The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-10-23

pie, We presume, tina, The government made
lis etdrmous grant Ia Lafayette. We can
not, al least, perceive any other upon which
that grant should have been sanctioned. IN
this view OF the ease. Mr. Monfoe's claim mos
cer'sinly stands an as .trbng grounds IS did
that OF The gallant French soldier Of whom
we have just spohen.-rrue, Mr.. NJ. was n
native Of this country, and owed to il duties
which Lafayette did no, but, he should moi
on that account, be permitted 10 liiger oui his
old age in poverty and want, after having
wasted his private fortunes in her service.
more particularly il il shall BIZ shawn
that he was called into il by a man whose
appeal should have sounded in the ears of no
pirgiHian in vain, aud thai he WAS innnenrrd
bv Arguments which no patriot conll fes,sl.
Nor Will Mr. Monroe ssk,--he does not hinf,
AT receiving, such n p-inceiy iargss, rs Wa
bestowed On Gen, Lafayette. He only axis
what IN AL probability he would have been
10 possession of now, fine had nnt abandon
ed his duty 70 himself aud family, in times oi
extreme peril, to comply with The still strun.
ger acquisitions which TIE nation made upon
his lime and talents. Lie was wealdiy-and,
even II no had not heen. his individual ener-
uons would always have secured a compplcn-
CIV Tor hi, old age--and vel, after having re
caived immensr sums from the government
for services rendered, we find him dependent
on individual charity 10 save his furniture from
til. ur;,a nj la. ,r,I..... " -.
or begged his bread, IN the streets of Rome
and its provinces, aud the fact gave birth aud
currency to y h%riefond pithy satire, which Is
even yet quoted rs disgracefnl 10 the justice
of the Roman laws aud 10 the gratitude oftle
Roman propIe-"D ae oJolam Belisario." ~
From similar instances, In lhal aud other
Republics, of men renowned IN their civil and
military history, reduced 10 poverty and
want, arose the op,ulon. SD industriously
spread, of The nisgcrdly ingraiiiude OF nepub.
hes. Their enemies have repeated, with evil
dent qualification, that Republics were
willing 10 reap the services of their citizens,
BAT were iesf,o their applications even for
tho ~plttance which those services had richly
earned-and that they could see with inditier-
enee their aged patriot, 90 down 10 the
gave dependent upon charity. whose vigor.
ons youth aud ripe manhood haIbeen eAhaus.
ted in their service.
The pecuniary embarras sments ofMt. Mon
roe suggest another Interesting reflection. In
times Of Ugh party exci,ement, such ms the
present. unprincipIed lemagaeies sum mp the
grns, amount which may have tcen paid by
III government 10 an individual who happens
t. be- ohnosious 10 them, witt the sole view
~ crratinS IN the minds ~ the MS. II the
ueupl" inpre,sihns nnlaVorable 10 him The
nnmurpus services of the individual aud the
immense expenditures which necessarily de
vnlfe Ipon MIN, particularly al Minister
+. a foreign court. are ariflliy thrown out 81
view. Mr.. Adams ha- suffered in public esii-
nation considerably hy this unfair mo H. oil
procedure lh- principal portion OF his
lite, until he was hupoinled 10 the Depart
ment ot State, was employed in Missions to
forrign courts. THE met that he is not hnuk-
rupt nor dependent. however, does not show
that the salaries are high enough. Besides,
We had much better run the risk of mnk.
ing the salaries Of our pubic Offices too high,
than, by permitting them 10 remain TOO
low, incur the possibility of the greater
danger whic, lies in building up a pen.
sion system. MIR. Cooper, in his late wo,k
{" Notions ofthe Americans - } mates the fol.
lowing ludicious remarks in relation 10 the nal
aries OF Ministers Plenipotcntiary " Then pay
is much too small, certainly aud il is as unwise
in its generality as in It's amount. II is unjust IA
pay Il man who iscompelled u lIs. in London, for
instance, the same sum as man whp is compeIE
ell TO 1--we in Madrid, II is un~ise to neglect Il
use, ~ a ratIonal degree, an influence that other
people acknowledge, whatever mny be its inhe.
rent merit, or whatever may be the opinion o
the people Of the unlted otaIe s themselves OF
the subject. Their motive in sending ministers
abroad. is interest,"; and we, who know thr ef
feet Of litile appearance in our own hemisphere
know that he Is d gamer who consuIts rhr preju
diceS oftIose with whom he is Irouir d II
dwell. But, indcpend entIy Of this ruth winch
must. however, be taken VITA d proper degrae
of qualification, III many places. the agrats oi
this government canuoi suDsst with \ proner
degree Of comfort 90 their salaries. No man
can MAINTAIN the establishment vi a pricate gen.
Heatau, and educate four OF i've childI en- we'll
on two thousand pounds 1.-THE amount Of our
minister, salary in London" Il was in this
service that Mr., Monroe lost hi, torlnne-by en-.
| deavoring 10 sustain the dignity OF u govern
ment which was too pennrions 10 mainlain Is
own The small sum, ton, leads TO another evil
of greater magnitude. We can scarcely pre-
vail on any man 10 stay Ia London as Minister
longer than one year, because he sees that the
inevitable consequence will be a great pecunia.