Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-05-19
R Se4ssaaoseD GG91oSQ.
TUESDAY MOIiNINfi, NAY Ia. 1890.
GEO. BOOKER.

those Editors whose appointment to lucrative Office
have been already noticed the western papers apprse
the public of others. raised office in that eiarter of
the Union. James B. Gardiner, Editor of the Ohio
"Peorc's Press" is made Register of the Land OF.
tcc, st lin, in place OF Col. johnson removed Mr.
Johnson one of Mr.. kendalls late partners in the
kentucky Argus, has gone to Washington to.take
clerzsipi in the 18th Auditors office Elijah Hayward,
editor ut the Cincinnati erb.ican ii is said is to be
Assistant Post Master General.
The multiplication of these instances proves that
the reward of Jackson Editors is adopted ms rcerular
system. Ofthe appointments made by Gen Jackson,
twelve orthirteen fully fourth Of the whole have
been from the editorial corps and as there are not
more than Eve or six hundred editors in the u States
that is, about 2ooooth part ofthe population the vast
dlsproportion between the favors heaped upon them
and all other classes of the community proves that it
is III consideration of their being editors In many
or the cases the editors thus appointed continue still
aVoWeG!y, to conduct their papers; and where thew
nave protested to withdraw from their PAPERS as
Kendall, Carr, and Green OF Boston, have protested
to do 1T not improbable that they secretly perseyerc
IN editing them Is 1t reasonable to suppose that these
presses are unbiased ny the money drawn bv their
editors, FROM the Golfers OF the governments Are
they not prepared to render an indiscrnate spport
70 the administration in al! it does or shall attempt to
do' Can we expect any independence from men paid
by the government, when the consequence of that
independence would be a loss of their Offices, This
view OF the case at establishes the improprety
| of the system. AS subsidized or purchased press
IS worse than no press at ALL this system is more ia
tai to the genuine freedom of the Press than pa o.
law. .
none O. our readers can have forgotten the prodi-
Slos cutlery raised against Mr. Clay for ha vinu ia
Ken the public printing from two or three abusive cdi
! toFs and gwen IT to others. All will remember the
unceasing and Indscrlnnatc abuse of those presEes
winch published the laws of the u. States BY autho
rity.' Yet the law Of Congress gave Mr. Clay un-
limited authority to select papers in which to publish
the laws, and the mighty compensation annexed to
1T, and tr which the Jackson editors charitaby asser
ted those presses to have barered their Independence
and honesty, was about 500 per annum! Could il
nave been surmsed that these Jackson editors who
SO Indignantly resented The supposed subsdizinn of
the press by Mr. Clay aud so elouuentv srnportcd
the necessity of keeping the press Of free country
not only pure but above suspicion would anon a
change of ministry, have brought themselves under
The same suspicion? that they would have crowded to
Washington by scores, made known their services to
INC publication OF the laws, which falling in their vo
catIon would have been right enough, but i'll offices of
the value OF 3 and $4,000 per annum, entirely lncon-
nccted with their previous pursuits All this has
been realized. Twenty-six Jackson Editors. tho
most prominent in the nation, were in WASHINGTON
at once soliciting Office and one half of them were
gratitied! Meantime It is amusing to observe the
change IN The tone Of these gentlemen. One and all
they rindicate the propriey of the system bv which
they have been rewarded. Though it was in their
opinion, incidentally corrupt in Mr.. Clay to have the
lays published by Administration Presses, it beipr
his sworn duty to them to be published SON o.
where, they can by means, see any corruption or
even iDdellcacy, in Gen Jackson's reward;nr such
Editors AZ supported him, with lucrative Offices which
other citizens could DISCHARGE as we'll as Editors.
FhFy lad SO Indifferent opinion of Administration
-utoTs rs TO suppose them without distinction cana
Die 81 selling their presses at 800 per annm-but
"hch t;Ty arc coinplnnencd with salaries of $4,000
per ahnuin, they repcl the idea of u:cir having
ocen "reWardcd' or 'subslizsd," with warm indi9
nation. The modest gentlemen! And Mr. Richie. |
the patriot oud public spirited Mr. Richie, who dr.
ring the late contest vas so much offended with Mr.
Clay for subsdiznr the press BY takinr the n,bl;c
printing from Kendall, and giving it to another--and
who expressed so frequent and melancholy apprehen
sfon5 at the suspicion which the public press, the
great palladium of liberty, had thus incurred--wlat
mas MY Rcbe to say 10 the bostowal Of Office upon
twelve "r thirteen Of his Editors by President Jack
son Not 4 word. lie secs twonty-six Editors
rusbing to the presidents lcvec, to get their reward
lie seas them rewarded with the latest Offices in the
iand. Tic secs many Of them still continue to con-
dncS their papers, notwithstanding they are salaried
officers 81 the government and he knows that their
course cannot Under these circumstances, be other
than scrve and submissive. He secs all this vet he
"nco only, expressed some dJpJtas to the propriety
OF the policy, and virtually rc'racts that, when re-
minded by Duff Green, chat be himscf is an officer
O. fsg statn waterDUoat. ~, IA, az -7, ,,,r, g-,,