Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-07-27

liberal will hnd enongb to excuse all my private
feeling
Whatever of warmth then felt has passed away.
would gladly have been spared this additional expo
si'lon The bitterness of Mr.. King and his friends
made 1t necessary.
Vhis is no common case. Had Mr. King been n
man M humble life, unaided by powerful friends, he
would never have found advocates in the Senate, and
would have sunk into oblivion with the thousands who
nave abused their trusts before him. But backed by
wealth, aided by great Names and sustained by pow
erfu party, he fights with destiny, struggles to
quer unconquerable facts and cast upon others the
odium of his own denquences. When such efforts
tlnction of liberty is approaching. When the poor
Rno humble only can be exposed and punished with
mpunity; when rich or highly connected delnQuents
can controul public opinion, and brave those who
dare do their duty IN exposing thcm then may we
give up our free institutions and call for monarch
III our republic is strong enough expose aud pu-
nsh REGULATORS and defaulters of high BIRTH great
wealth, or powerful families, then liberty is dream,
our institutions stupendous imposition, and all our
prospects Of national happiness, greatness and glory
bright Illusion But lbave doubt that public
opinion will sustain the Government i'm its attempts
at REFORM Fortified by this unwavering faith, and in
my official acts regarding alike the highest and the
humbeet, shall press forward in the performance of
the task assigned me- unmoved by abuse. unawed by
threats, and unseducea by the gatherings of false
ambition.
CallnU
attention to the general principles involved in the
iarts herein disclosed Although the law has fixed
and limited the compensation of NAVY Apents the
Executive has, in some instances largely increased
that compensation, under pretcnce of paving clcrk .
hire and office expenses.
is tins right in principle. or safe in nolcy? Can
the Executive increase, at will, the emolunents al
tached by law TO public Office under pretence Of NV
'hg contingent expenses? the principle be admit
ted that the President Head of Dcpa rtment NAV
pay as expenses more than is expended or allow rs
Communication more than n just equivalent where is
the limit to bus dscreton9 If he al)w TO a Navy
Agent tor clerk hire 81 900 who epends for that SER
vice only $500 what shall prevent his allowing und.r
tue same name, 8 800 81 900 IS 900 or SiO GOO,
Finding the Executive willing % increase their emo
iuments little under false Names rnany are roadv
to claim little more From little to more, they 90
on, until they lose their moral sense forget wnt 6a
longs to them, charge what they dare, and oct what
they can.
Has the Executive a favorite in Officer He is tho
more easily persuaded to increase his allowances.
Has favorite gone out of off largclv indebted to
the government? 1t is easy to allow him nnder ,he
name of clcrk-hire, Office expences extra commits
sions or for extra services, enough cover his detail
cation Do corrupt Executive officers wish to raise
money ior personal or political purposes An extra
allowance can be made under one of hundred nre
teces, and The money divided All is reported to Con-
gress as contingent expenses, and beinn under false
names, Is never detected.
Inc abuses which have been practsed In this man
ner are iearui; the corruptons. not few Cannot
the source OF so much mischief be stopped? Cannot
the principle be universally adopted and rIpidv an
forced that the Executive shall not directly or ind
recIy, increase the emoluments Of those whose com
pensation is fixed by law?
Let Congress be liberal and the Executive strict
Let the lazy give those engaged in the public ser
vice compensation which @ilT leave no inst induce
nent Tor them to GEEK an increase by lndirection;
ana let every attempt to attain it be considered an
ACT OF dlshonor as well as dishonesty. Favoritsm
would cease; the sources of abuse and corrnnton h.
cut up; strict integrity and punctiious bpnor he
hcousaged; and IN the same degree would the power
ana efficacy OF all our establishments be augmented
AMOS KENDALL,