Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-12-22


dress to the People, in which he lexellsd against
the administration Of his predecessor sweeping
charge Of incapacity and corruption. charge
of incapaciiy to conduct the civil affairs Or the
country, preferred by Andrew Jackson against
such men as Mr.. Adams. Mr.. Clay. and their
distinguished colleagues in Office. was OF course
merely ludicrous; but the imputa'Inn OF corrup-
ton was Of more serious character. HAD there
been the least foundation for it in Fact, 1t Is obvl
Gus that the last person who ought to have made
it his business to denounce it to the public was
the President of the United States, who has no
other constitutional agency 10 regard 10 sucn o.
fences but the power OF pardon. The indecorum
of this Remuneration was hardly less z iarlng than
its essential injustice, and can only be paralleled
by that of the subsequent denunciation OF the
same administration, on the same authority, toa
foreign government -.
This proceeding awakened in the mind of eve.
ry good citizen very painful forebodlnss as to the
consequences which were to follow upon such
commencement.
These forebodings were too soon realiZed-
The next act of the Administration was gene
raj removal of such Of the public agents as were
not recommended by attachment to the person or
party of the President. The extent to which
this system was carried. is strikngy evnced BY
ton of General Jackson, more persons were re-
moved from office than during the whole forty
years that had elapsed since the adoption OF the
Constitution The motive which led to this po.
licy is illustrated by the fact. that it was applied
principally in States where the majority OF the
people we're opposed to the Administration, while
in he other States there were comparatively few
removals. Such was the practical comment on
the text of the Inaugural Address which denoun.
ced the preceding Administration as having
brought the patronage Of the Government INTO
conflict with the purity Of elections. The For
eisn Ministers were abruptly recalled at large
expense to the country, in some instances before
they had reached their destination, and in all.
without the observation of the common forms Of
civility towards them, or the Governments near
which they were accredited. Among the vic
tins of prescription at home were some OF the
most respectable, and interesting persons in the
community-veterans who, after fighting the bat
ties of the war of independence, had been placed
by the Justice of the Government in the Offices
they held, and were now rudely thrust out of
them to endure, at an advanced age, the mseries
of actual want. as reward for the devotion of
their whole lives to the public service. This was
not all. This universal prescription, taken in
conncxon with the tenor OF the Inaugural Adj
dress, amounted to charge OF universal corrup-
ton. Common justice required that the indlri.
duals against whom such charge was brought
should have opportunity to defend themselves
None was given. No inquiry was ordered; no
specifications we're made; no examination was
had. When public servant of unblemshed
character, now member Of Congress, demanded
Of the late Secretary of State an explanation OF
this implied charge of corruption, under which
L Ill h., N nj Nlark
in the Department of State, he was coolly in
formed that no harm was meant, and that no ex-
PLANTATION would be given. Even this was not
the worst. Attempts were made IN more than
ono instance, under pretext of a stricter control
of the public accounts, to deprive these victims of
persecution Of the scanty remnant Of their means
of subsistence. A public servant Of most res
pectable character and venerable years, was not
only removed and thrown upon the world, at the
aye of more than eighty, but actually had his fur.
niture seized, under Treasury warrant OF dis
tress, upon false prctence OF pecuation, at
time when, as appears from a subsequent decree
of the competent tribunal. the United States ow-
ed him more than twelve thousand dollars -
Other cases occurred OF a precisely similar char
acter. Can there possibly be any thing more re-
voting than this? There is. In the case of the
Assistant Postmaster General, there is too much
reason to fear that there occurred in the Post or
flee Department an actual alteration of the pub
lie accounts, for the purpose of fixing upon that
most mertorious public servant the blame OF some
supposed malversation in Office, which had really
been committed by his successor. We cannot
but hope. for the honor of the country, that some
explanation will yet be given of this transaction,
consistent with the probity of the individuals at
the head of the Pos, Office.
| The history of the administration of civilized
Governments presents no parallel to this scene
Many of the partlzans of Gen. Jackson have
shrunk from the task of defending it and taken
refuge in bold denial of the fact. Public writ
ers of some responsibility did not scruple to af-
firm that there had been no removals on account
of political opinions. as ito use the indignant
language of Roman h,'orian-they thought they
could blot ont the record of their doings from the
memory of the human After while, the
charge of corruption seems t" have been abandon
ed, and IN his first message to Congress the Pre-.
sdent justified himself on the principle of roia-
ton in g66e; affecting to suppose that the public
would derive an advantage frum. employing new
agents as fast as the old ones acquired, by expe
renee. the capacity for performing their duties