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

SVdCe ESTABLISHMENT, HOt icos
man -FOUR and .. half millions, making the
aNhuA' aggre gate of ten millions OF dol
Ahv lis abundant reservoir Is distri-
oe'aoie aU n%ually, to its objects in streams
Oh sariou smagnitudes and in every direc-
non, az the executive will. Now we stand,
Tue cry spot, where this luscious foun-
!ainV geraows, in all its exuberance. Hav-
'ng,' he power, can we promise that we
i~refrainfrom turning aside to ourselves
lr d our relatives, at least a full portion of
.nese pecuniary bountiesf Is it in human
nature, generally, to practise so much stoi-
cal self denial, as contrary conduct would
imply! have said that it was impossible
to prove the full extent of the accommoda-
ton, which we and our relatives may OBJ
tain in one shape and another, OUT of the
treasury, so long as such a latitude is CIV
en- to our capacity to receive yet every
now and then, some evidence occurs, tend
ing to give a glimpse of the amount, 10
which the transfer of public money may be
made to run in particular directions-At
this moment there lies upon our tables, an
account of The navy agent at Baltimore, who,
as 1t appears, under the directions of the
then secretary of the navy, did purchase,
IN about eighteen months, of a single mer-
camille house IN that city, bills of exchange
10 the amount OF two hundred and forty
thousand dollars ; the head of which merS
Camille house was and is a senator of the
United States, and the brother of the Sc
c~retsfy of the navy. In reference to this
SUBJECT, beg to be understood, as giving
no opinion on that transaction, or as repre-.
senting II as { xceptionable in its nature. |
sddace It, with no other design than to
show the extent, to which relations NAV.
II they please, accommodate one another.
so long as no constitutional restrictions ex.
list, aud the impossibility of estimating the
amount and OF pursuing the evil, into all
Its manifestations.
Upon this subject of. offices, my senti.
ments may, perhaps, be too refined for the
present condition of human nature. And
1 am aware, in what | am about to say, that
l may run athwart political friends, as we'll
as political foes. Such considerations as
these, shall not, however, deter me from
introducing just and high notions of their
duties, to the consideration of the smem.
hers OF the legislature. Ihold, sir, the &C.
ceptance OF an Office, of mere emolument.
or which IS principally e%molumcnt, by a
member OF congress, from the executive
IS unworthy his station, and incompatible
with that nigh sense Of irreproachabie cha.
%ractcr, which it IS one Of the choicest ter.
Festival boons of virtue to attain. For
while the attainment of office is to members
of congress, the consequence, solely. of
coincidence with the executive, he. who
has the Office, carries on his forehead the
mark of haviug fulfilled the condition. And
although his s~elf-love may denominate his
attainment of the Office to be the reward of
merit, the world, which usuallyajudges a.
cutely on these matters, will denominste il.
the reward of service. And in such cases,
ninety-nine times in the hundred, the world
will be right. An exception to this rule
NAV, perhaps, exist in the cases of Offices
ofhigh responsibility, TO which a member
of congress may be called, on account of
distinguished and peculiar qualifications
in which the voice of the executive is. in
truth, what it ought always to be, the voice
Of his country. Such cases are so rare.
that when they exist, they make a law for
themselves. They are exceptions, which
prove rather than invalidate the rule. For
us, it is honor enough to be thus intru sted
with the high concerns of this people; to
be thus debating; thus maintaining their
lbe,,ies, or striving TO improve their con-
dition Let us put i, out of our power.
and remove from us the temptation, to
grub in the low pursuits of avarlce and base
ambition.
Such is the opinion, which, in my iudg-
ment, ought to be entertained of the mere
acceptance of Office, by members of con-
sress. But as to that other class of persous,
who are open, notorious solicitors of Office,
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