The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-06-24
From the .Ne,0 England Palladium.
Mr.. CLAWS SPEECH.

at Fowler's Garden, Lexington, (Ky) to an
immense cencoursc of his friends and fellow
citizens. The whole speech would reward an
attentive perusal, but our limits will allow only
oil a few extracts.
In thanking his friends and neighbors for
their renewed proofs of friendship and conf
dence, he says,
az owe particular expression of thanks
to that portion of my friends who, although
| had the misfortune to differ from them in
the late contest, have konored me by their
attendance here. | have no reproaches to
make them. Regrets have. But give as
/ have received from them, the hand of
friendship as cordially as it is extended to
any of my friends. 1t is highly gratifying
to me to know that they, and thousands of
others who co-operaied with them in pro-
ducing the late political change, were I'M
affected towards me by the prejudices at
tempted to be excited against me.
do not pretend to be, more than other
men, exempt from influence of prejudice
and prediction. But declare most sin
cerely that have sought, in reference to
the present administration, and shall con-
tinue to strive, to discard ak preiudices, and
to Judge its acts and measures as they ap-
pear to me to affect the interests of our
country.
A large portion of my friends and fellow
citizens from whom differed on the late
occasion, did not disagree with me as to
the foreign or domestic policy Of Govern
ment. We only differed in the selection of
agents to carry that policy into effect. Ex-
perience can alone determine who was right.
If that policy continues to be pursued I'M
der the new administration, it shall have as
cordial support from me, as if its care had
been conhded to agents of my choice. If,
on the contrary, it shall be neglected
or abandoned, the friends to whom now
refer will he bound, nv all the obligations
of patriotism and consistency, to adhere to
the policy.
We take new commencement from the
fourth of March last. After that day, those
who supported the election of the present
Chief Magistrate were left as free to Judge
Of the conduct of his administration as those
who opposed it. 1t will be no more incon-
sistent in them, if he disappoints their ex-
pectations, to disapprove his administration,
than it will be in us to support it, if, disap-
pointing ours, he should preserve the es-
tablished policy of the nation, and introduce
no new principles of alarming tendency.
The orator then proceeds to take view of
the policy of the new administration, as it has
thus far been developed. In the power of dis
missal, as at present exercised, in the appoint
ment of members of Congress and Editors to
Offices of trust and profit in reward of their
political course, he finds dangerous innova-
tons on the principles and practice of our in
situations"
Ourinstitutions proclaim, reason enioins,
and conscience requires, that every freeman
hal hn al froO
and Independently ; and that, among the can
ddates for his suffrage, he shall fearlessly
bestow it upon him who will best advance
the interest of his country. The presump-
ton is that this is always done, unless the
contrary appears. But, if the consequence
of such performance of patriotic duty is
to be punishment if All honest and sincere
preference of Adams to Jackson is to be
treated as a crime, then our dearest privi-
lege is q mockery, aud our institutions are
snares.
During the reign of Bonapartc upon one
of those occasions in which he affected to
take the sense of the French people as to
his being made Consul for life or Emperor,
an order was sent to the French armies to
collect their sufffages. They were told in
public proclamation, that they were
authorized and requested to vote freely, ac-
cording to the dictates of their best judg-
ments and their honest convictions. But a
mandate was privately circulated among
them, importing, that if any soldier voted
against Bonaparte he should be instantly
shot.
Is there any other difference, except in
the mode Of punishment, between that case
and the arbitrary removal of men from their
public stations for no other reason than
that of an honest and conscientious prefer.
ence Of one Presidential candidate to an
other? And can it be doubted, that the
spirit which prompts these removals is re-
strained from being extended to all, in pri-
vate life, who manifested similar prefer
ence, only by barriers which it dares not
yet break down? But should public opinion
sanction them, how long will these barriers
remain?
One of the worst consequences of the in
PRODUCTION of this tenure of public Office
will be, should it be permanently adopted.
to substitute for system of responsibility,
founded upon the ability and integrity with
which public officers discharge their duties
to the community, a system of universal
rapacity. Incumbents, feeling the insta-
bility of their situations, and knowing their
liability to periodical removals, at short
terms, without any regard to the manner in
which they have executed their trusts, will
be disposed to make the most of their I'M
certain Offices, whilst they hold them. And
hence we may expect innumerabie cases of
fraud, peculation, and corruption"
y X
ain the first two months of President
Jackson's administration, he has appointed
more Members of Congress to public Office
than believe were appointed by any one
of his predecessors during their whole peri
cd Of four or eight years. And it appears
that no Office is too high or too low to be
bestowed by him on this favored class,
from that Of Head of Department down