The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-10-24

thus created. Ii is true, however and !, i r,trr9 CON-
quence of Tie system which has been acted on ha within
the last three years nominations have becn reectcd
the ground OF uftTSS, than IN all The rccedr or,
wears Of the Government And these noffn;ra,So7 -
know SIR could have been rejected Int Nv. ,n H.
Presidents friends. The were too strop o he
resisted Even party attachment could moi s,a,I r. IL
soIne third of the Senate, others not ten votes md
in otcrs single could he ob,ained and his for
particular known only to the Senate hut on zen
era grounds of the want Of character and qualifications on
grounds known every body else, well 10 the Senate
All this sir, is perfectly natural and consistent The same
party seishnes which drives good men Office will push
bad men in Political prescription leads necessarily the
filing OF Offices with Incompetent persons and conse
quen malexecuton Of official duties In my opinion sir it
VIII eieciuay change the character Of our government, this
acting upon the avowed principle of claiming Office by right
of conquest unless the public shall rebuke and restrain
1t elevates Party above country orgetS the common veal
in the pursuit. personal emolument it tends 10 form it
does form. that it has formed, political combinations
held together bv no common principles opinions among lis
members either upon the powers OF the government the
true policy OF the country but held together simply
sociaton, Under the charm of popular head, seeking
maintain possession Of the government by rigorous rere
Of ats patronage and for this purpose agtaEg, and alarm
ing, and distressing social life by the OF tyanncal
party prescription. Sir, if this course of things be
checked good will grow tired OF the exercise Of pol
cal privileges. They will have netting 10 do with popular
elections. They will see that such elections but
selfish contest for Office and they will abandon the gov
eminent 10 the scramble of the bold the daring and tie des
perae.
seems MIR President to be peculiar and singular char
acterstlc OF the present administration, that into pow
er on against abuses, achich did not eist and then
in mockery the perception and intel
gence fhe people created those rery aliases and carried
them great length Thus the chief Magistrate himself
before he came into the chair in formal public paper de-
nounced the practice OF appointing members of Congress
office He said, that that practice continued corruption
roid become the order Of the dag and if asten and
nail down his consistency that point he declared that
1t was due to himself TO practice tchat he recommended 10 9th
erS Yet, Sir as lie i'll power these aStcnugs
gave way the nails all few and the promised consistency
mans striking proof OF the manner in which political assur
ances sometimes fulfilled For Sir, he has already ap-
pointed members of Congress Office than any Of his
predecessors during the longest period Of admnstraton.-
Before his time there complain of these ap-
poInmens They had not been numerous under any admin
istraon. Under this they have been numerous and some
of them such as may well Justify complaint
Another striking instance ofe exhibition of the char
actescs may he found in the sentiments of the Inaugural
Address, and IN the subsequent practice the subject Of in
erng ugi the freedom ofeecions The Inaugural Address
declares that is necessary reform abuses which have
ne freedom elections. And what has been the subsequent
practice Look to the newspapers look the published
letters officers Of the Government, advising Pxhortng
ncng friends and parzans to greater exeron in the
OF The party see all DONE every where which patronage
and power do affect only elections i'll the General
government but also IN every State Govemment-and then
say now well S promise OF reforming abuses has been kept
At what former period under what former administration did
public officers of the United States thus interfere in cleo
tons Certainly, Sir, In this respect then as well
as IN others that which charge against pre-
vious administrations would have been true if it had assum
ed the form OF prophecy respecting the of tho present
But there another attempt grasp and WELD power
over public opinion of still more daring character, and far
more dangerous effects
In all popular governments, FREE PRESS is the most
important ofa agents and instruments. not only express
10 form That OPINION 1t Is an engine for good for evil
may be directed but engine of which nothing can re-
ss the force The conductors of the press popular gov
erhmens occupy place, in the social and political SYSTEM
OF me very highest consequence. They the character
of public instructors. To of intelligence they add
matters of opinion Their daily abors bear directly on the
intelligence the morals the TASTE and the public spirit of the
