Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-11-24
OFFICE SEEKING.


We subjoln the observations If B. w. Leigh
upon the subj-c, Of Office seeking, avi'e for il
may well be called one, as prevalent with us, as
With any other peopl. under the sun. In the
course Of one Of his speeches in The Convention
Mr. L.igh said:
81 fear, sir, we are 10 the habit Of counting
100 much upon Tic purity and virtue of our So
cie,y as perm spenl security 'gainsl all po'i''
icaI evils. l told the committee Yesterday
th.t I intended TO open my whole mind with
on, reserve; his is the last scene OF my polit
ical life; before l came here, welded ell tine
hopes Of AMBITION from my heart; and now dr.
clare my consci. ncious brlief unpopnlsr as The
syowal OF il may be-, tina r. m The b. ginning o
time, never any nation made . mere rapid
progress 10 corrup ion than have thrse United
Sia,es during the last quarter Of century.
beg leave 10 mention few Of the mos, obs iou'
of many symptoms. Even in this good Old
Dominion, for one place hunter tina, was to be
seer when l grew up TO manhood, there are
ten now; yes the number is zen fold Al least -
They swarm in the country and in the city
they infest our public places; they invade oui
privacy, and disturb the quiet OF their indus
irious neighbn,s with their solicitations. They
are themselves marketable commodities, they
nut I'D their principles, their opinions, their
vo,es, at auction to the highes, bidder, setting
the highes. value upon their services, but vii
ling to take any price they get. Men hardly Fl
for q clerkship aspire to embassies, and men,
who aspire TO embassies, will descend 20 clerk.
ship offire-ofice and eniolumrot, high or low,
state or federal-any sor, Of Office which will
save them the pain of earning their living by
honest industry.
We hear great deal about the corfu ption Of
all orders Of men in Great Britain What is II!
Dues any man suppose ha, whsn Sir Rohrrt
WaIpols said. that eusyy man has lis price, he
was talking Of price to be toin out in g"in>
cas-! No-some are to be purchased with hon.
ors; some with The power 10 psrcnase others /;
some with The .moloments Of place. The case
is exactly the same here "Go 10 h. ant, thou
sluggard: study her ways and b, Wis.," There
is lii,le white ant in the West Indies, the pest
Of the country; lay the smallest lump OF sugar
on a mahogany table and IN Is minutes, there
will be hundreds around it; tread upon lizard
in the evening, and :he next morning they will
present you the cleanest and most perfect skele-
ton imaginable. So Sir, The greedy expeetsnts
Of nfice are continually on the lookout; let q
poor Postmaster or Collector be sick, and they
begn TO collect their volume Of recommends.
tions; let him die, and before his remains are
committed 10 his mother earth, the whole
swarm is ., Washington. Then sir, look
d, the daily Press which in his country
is the lrur sren,plos vifa morumqus. Why
is that upon all political questions-pre-
siden,i.l elections, or wha, nor-the whole
argument turns upon the single point, which
side will &c, toe majority! because tina.
is the most .fftc,ual argument 10 carry the
majority; for the party tina, shall prevail, is to
have the disposal Of honors, and Offices, and
emoluments. aud par'izans are TO he excited 10
exer.ioa, or acquired only by the hope Of re.
ward.
There is another class OF men, who have
sprung up in Virgins, or rather begun to- be
as q separate class wi hin the
las, Is years. They do no, regard the mselves
as part Of the people; they profess themselves
the peoples 'eruants, The peoples friends, the pso'
pies men; me sning nothing more, N plain Eng.
fish, than 'ha, they are tie men for the peoples
money They have no opinions and no will Of
then own; whatever the people think, they
thick; wha ever The people desire, ;hey desire;
whatever the people ,oi0. they ore contenl; and,
therefore, whatever Of honor or emolumeh, the
people haze to bestow thry'expeci 10 receive it
at heir hands. Sir, am one Of the people; and
l have noted the ways, and know perfectly how
to appreciate the motives and the merits Of
thesr our Kind and ofhcious friends and ser.
wants. in moharchies, the King 10 the founda-
,icn Of honor AMI otic.. 10 republics, the peo-
pie. There are cour,iers Of The people, AZ we'll
as courtiers Of Kings. The motives Of both are
exactly alike; their ends The same; their conduct
is different only in mode; and j. il equally true
OF The eosr'iers OF the people, IS Of the cour.
tiers OF Kings, thai, exactly in proportion 10