Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-06-13

thew did not bow down ana worship him, they
possessed no ci4im to his patronage Such an
amhiiions President would say, as monaro"S
have said, 81 am the state" He would DIS
miss all from public employment who did nov
belong 10 the true faith. He would stamp up
on the whole official corps of government one
homogeneous character. and infuse into II one
Uniform principle Of action. He would scatter
with an open and liberal hand, Offices among
Members Of congress-. giving the best to those
who had spoken and written and tranked most
in his behalf. He would subsidize the press
II would be his earnes, and constant aim 70
secure the two greatest engines OF operation
upon public opinion, Congress and the Pres1.
He would promulgaie new penal cooe, me
rewards and punishmen,s Of which would be
distributed and regulated exclusively by deVo-
ton or opposition 10 him. And when all THIS
powerful machinery was pu, in motion, II he
did not succeed in subverIug the liberties OF
his country, and in establishing himself upon
throne, il would be because snme new means or
principle Of resistance had been discovered
which was unknown in other times or 10 other
Republics
But IL an administration, conducted IN the
manner jus, supposed, did not aim at The de-
struction Of public liberty, it would ensrnder
evils of a magnitude SO great as gradually TO
ALLEVIATE the afftCtions of the people from their
government, aid fnaily to lead TO its overthrow.
According 10 he principle now avowed apd
practised, all .fices vacan, and hied, withln
The compass Of the Executive power, are 10 be
allotted among the par'izn's OF the Succession
candidate. The people and the service oil the
Stare are 10 be pu, aside, and every thing Is
10 BE- decided BY the z-al, activity, and attach
ment, in the cause Of particular candidate,
which were ma.lE.sted dpiiog he preceding
Canvass The consequence OF these principles
would be 70 CONVEX the nation mo one per-
pe,ual theatre for political gl4diators. There
would be one universal scramble tor the pubic
Offices. The termination Of one Presidential
contest would be only The signal for the COM
mencemeor Of another And nn the conclusion
Of each, we should be hold the yi''or distrlbu'-
ing the prizes & applying his panishments, Ike
a military commander, immediately al err lit
had won great victory Congress corrupted
and the press Corrupted, general corruption
would ensue, until the substance OF free gov
ernm. having disappeared, some Pret"rlan
band would arise and, with the general con
curtence Of a distracted people, put an end to
useless forms
sm aware tina, The late acts Of the admins
;rs'ion on which i has been my disagrreable
du to animadvert Ct hope witnou' gv."g pain
To any of my fellow ci,izens, as mos sincerely
w .sh TO give money were sustained upon some
vague notion or purpose OF reform. And u
was remarkable that, among The ioudest rum-
peters Of reform, were some who had lately re-
ceived appointments TO lucrative offices Now
il must be admitted that, as 10 them, most
substantial and valuable reform had taken place;
lx, kap
e6ria 10 the people at large was intended by
that sweet sounding word. know That, at the
commencement, and throughout nearly the
whole progress, Of he late ADMINISTRATION, a
reform 10 the consu'ulio" was talked Of, so as
10 exclude from public Office members Of Con-
sress, during The periods for which they were
cied, and limited term bsyond them. This
proposition appeared 10 be received with much
favor, was dis used in The H Of Rrpr sen,a-
lives session after session at grea, length, and
with unusual .loqnence and abihly. A major
ity Of ,ha' body seemed disposed 10 accede 10
it, and thought foe some time, tina, there was
high probability Gifts pa sage, l. ast through
that house. lis great champion (Gcn. Smyth
Of Virginia) pressed il with resolule perse,ers
ance. But, unfortunately, a. he last session,
after he decision oftbe p es,deh'isl question, i,
was manifest that the kindness with which
il had ben originally rsceiv hid greatly a.
ba'ed. Its determ ned patrou found il extreme,
ly difficult to engage the House to consider it.
When at length, I've prevailed by his frequen,
and earnest appeals, to get j, taken up, new
views appeared 10 have suddenly struck he re-
formis,s. /, was no longer an amendm' IT, in
their ewes, SO indispensable 10 the purity IF our
constitution, and he majority which had APP
pared 10 be resolved o carry il, now by di'
rect or indirect vote, gave it the go by. Tha,
ma joriy, believe was composed in part OF
members who, after the fourth Of March las,
gave the best practical recanlalion OF their o.
pinions, by accepting from, the new Presiden,
lucrative appoint mems in direct opposition 10
the principle Of their own amendment. And
now Gen. Smy,h would find il even more inn
practicable 20 make, amongst them proselytes
to his conservative alteration in the cons'itu-
ton than he did 10 gain any TO his Exposition
of the Apocalypse.
Reform. such as alone could interest whole
people, can only TAKE place in the conslitulion
or laws or policy of the government. Now and
then, under every administration, and at all
times fai,hless or incompetent officer may be
discovered, who ough, to be displaced. Aud