Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-01-05

for reelection. doctrine OF rotation
in Office, had therefore nothing to do with
the matter. The motives assigned in the
first instance by the President, viz: the
incapacity and corruption of the incum-
bent would have been sufficient had they
been founded in fact; but it was that no
removal for such reasons would be toler- 4
ated by the public, unless the supposed
incapable or corrupt functionary was first
put upon trial, and allowed all opportuni-
ty of defending himself against the speci-
fc charges whatever they might be, which
had been preferred against him. 1t was
therefore found nee essary to abandon this
ground, and for want Of better, resort
was had by the Presidents counsellors
to the stale sophistry of rotation in Office.
On the appointments which were made
to fill the numerous vacancies occasioned
by these removals, we shall not enlarge. :,
Among them are to be found the names
of some persons very honorably known to
the public; but they were made in gener-
al, almost avowedly for no consideration
but that of party, and in many instances,
with so little discretion that they were re-
jected, in one or two cases almost unan-
imously, by the Senate. An occurrence
ofthis kind is, we believe, without par
allel at any previous period of our hIsto-
ry, and would be sufficient of itself TO
throw discrcdit on the Administrator.
OF the persons so rejected, some we're re-
commended anew, under circumstances
amounting to an attempt by the Presi-
dent to force them into Office against the
known opinion of his constitutional adj
visers. On this occasion was also ex-
hibited striking example Of the ncon
sistency between his professions before
election, and his subsequent Practice
Although he had himself signalizcd the
appointment Of members of Congress to
office as great abuse, he selected four of
the five heads of the department from
that body, and appointed its members to
other places to an extent which had new
er been known before. Although he
had inveighed with warmth against the
supposed corruption of the public Press
under the preceding Administration, and
in his Inaugural Address had even de-
nounced his predecessor for having
brought the patronage OF Government in
to conflict with the purity of elections,
partiZan editors were now among the
most favored classes or pretenders to en-
ployment. Under these circumstances
the first year Of the present Admnistra-
tion presented little else than an eager
and tumultuous scramble for place. The
Offices which were instituted for the pub
lie service and ought to be conferred for
no other object, were apparently, and
even avowedly, treated as prizes to be
distributed among conquerors inthe strug-
gle ofparties. What have we been fight
ing for-was the language of some lthe
leading Administration prlnts-iithe pub
lie offices are not to be the spoils Of VIC
tory?
Such were the auspices under which
the present Administration commenced
their career. They were not Of kind
to create very high expectations from the
result Of their labors. The subsequent
progress of events has shown very clear
ly that the least favorable expectations
that could possibly have been formed of
their policy were yet too sanguine-that
our most important institutions are now
seriously threatened, and that a continu-
ance III the course that we are pursuing
will probably plunge the country, at no
distant period, into dangerous, perhaps
irremedable confusion.
In the conduct of the foreign affairs,
there has been, however, an appearance
of success, in consequence oithe fact that
several arrangements with Foreign Pow
ers which had been matured, and in some
instances concluded under the preceding
Administration have been made public
under this. Such was the case with the
treaties with Austria, with Brazil, with
Denmark, and with Turkey. In announc-
ing the conclusion of these arrangements,
a President of an elevated and generous
disposition, would have taken delight in
doing complete justice to the merits of a
political competitor. Gen. jackson took
to himself without scruple or ceremony,
the whole credit ofthose negotiations, and
on this and other occasions affectedly a
vowed to mention the name of his prede-
cessor. In the recent treaty with France,
the principles adopted by the last admin
istration in the arrangements with Den
mark were proposed as basis Of com
PROMISE, dnu Ill consequence ol Il IdNoT-
able change in the internal policy Of the
former power, was assented. The treaty
with Great Britain, supposing it even,
which may well be doubted, to have been
the best arrangement which circumstan-
ces rendered practicable, was obtained
by concessions dcrogatory to the honor Of
the country, and the dignity of the Gov
ernment.
The ltnin isf nfinn hnuo In nihnr rn-