Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1811-03-15
Whole No. 705.

political Conuitlou HCau W sasA "a PAM
cular reflection on our present CHIEF ma
gisuate. 4, grows out of the nature of Po-
li,ical combinations. For, with some
highly honorable exceptions, it has been
true 10 all past, and viii be true in all flu.
ture ADMINISTRATIONS, that the general way
for members OF congress to gain Offices for
themselves, or their relations, is to coin-
eide, 10 opinion and vote with the execu-
tive. Out of the union of these W. princi-
Piles, the love of Office and the general i'm.
preston, that coincidence with the execu.
tive, is an essential condition for obtaining
Office. grows that corruption of the very
fountain of action, the publication OF which
is the aim of both the amendment and my
proposition, under consideration. 1t ex.
lists without any pre-. contract with the ex-
~ecutive. He knows our wants without
any formal specification from Us. And
we know his terms without any previous
statement from him. The parties proceed
together mutually gratifying and grati6cd,
as occasions offer, and the harmonies of
the happy part of the legislature and Of the
executive are complete. And were It not
that there is third party concerned, called
the people Of the u. States, nothing would
seem more pleasant or uuexceptionable.
than this partnership in official felicity
But SO it is in truth, that the interests and
liberties of the people, which we are sent
here to consult, will not only be sometimes
neglected, but at others, absolutely sacri-
feed, while the constituted guardians are
gaping after Offices for themselves, or hunt
ing them up for their relations. The ma
ture of the corruption is such as not only
easily to be concealed from the world, but
also, in a grea, measure, from the individ.
ual himself. Aud so long as that free ac'
cess, which is at present permitted by the
constitution, is unrestraincd it will con
tinue and may increase. On every qucs'
, ton, which arises and has relation to ex
~ecutive measures, in addition to all the Q
Their considerations of honor, policy, jus
!. tice, propriety and the like, this also !
: prepared to be thrown into the scale ; tina
). If a man means to gain Office. he nus &C
, incide with the executive. Il Is not pos
: sible for any man to decide, what degre
of influence this consideration has upo
: another, and is nearly, if not quite, =,
. difficult for him to decide what degree O
!. influence it may have upon himself. Fo
let any man reflect upon the springs of an,
! partic ular course Of action, which various
. concurrent, complex motives hava induced
him to adopt, and he will find It very diff
hcult to apportion, to each Of the concur
ring motives the precise degree Of inhu.
ence which belongs to it. And he will al
so find, that if there be, in the group, ont
motive base, and consequently bashful Of
the light, it will shrink away into the deep.
est recesscs of the heart, and there cover
itself over with such N accumulation of
plausible, specious motives, that II is be.
yond the power of poor human nature, Ia
the ordinary strength of its moral sense,
always TO discover it. From the liability
of having the source of our public actions
corrupted, by the infusion of such . taints
every honest mind will be solicitous to be
delivered. For, whether the Office, which
allures our fancy be for ourselves, or for
our relatives, the result is the same. No
man can stand up, wholly independent, to
the hand by which he hopes to be ted or
which is 10 the act Of feeding his children
and relatives. Nor can any man, however
honest, or ~scrupulous, placed in such situ-
alton, be positively certain as to his own
motive, or know whether. in such cases,
hi. popularity with the executive be the re-
| suit of the i~ntrinsic nature and reason OF
| things or whether il be the effect OF the in-
fiuence of those metallick strata, whica u-
mite that executive with the centre OF his
best affections.
With respect to the degree, in which
this corruption has, heretofore, or may
hereafter exist, il is impossible precisely.
to estimate. Because the Offices, in the
eift of the executive and the departments,
are so numerous, are extended over so