Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-01-20
From The Naii0,.ai Js,,..
LETTER ON REFORM

,..,..,, s'o" ne Aa''Oaai Joss.,
LETTER ON REFORM
Several curious letters on the suh;,
PORN having fallen into our hands, v. ,,,'
one of them this morning for the en,er,,;,N "'
Of our readers. The eriden, ability ofh.
ter viii recommend his epis.ls to ,h,i,
ton, though they may not a,s.u, 10 H.,
trines. He seems to calculate consd,,n.~
the gentleman 10 whom i, is addressed ,,. "S
| with him in his views; and a, ,Lsre !, o,,.
distinguished Individual from whose ,,,
tical life such a.concurrenee could b. ,,,' r~
iraIingly inferred, we do not. We I'm,
much risk Of committing an error in d.i'.
ing the ''oLD FRIEND" of the letter writ. '''
is clear to our minds that this "oLg ruv,,r
no other than that venerable puris,, Nus,,
MACON, of North Carolina.
| My OLD FRIEND:
am very happy 10 hear ,h,, van A..
good health. You are among he few men "
had the wisdom 10 retire from lie care, 81 y, 80
! lie life before Time and infrmi,ies had ,s,i -%
i. secessary-I hope yoor example vii, rn1H
| lost.
You remained in the service Of YOUR con,,.
until you saw the accomplishment of ,h,. n,..
civil revolution in which you had 50 ,o,,.
fully laboured, which has placed The Ey,,'
tive power, as il is in every Republic a.,
continent, in 'hs hands Of a grea, military b,
DIR, and you will live 10 see The rrro.m,,;,'.
II will produce, and the energy and swim. =,
will difuse, through our institutions:
The pledge f Eeoromy and Reform in Il.
Inaugural Address, has hsrn faithfully redeem
ed. Mos, Of our public Minsel, abroad h,,.
! been recalled, II being unGers oou they t,i
contracted HABITS Of great expense, and u,r, n,
acquiring the manners of the Courts Of Eu,on.
and, indeed, some af them had broom, ,Oo m,
! pular. These have BEEN superseded by a,v
set Of Ministers, fresh from the Peoplr. T..
additional expense OF their cuffs is nohi,
when we reflec, upon the advantages Of hu,,
new and untried men in those highly inpr.
| tsnt stations. But Iha principle of ecorom,
which marks this Administration, was Conan,
cuou.ly manifested 10 sending hose Minst,
in the public vessels, by which there has bee,
a saving TO large amount.
You will be rejoiced to hear that all .hoa
men who have disqualified themselves hve,
| perirnce aud all those old filhful ssr,.r,
who had worn themselves down in the pu5h,
Offices, were promptly removed; and v,
general system Of Reform Introduced in all Dc.
part.nents of Cove rnnent 1t is now und,r
stood that Reform 10 BE- salu,ary must he mi.
versal, and that it must b. permanently =. j.
iished upon ,wo great principles 10 b. t..st
the MIXED BASIS. The first is called The pm.
ciple Of hoiaiioD-a word heretofore very mu,s
misunderstood and abused-which cunning 20.
h;icians have made to mean, rising successive
lIy by merit through various grades Of ofui
but which properly understood, means, IN st
out OF place, up and down in public h. i
does not mean 10 rise on ambitions lacdrr,al
by step, TO the Top, but TO revolve like W ed,
so that those at The bottom rise suddenly 10
the top and then straight descend again. Tt.
second is founded on the simple principle la
as no man has any properly in public ofir,
every man has an equal right 10 il, and ,hsr.
fore no man shall hold an ofi'e longer hl
four years, so as TO give to every man coans
And in order 10 see these principles carried
into efftc, and fully tested, | understand Ih'
President is willing to remain in Office hms'l
for another term and then the Constitution !
10 bv amended, so as to limit the service d
other Presidents to a single Term. 1t has &C
Cured 10 me that four years is entirely To-
long for all 'he practical benefits OF this "stT
Of reform. Nav, a rotation Of TWO years would
upon General Smyth's plan, grady inc e''
he chances and If men do grow nrgligen
Office, and if the zeal Of NV men is worIa nor
than The experience Of old ones, lr olItOr' III
changes occur the greater will be The BENIN
and The more nearly will every man come
getting his part Of ;he lcaves and fishes, 81
the ardor, industry, and mastery ability Of ID
reeen, app0inises have so !aI out stripped NOS
of their predecessors, that think i, impo 40
to try the experiment how lar The principle ca
be carried, and to see il We cannot gaI"
much by removing ,hese,. as we did BY rsm0'
ing the others. Knowing they are to MI %
places for short time only, they VIII De va
anxious To discharge their duties fui'h'ul!'
The subjsc, is growing upon me, but ! '"'
little faligued; Tomorrow ! may be aON
write you more on this interesting topic