Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-05-28
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THURsDAY MORNING. NAV pa. Is2a.

| "'f''''' '"''"P "enicu thot President jackson Ind
appointed any Member of Congress to what he calls
ministerial offices, such us Post Masters. Co,l,c,or,
RECEIVERS, NC and this paper and others. hav;na
reminded him "f the cases of Senator Chandler y
Maine, made collector of Portland, Jeromus Johnson
oil New York appraiser of goods, Mr.. Owen of Ala
bama, Collector OF Mobile. and Mr.. Slower of Nov,
forE, receiver III Florida--the Editor of the Enou
rer stroightway charged this to be sopli;stcstion
Tor that neither ofthose gentlemen were members rs
Congress at the time OF their appointment Tho
Enquirer has long since foieited it's character for
real candor, while it preserved the semblance of fair,
ness; but this last Instance of isinpenuousucss j.
! papnbc without piausibity. The naked fact is 80.
that Messrs. Chandler, Johnson Owen and s,owe-
were not members of Congress nj the moment ,bcv
were appointed; but they were members on the IA
March Ii few days autecedent TO their appoip,noo,.
anu the conclusion will scarcely be doubted mr. d;sn,
cd, that their appointment was superinduced nv tho
circumstance of their being members of Cou,ross
and tho opportunities this Afforded of ADVANCING ,bo
wishes What s the reason of the rule that wouH
exclude members of Congress from eligibility 70 sinh
bordnate executive Offices Upon what grounds
did Gen. Jackson place it in his letter TO the Ten
nessoc Legislature, and upon what grounds does NJ,
Riichic himself admit its p.op,icty, and con.
tend Tor the necessity Of establishing it, WHY tina.
the Character Of the Representatives Of the peoplc
should be kept above suspicion that their injepen
dence should not be liable to BE- tampered with bo
Executive infucncc-that they should have no ten,u
taon to betray the people for ofcethat thcv sEoud
he held to tho discharge of their representative d,
ties, not merely by the ordinary ties which bind ,hr
the constituent but the withdraw
al OF the means Of tempting their fidelity These
arc the considerations which have effected an almost
universal concurrence In the proprcty of excluding
members Of Congress from executive PATRONAGE.
/ These we're strongly enforced by Gen. Jackson in
his letter to the General Assembly re-cchoed by The
whole Jackson host in 1925, ind acknowledged md
admitted to BE- unnnswerablc by ali parties and dos
eruption oil men, The question recurs If the reason.
OF the rule does not apply with equal force 10 the
cases oil Messrs.~Chandler, Johnson Owen and Stow
err as II they had been members or Conress Mt tl,
instant they were appointed? Let us take the case
OF Mr.. Chandler. He was Senator from Statc
wholly opposed to Cen Jackson, yet he pcrseveriup
~ for four years together misrcpresencd its wisbo,
IN every political vote IN the Senate of the u STATES
lie was elected for years, and being thus secured
from removal, would neither resign, nor represent his
constituents During these four years, the battle
was fought BY his aid in the Senate the Jackson
parry secured majority, and wrcsted every lccisia-
tive event and circumstance to the advancement or
the cause of their chief and idol Is il
or improbable to suppose that Mr.. Chandler was in
hncnced by the hope Of prospective remuneration
| Would man for fonr yeurs together uisrepresen,
his constituents in every vote DESTROY his populpri
ty at home, and set al defiance every consideration,
which ordinarily sways the conduct of the unri6h,
representative, hOut st,rnn ,,ng;,o
some e9noaient in hand in the BUSH in possession
orm expectancy The common sense and exnerenca
oil the world will answer unanimously in the nerotc.
What has actually occurred TO confirm spsnc;or,
Con Chandler has received lucrative appointment,
from the man whom Inc supported against his duty 10
MS constituents. Docs any man believe that Gen.
Chandler would have been appointed collector %
Portland but for the obligations he laid the Presideu.
under by tho support of him and his party in tho Sc
nate? Would Mr. Johnson Mr.. Owen or Mr.. Stow.
CT, men unknown to the nation have been appointed
/ 10 important Offices but for The advantage which
Their situation IN Congress gave them, to drive OH
their wishes TO o prosperous issuc' If this be so,
the reason Of the rule applies with as much
force, as If thoy had been members of COMPRESS
on the lat April instead Of tho Sd March. The mo-
tive TO desert the constituent operates with e1uaf
foryc, whether the Office is bestowed pending or when
nc has ceased to be a member Of Congress. Tho
object s, to keep the conduct Of members of Con-
gross uninluonccd by executive patronage, and this
object is equally defeated by dispensing the patron
age, while they are members. upon their immcdi-
ately ceosing 10 become What miserable quib-
bling then, is 1t to say, that Messrs Chandler, John
SON. Owen and Slower were not members of Con
grcss when they were so not ten days before their
appointment How prcpostcrous is it in the Editor
Of the Enquirer to affect great zeal to lave the rule
Of excluding members of Congress observed, and
thon pretend to think the instances enumerated, no
violation Of its spirit and utility
The nbsurdity Of The thing is easily exposed Mr..
Richie IS great advocate for the excluding rule,