Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-06-30
DOMESTIC.
MIR. CLAY,S SPEECH
from the Nashville. whis -ANo-p.r,y P.per

y tEtom 'ne NASHVILLE WING "A No-party Psper.I
We have thus endeavored TO give AS full and a.
fair an outline of this elaborate and eloquent efor
as our narrow limits would permit and we have
LETT ourselves scarcely any room for comment.
/ The principal burden Of the complaint seems &c
be- that President jackson, TO crafty his private
passions, has, deliberately, and intentionally, re
moved competent, dgent and faithful public Off
GERS, and appointed others, whose sole merit was
known to consist in blind and servile devotion "a
him. This is an assumption Of fact, which, il
IL were admitted TO exist would doubt call forth
the Of the candid and patriotic of all par
ties. No such principle of action, however, has
TO our knowledge ever been avowed, and al
though there may be a difference OF opinion as 10
the relative merits and qualifications of the pre-
sent and former occupants Of public stations; al
though the individuals removed may suffer person.
al Inconvenience, yet we are not aware tina, any
| injury has been done to the service, or TO the
community at large, by the changes which have
been made MIR. Clay complains that the reno
vals have been more numerous, during the pre-
sent administration, than at any other period since
the organization of the government, aud he seems
TO regard the principle, as he calls il, Of the new
appointments, as dangerous to liberty, inconsistent
with the rights OF individuals, and calculated 10
multiply ceases of fraud, peculation and corrup-
| ton" Mr.. Clay however looks at this matter
with the eyes O! political and personal opponent
He attaches probably more importance 10 the chan
ges OF public officers than they are entitled 10
from their influence on the national interests: and
he attributes 10 them tendencies and results which
cannot, we think, be reasonably anticipated from
| them. The removals, i; is true, have been nu-
merous-more 80 perhaps than was expected by
many, and more so than has been usual at the
commencement OF new administration. But
| with the exception Of air. Jefierson's election,
there has not been, since the adoption Of the con-
stitution, such change in the order of things, eff
fected by the people, made by the eleva-
| ton OF Gen. Jackson to the presidency. In every
other instance, the choice of a new president has
been but continuation of the dynasty OF his pre-
decessor. No radical changes were then called
| Tor by the people, nor required by the feelings
and circumstances of the new incumbent. 1t was
natural in each ofthose instances, TO continue, for
| the most part, the subordinate officers with
whom the president had himself been associated
under the preceding administration. MIR. Adams,
Tor example, was Mr. Monroe's Secretary of
! State He had himself direct personal agency
| in the appointment OF many of those whom he
found in inferior stations his accession to the
presidency. All OF them had been, as it were, as
sociatcd with him, ns component parts Of the pre-
ceding administration. To continue them in office
under his own presidency, was at once consisten mt
with his own feelings and with the implied wishes
| of the people. But the circumstances under
which Gen. Jackson found him self on assuming
| the rens of government, were radically different
He was taken, unlike any of his predecessors ex-
cept Washington, from the shades of private life.
| He had bad no association with the preceding adj
minis.ration. He was elected indeed by the oppo-
nenfs Of that administration, and coming into
ONCE, III was, at once, MS right ana his duty, TO
select his counseors, assistants, and subordinate
agents from among those who were most likely
10 unite with him in feeling and in policy, without
! regard 10 the selections which has! been made by
his predecessors. The responsibility Of the gov
eminent rests upon the president, and a heavy
responsibility il is. Surely then, he should be al
| lowed and expected to choose his own agents and
fellow laborers-his secreares, clerks, collectors
and subordinate officers generally; and il cannot
| be crime-t should not be regarded as Injustice
! Or CHI
his friends, in whom he has confidence and who
| have confidence in him, rather from among those
who may reasonably be expected TO thwart his
views and 10 throw impedirnents in the way Of the
accomplishment of his plans.
Mr.. Clay seems to regard subordinate public
officers, as having vested right TO the stations they
may occupy, unless some charge can be sustained
| against them, ofotfical misconduct. We are not
in favor OF frequent and unnecessary changes a.
moDg inferior public servants. The facility in
the discharge of their duty, which can only be ae.
| CURED by experience furnishes an argument GEN
orally in favor Of confusing those once in office,
who admitted TO be faithful and competent
! But there are certainly advantages in occasional
removals. They lead 10 the detection of abuses
which are always in the power Of artful and inge-
NOUS men having the coniroul Of public trust for
a long series ofyears. They prevent that exclli-
sive dependence upon public patronage which is
| injurious both TO individuals and TO the commune
| ty. They distribute the advantages of office, il
there be any, among large number Of persons,
| and instead Of multiplying cases OF fraud, pee
ulaton and corruption," are calculated, we think
TO keep men honest and faithful, by the appre-
| hension of detection and disgrace There NAV be
cases Of individual hardship growing out of an ex.
tensive change among the occupants ofinferior sta
| lions, but we presume such cases will not be We
| ry numerous nor serious; and, while some partia
evils are experienced which it is perhaps impossi
| BILE under any circumstances TO avoid we canno
but think that the public interests will, on the
whole, be promoted by occasional rotaiions-no
| too frequent nor too extensive--but judicously
made and almost necessarily resulting from such
! change in the head Of the administration as ha:
been recently effected by the people.
| Let il be remembered too, that many or the re
movals complained Of have been made, not dire ct.
ly by the president nor through his influence, bu
by other Officers and perhaps (as Mr.. Clay say.
he selected printers OF the laws,) without an,
particular consultation with the president" Gen
Jackson, very properly, called his own persona
and political friends into his cabinet They, very
naturally, wished their friends clerks ant
Il agents about them. And thus through success
sion Of subordinate stations, changes were effected
not so much with deliberate design to reward a.
voiites, az from desire, in the head OF each de
psriment, TO have the assistance and Cooperation
Of friends knotcn TO be entitled TO confidence by
the individual selecting them.
As 10 the aleGged inconsistency Of the presi
dent in appointing members Of Congress TO Office
after recommending constitutional prohibition oil
such appointments we have already given OIL
views, and we have no room to discuss the subject
further at present. if further discussion were re-
quisite But we are bound 10 say that Mr.. Clay
has not given according to our notion, correct
representation Of the views expressed by General
Jackson In relation TO that topic, to the legislature
OF Tennessee. Mr.. Clay says
! =" He declared his firm conviction to be, that no
| member Of Congress ought TO be appointed to any
office except seat upon the bench And he add
ed that he himself would conform to that rule !"
We have carefully examined the document al
luded TO, and End nothing there TO sustain the
statement made, in either sentence OF the above