Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1832-01-06

ton with the tenor tthe Inaugural Ad-
dress. amounted TO a charge of univers-
al corruption. Common Justice required
that the indiyi1uals against whom such u
charge was brought should have oppor-
tunity to defend themselves. None was
given. No enquiry was ordered. No
specifications were made. No EXAMINE
alton was had. When public servant
of unblemished character, now a mem
Der of Congress, demanded of the late
Secretary ef State an explanation of this
implied charge of corruption, under
which he had been removed from his
place as Clerk in the Department of
State, he was coolly informed that no
harm was meant, and that no explana-
ton would be given. Even this was
not the worst. Attempts were made in
more than one instance, under preteXt
ofastlicter control ofthe public accounts,
to deprive these victims of persecution
of the scanty remnant oGtheir means of
subsistence. A public servant of most
respectable character s. venerable wears,
was not only removed and thrown upon
the world, at the age of more than eigh-
ty, but actually had his furniture seized,
under Treasury warrant of distress, up
on false pretence of peculation, at d
time when, as appears from subsequent
decree OF the competent tribunal, the u
nited States owed him more than twelve
thousand dollars. Other cases occurred
of n precisely similar character. Can
there possibly be any thing behind more
revolving than thiso There is. In the
case ofthe Assistant Postmaster General,
there is too much reason to fear that there
occurred in the Post Office Department
an actual alteration of the public ac-
counts, for the purpose of fixing, upon
that most meritorious 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 of the head of the
Post Q flee.
The history CT the administration of
civilized Governments presents no par
allel TO this scene. Many Of the parti-
sans of Gen. Jackson have shrunk from
the task of defending it, and taken refuge
in q bold denial the facts. Public wri-
tiers ofsome responsibility did not scru-
pie to affirm that there had been no re-
moyaIs on account of political opinions,
as ito use the indignant language of
a Roman historian-they thought they
could hlot out the record of their doings
from the memory of the human race
After while, the charge Of corruption
seems TO have been abandoned, and in his
first message 10 Congress the President
justified himself on the principle of ro-
tation IA office affecting to suppose that
the public would derive an advantage
from employing new agents as fast as the
old ones acquired, by experience, the
capacity for performing their duties with
ability lad success. This doctrine, which
if applied to practice in private life,
would be thought to argue degree of
imprudence equivalent, in ITS effects, to
insanity, and would Immediately ruin
the most prosperous observation-disclosures
gravel y announced as an acknowledged
truth. 1t was affirmed that the natural
effect Of possessing an Office was to Gre
ate negligence and corruption in the per-
son holding it; that the public lost more
in this way than was gained by the ad-
ditional experience and dcxterity result
ing from the same cause-that frequent
changes in office were highly expedient
that all Offices should be held for short
terms, and, in particular, thatthc consti-
tuition ought to be so amended, that no
person should be eligible second time
for that Of the President of the United |.
States.
These principles, whether true or false,
are irrelevant to the subject, because the /
removals from Office by General Jackson !
were not made, either really or profess
edly, for the purpose of change or rota- !
tons, but, proiessediy because the incum-
bents were incapable or corrupt, and |
really for the purpose of "TewardiRg his
friends and furnishing his enemies. -
NJ disposition has been shown to apply
this wholesome principle of rotation TO
the Presidents partisans, and the best
illustration of the real meaning of the
language used on this occasion, is to be
found ina letter written from the Presi-
dents house, under the Presidents frank,
TO a member fthe Pennsylvania Legis-
Iature requesting him to use his influence
to procure from that Legislature nom
nation of the President for reelection.
The doctrine Of rotation in office had,
nothing to do with the matter.
The motives assigned, in the first in