The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-08-29


tence of Reform, the chief offices of the
Government were successfully filled 10y the
President. without the advice or consent
of The Senate, with new men, chiefly known
only as political pariizans, and many of
them partizans of an inferior order. Be-
fore the next meeting of Congress, and
mostly within few weeks Of sIe commence
ment of the Reform" the following ap-
pointments, great aud small, were made:
Foreign Ministers
Charge D'Afaires
Secretaries of Legation
Marshals 9
District Attorneys 10
Collectors OF the Customs &c. 49,
Land Office Receivers and Registers 26
ConsulS 81
Ia the Executive Departments 46
Postmasters, nearly 500
OF the officers removed during this Reign
of Prescription, il is no more than Just to
say, that, with very few exceptions, they
were faithful, able, animerItorious.
Upon this distinguishing feature of the
present Administration, many observations,
general as well us particular, might he
made. Our object being only to recapitu-
late, we must he content with few.
In the first place, the removal OF citizens
from Office, and the appointment OF others,
to punish opponents OF TO reward support
ers, ia IN direct opposition to the Pres dent S
own recorded opinion of what is right. In
his letter to Mr.. Munroe, Nov. IL, lSi6,)
speaking of the appointments 10 office which
it would become his duty to make after the
4th of March then next ensuing, he says
In every selection, party and party feelings
should be avoided" The Chief Magis-
strate of a great and powerful nation should
nerer indulge in party feelings. His con-
duct should be liberal and disnterested, al
ways bearing in mind that he acts for the
whole, and not u part OF the community"
These, he adds, are the sentiments of san
undissembled patriot" Let the whole
world Judge, how far, when he came into
powe., he acted up TO them!
Secondly In appointing as he did, so
MANY Members of Congress 10 office, he
directly transcribed the principles which
he had himself laid down, in Reproduction OF
such appointments. In his teller TO the
Legislature Of Tennessee, resigning his trust
as Senator of the United States, (l4lh Oc-
tober. 1885, he strongly recommended an
amendmen; to the Constitution to prevent
Members of Congress from being appointed
to office by the President, and IN reference
to that practice, used the following strong
language Ii this change in the Const
tuition should not he obtained, and impor
tan. appointments continue 10 devolve upon
the Representatives in Congress, 1t requires
no depth of thought to he convinced, that
corruption ,ciN become the order Of the day j;
and that, under the garb of conscientious
sacrifices to establish presidents for the
public good, evils of serious importance to
the freedom and prosperity of the Republic
NAV arise" This was said by Gen Jack
son, in obvious alluson to lhe then re-
cent selection by Mr.. Adams Of two out of
five of his Cabinet from the halls of Con
gress. AS if in absolute contempt of this
deliberate opinion, delivered 10 the Legisla-
ture of his State, Gen. jackson, when h
| came into power, not only took all five o.
I his Cabinet Ministers from the halls OF Con
gress Mr.. Van Buren, had bat few months
/ retired from them. and the reason ofinf
but lie also took three Foreign Minister
from the halls o! Congress, TO provide TO
whom, at great expense, he made three I'm
necessary removals from office. To gratif,
another adhereut, just Withdrawn FROM Con
gress, another vacancy in an important for
eisn mission was afterwards made, and ill
ed by a gentleman who paid IA visit of tel
days to st. Petersburg, and received fo
that ratudbie service only TWENTY-FIVE
Thousand Five Hundred Dollars Of thu
!, Peoples money.
Thirdly. In the inaugural Address @
President Jackson we find the folowin!
profession and promise:
"The recent demonstration of public sentime 4
nscribes on the list Of Executive duties, iu char
aciers too le5ibe to be overlooked, the task of re
form which viii require particularly, tie cor
rSctlon of those abuses which have brought the pa
I trenage of the Federal Government in eonfic
ioih Hs freedom Of elections"
| THIS passage had unduubted reference t.
charge against his predecessor, which
though idly preferred, had been thought h!
the Opposition to he worthy of solemn in
restigatlon, and upon which report wa
made, in the House OF Representa- ant
! tens OF thousands thereof ranked away, Il
| operate upon the elections. The amount O
1t was, that two or three printers of .ht
laws had been changed, and that sonlt
/ printing and advertising had been done fol
The different Departments, and paid for
! This 1t was pretended, was interfering will
| the freedom of elections. Il is really worth
while, aE we dare say many of our reader.
| have forgot 1t, TO recall to their remembrance
| The eloquent Indignation with which tine
| Committee of Retrenchment enlarged or
the dangers to be apprehendcd from thi.
| alarming source OF corruption. Hear them
| The danger which assais the freedom of the
press through the iBsnuatiun Of this spscies of in
Hdence, is far more serious than any Star Chamber
code of pains and penalties. For. in the latte!
| case, the pride of man, which reyolts at oppres
sion, ensures in the end triumphant resistance
but in the former, the very weakness Of his nature
| invites a subJugation Of his independence.
"This pecuniary censorship OF the press mus
end IN its utter prostitution TO ndiscriminztf
support Of the Government, however Injurious to
the rights and interests Of the people.
Believing that no Administration if il be wise
yirtuous and patriotic, requires the aid Of a Coy
eminent press and, il it be not, that precisely for
that reason it ought not to have it, your Commit.
tee propose far practicable, the abolition OF
this branch of the Executive patronage"
In defiance Of the pledge in the Inaneu-
raj Address, founded upon this eloquent ex-
position, It number of offires of trust and
emolument were forthwith conferred upon
those Editors Of newspapers who had sig.
nalized themselves by The greatest violence
and outrage during the electoneerng cam
paign just closed, and especially on such
as came in Mt the eleventh hour. The rc-
moving of so many Postmasters, and hold
ing The thought as well as action Of the re-
mnlndef OF them III party chains, was II
still more obnoxious measure. Ivy which the
patronage of The Government was brought
q" in conflict with the freedom of elections"
more efIectualiy than it could be in any 9th.
m