential
chair, as John Fallstaf, addressed Prince
Hal: "beforeI knew thee, | knew nothing,
and now | am but little better than one of
the wicked" The possession of that sta
ton, under the reign of party, win make
a man so acquainted with the corrupt prin-
ciples of human conduct, he will behold