Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-01-05
WHOLE NO. 92.

u
reached their destination, and in all with
, out the observation of the common forms
of civlIity towards them, or the Govern
mcnia near which they We're accredited.
Among the victIinsoi prescription at home
were some ol the most respectable and
interesting persons m the community
veterans Who, after fighting the battles Of
the war of Independence, had been plaC-
ed hy the Justice Of the Government in the
Offices they held, and were now rudely
thrust o',t of them 10 endure at an advance
rd age, the miseres Of actual want, as a .
reward for the devotion of their whole
lives to the public service, This was not
all. This universal prcscri ption, taken
~ connection with the tenor of the lnau-
gural Address, amounted to charge Of
u iycr>al corruption Common Justice
required that the individuals against
whom such charre was brought should
nave opportunity To defend themselves
None was given No inquiry was order
ed. NO specifications were made. No
examination was bad. When public
servant Of unllcmishcd character, now a
member of Congress, demanded of the
this impli' Il charge of corruption, under
which he had been removed (romh place
"a Clerk IN the Department Of State,
lie was cooilv informed that no harm was
meant, and that no explanation would be
given Even this was not the worst
Attempt, were made in more than one in
stance, under pretcXt OF "A strlcter control
of public accounts, to deprive these VIC
tiu,s of persecution of the scanty remnant
of their means of subsistence. A public
servant ofmost respectable character and
venerable years, was not only removed
and thrown upon the world, at the age OF
NOR" than eighty, but actually had his
furniture seized, under Treasury war
rant OF distress, upon a false pretence Of
p,cu;ation, at time when, as appears
from subsequent decree Of the compe-
tent tribunal, the United States owed him
more than twelve thousand dollars. 9th
er cases occurred of precisely similar
character. Can there possibly be any
thing behind more revolving than this?-
There is. In the case of the Assistant
d. Post master General. there is too much
reason to fear that there occurred in the
Post Oiliro Department, an actual alter
alton Of the public accounts, for the pur-
pose OF fixing upon that most merltorlous
public servant the blame of some suppos-
ed maIversation in office, which had real
" been committed by his successor. We
cannot but hope, for the honor OF the
country, that some explanation VIII yet
he given of this transaction, consistent
with the prohity Of the individuals at the
head Of the Post Office.
I, The history Of the administration OF
civilized governments presents no Paral-
lei 10 this scene. Many ofthe partizans
/ of General Jackson have shrnuk from the
task of defending it, and taken refuge in
bold denial Of the fact. Public writer's
of some rcspectability did not scruple to
affirm that there had been no removals on
account of political opinions, as ito use
the indignant language of Roman his
torian-thev thought they could blot out
the record of their doings from the MEM
ory ofthc human race. After while the
i charge of corruption seems to have been
abandoned, and in his first message to
Congress the President justified himself
on the principle of rotation in office; al
fectinr to suppose that the public would
derive an advantage from employing new
arents .as fast as the old ones acquired
bv experience, the capacity for perform
: mo their duties with ability and success.
, This doctrine, which, if applied TO prac-
, tcc in private life, would be thought to
= argue degree of impudence, equivalent
, in its effects. to insanity, and would I'M
= mcdiatelv ruin the most prosperous estab-
lishments, was gravely announced as ali
| acknowledged truth. twas affirmed tina;
= the natural effect of possessing an otlic"
, was TO create negligence and corruption
: in the person holding it; that the public
lost more in this way than was gained b.
= the additional experience and dextertr
, resulting from the same cause, that IRE
ouent changes in office were highly eA'
pcdcnt, that all offices should be held for
!. short terms, and in particular that the Cor
s'ituion ought to be so amended, that ;
person should be eligible second time
: for that of the President Of the U. State
These principles, whether true or false
are irrelevant to the subject, because th"
removals from office by General Jackson
were not made either really or professed
. ly, for the purpose Of change or rotation
5 but profcssedly because the incumben'F
were incapable or corrupt, and really i'r
, the purpose Of forwarding his friends a! an !
> furnishing his enemies" No disposition
has been shown to apply the WHOLESOME
. principle ofro,a,ion to the Presidents par
: tizans, and the best illustration OF the rea'
= meaning of the language used on TINS oc-
= casion, is TO be found in letter written
4 from tho Presidents house under the