country Not only are they journalists recording political
occurrences but they discuss PRINCIPLES they comment on
measures they canvass characters they hold power over
the reputation, the feelings, the happiness of Individuals
Inc public ear is always open heir addresses public
v liz do
indeed Sir distinction of high honor that theirs is the only
profession express protected and guarded by constitutional
enacmens Their employment high in its general
consequences IT so intimately connected with the public
happiness that its security provided for by the fndamen-
talaw While it acts in manner worthy of this distinction
he press IS dountain OF light, and of gaddening
warmth Il nsrucs the public mind and anmates the spir-
1t OF patriotism It's loud voice uppesses every thing which
would raise itself against the public liberty and its blasting
ebuke causes incpient desposm perish in the bud Bn
remember, Sir, that these the attributes of FREE Pass
only. And is press that is purchased or pensioned more
free than press that eefed Can the people look for
truths to partial whether rendered partial through
fear or through favor? Why shall manaced press Be
trusted with the maintenance and defence of popular RIGHTS
Because supposed to be under the influence of power
which may prove greater than the love of truth. Such
press may screen abuses in government be silent 1t NAV
lear to speak And may not fear speak when its
conductors they speak in any but way lose their
means olyehood Is dependence for bread
no temptation oscreeR its abuses VIII the Press ALWAYS
speak the truth though the truth spoken may be the means
OF sencng for the future Is the no danger is the
Waterman under no temptation when he neither pro-
claim the approach onaiona evils nor seem to ecrv Them
without the loss of his place? '
Mr. President open attempt secure the aid and friend
snip OF the public press by bestowng the emolumens of of
fee on its active conductors to me- Of verv thing we
nave Witnessed to be the most reprehensbe Ii degades
both the Government and the press As far as its natural eff
iect extends turns the palladium of liberty into an engine
oil party brings the agency activity energy and patron
age OF government. all to bear with united force on The
means of general intelligence and the adoption or reec
uon OF political opinions Ii so completely perverS the true
OBJECT OF government entirely revoluonizes our whole
system that the chel business those in power is directed
rather to the propagation of opinions favorable to themselves
than TO the execution of the laws. This propagation of opn
IONS through the press becomes the main administrative -
V Some fifty sixty editors of leading journals have been
appointed 10 office by the present Executive stand has
been made against this proceeding in the Senate With mar
tai success; but by OF appointments which do not
come before the Senate other means the number has been
carried 10 the extent have mentioned Certainly Sir the
editors OF the public Journals be DISTINGUISHED
Certainly they fair candidates either for popular elections
or just participation in Office. Certainly, they reckon in
their number OF the first genuses the best scholars
ana the most honest and well pnciped men, in the country
But the complaint against the system, against the practice
against 'e unoSulSGd attempt to secure the favour of the
press by means addressed to lis pecunary interest And
these too drawn from the public lreasury being M
other than the appointed compcnsaons for the performance
OF Official duties SIR, the press itself should resent this lis
own character Tor purity and independence at stake Ia
should resist connection, rendering obnoxious TO SO many
lmputaons. ii should point its honorable denomoa;o
in Constitutions of Government and il should maintain
the character there ascrlbed to it, ola FREE PRESS
There can SIR be no objection to the appointment Of an
Editor to oce fhe is the tteS man. There can he mo oh
lection 10 considering the services which in that or any 9TH
er capacity, he may have rendered his coaaru lie NAV
have done much TO maintain her rights against foreign ac
gession' ana her character against Insult He may have
honorcd, as well defended her and nav horeforc bc
justly regarded and selected, IN the choice of faithful public
agents BGt the ground OF complaint is that the aidr b,
Tie press Of The election ofdR iadirial rewarded b ~,
san" "a.rtaal 'o' he g8 Of moned Offices Men are turn
ca ou Of ounce and others put H. and receive salaries from
me public treasury, the ground either openly ayovcd m
falsely denied that they had rendered services in the ero
Of the very individual who makes This removal and %
ms appointment Every man, sir, see that Ibis is
vital stab a the purity Of the press. II not only assa
or e o. the press by addressing sins-