Litchfield enquirer., 1829-09-17
No. 14.-WHoLE No. 40.

ion, the first leading measure of the nre.
sent adminlStration has been such as should
AWAKEN the attention and the alarm of all
intelligent friends Of the constitution
misleading measure is, general ckOnOe
N all the Offices Of government, from mo.
tsces merely personal; an ATTEMPT to form
a combination, to retain pOsOcr, By the pa
tr0"Gge Of the government itself. 1t is
not mainly that our sympathies are ava
kened by the removal Of men from the
little emPloyments under government, who
have been bred to these employments, and
have no other means of living; although
we are far, very far, from disclaiming such
sympathy, and from scofing at the expres-
sion OF it as unbecoming whining. Onr
objection lies deeper. The principle of
this mode of administration is hostile to the
spirit OF the constitution and the existence
OF the government. If this bad example
Is to be followed we entertain not the shad-
| ow OF doubt, that in less than twenty
years it will overturn this government. II
is no inquiry with US, to what extent. or
whether TO any extent, the present admin
ls'ra!ion hnds an example, or an apology
lor ITS conduct, in the course pursued by
Mr.. Jefferson. II is enough for us, that,
IN our Judgment, the constitution cannot
endure such course Of administration
Gen. Jackson seems to have acted as if
he possessed all the patronage and power
OF the government by right of conquest
lie dispossesses actual incumbents. and
parts out and divides the spoil among his
followers and retainers, in the true spirit of
conqueror. He thinks all offices ks. ex-
lstlng tor AaS use, land to reward his friends
and as far as we understand, or can trace.
the course and causes his appointments.
no one case exists, in which any consider.
alton has prevailed over personal attach
ment, or the profession of such attachment.
to himself. Now we ask all rejecting
men. If anything can tend more to demon.
aIize the countrN.if anything can tend more
to make aiI gatsd men sick Of the goyern-
ment, and weary of its fluctuations and
changes, and finally to break it up and de-
stroy 1t, than to bear contest every four
years, in which contest is involved the
personal interest Of every individual in of
flee. from the highest to the lowest! How
long can the constitution stand the success.
sive shocks by all that are out, against all
that are in---both parties being excited.
0Tss, MOI y Is51oarapfe ami tfotr.-
direct, personal, pecuniary interest? Add
| 10 this, that new excitements are given to
to the press, that great lever ofpublic opin-
ion, and motives addressed to it, of all 9TH
ers most likely to shake its Independence
and degrade its character. The conduct
ors of the leading presses are themselves
the chief objects of regard, in the dispen-
sation of the rewards bestowed on its ad-
herents, by the heads of a triumphant par
ty. And in some cases these new Offices
appear to be- held without disconnecting
the incumbent from that which proved tho
cause of his advancement. We have al
ready partly arrived at the state of things.
in which the Treasury will have presses,
and the Departments of State, War, and
Navy, and the Post Office will have pres
ses. Partnership, personal association,
individual combination to obtain Office. in
| one word, faction, in all its ramifications.
and in all its odious features, with this new
and extraordinary character about it, that
it is faction under the patronage of Gov
eminent, is endeavoring to seize upon the
whole power of the country. This is our
view Of the subject, at least. Every man
of sense knows that all that is said about
Reform is mere pretence. 1t is that spe-
cies of political operation called hum6ug.
1t is low and weak means of delusion, ca
pable Of deceiving only the weak and low.
The real object is; to enjoy, in the first
place, the emoluments of all Office, in the
next place to take possession of every pos
sible means by which power can be retain
ed. All this is SO plain, that every man
who runs may read /; but it has not, in our
opinion, excited yot so much alarm a. it
| ought to excite. If we are the true sons
Of our Fathers, we shall snuff vicious
principle in the tainted breeze and resist it.
We snail insist upon it, that the Govern
ment was established for the many, not for
the few that the constitution was adop-
ted to assure peace and tranquility, not to
fomcnt domestic broils, breed confusion,
and put the whole country into the hands
of caucuses and partisans and we shall re-
sist to the utmost, a course of things, the
immediate effect of which is to transfer the
fair inheritance of the people Of the United
States, their rights and privileges, into the
personal emolument and private property
Of individuals. We certainly, then, are Of
opinion, that an opposition TO the present
administration, founded on this, itsgreatest
leading measure, il thing not to be avoid
cd, il there be true patriotism and sound
political intelligence yet left among rs.
/ - H. ~ka nsm