Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-02-23

u s'ea' as is, docs not materially exceed tho grow
' a"a population OF the county, with which, II Is a
! somed, that It ought TO keep pace This vie
o'eiiooks entirely the increase Of patronage fro,
nose circumstances which have so much increase
" ooilng The period IN question, as has alrona
oeeh SHOWN II these be taken into con sheraton
u, 10 the increase of revenue and expenditure nm
Tue number dependent on Government we add In
vast increase OF Executive patronage from the i'm
menSe public domain recently thrown into m,,ke,
the great extent of Indian reservations; the con
"oi winch the practice of removal has esnblisbrt
over hoso IN office and the gr. at addition te Exc
cuuSe power over the public funds, and through
'nls over the bank institu ions of the country II
cannot be doubted, that, instead of increasing only
DO per cent, !, has more than doubled in the period
IN question; while the growth and population oil
me country have probably not exceeded twenty.
four per cent
But your COMMITTEE cannot agree, that there /.
any substantial reason why Executive patronage
should increase IN the same proportion with tbf
growth q population Of the country With tho ex.
ceplion OF the Post Office establishments there IL no
necessary cohncxlon between the Increasing growth
population oil the country and the increasing pat
'o'aee o' 'he Uovernmenl.-On the contrary, ma
ny OF the public establishments are or ought To h,
stationary others on the decrease others thouy
necessarily increasing, increase at Iate far less
thah our population and yet, we find that for the
last eight years, there has been a progressive IN.
crease o' patronage far greater than the growth and
| population Of the country
But the assumption that Executive patronage
and influence should increase In the same ratio
with the growth and population of tho country, is
not less dangerous than 1t is erroneous If this as
sumption be carried out in practice It must finally
prove iatal 10 our institutions and liberty. The
same amount OF Patronage and influence in pro.
Pofooh 10 Inc extent and population OF country,
which, IN a small State moderately populous
would be perfectly safe might prove fatal IN an ex
'ens'Vc and populous community, Just os n much
smaller military force, in proportion, would hold
upder sublectlon the latter, than the former The
| principle Is the same in both cascs-the ereat al.
vantage which an organized body such us Gov
eminent, OF an army, has over an unorganized
mass, an advantage increasing with tho lnerease ed
dihcuy OF concert and cooperation ard this u.
gam increasing with the numbar and dispersion OF
nose on whose concert AMI cooperation stance
| oePehos ana hence, from their combined action,
both as applied 10 the civil and military, the great
| advantage winch power has ovor liberty in large
ana Populoos Countries an advantage so great that
II Is utterly impossible, in such coun RES, 10 defend
the latter against the former unless adod by n
highly artificial political organic alton, such as ours,
based on local aud geographical interests. Ii TO
| '"s u'i"~uiy resulting from numbers ana extent
only, there he added others of mos, formidable
character the greater capacity, proportion on tho
part OF The government IN large communities, 10
seize on and corrupt all the organs of public opn-
ION, and thus deude and impose on the people the
greater tendency in snch communities tho for
ton oil parties on local and separate interests res
ting opposing and conflicting principles, win sc.
parate and riva leaders at the head Of each and the
great difficulty of combining such parties in any
| system OF resistance against the common danger
| from the Government some conceplion may be
formed of the vast superiority which that gained
and central panty, consisting of Office holders ahI
office seekers, with their dependents forming one
compact disciplined corps, welded by single in
dlyldual, without conflict of opinion within, either
as 10 policy OF principle, and aiming al the single
object OF retaining and perpeluaing power in their
own ranks, must have IN such country as ours,
over the people u superiority so decisive that II
may safely be asserted that, whenever the patron
age and influence Of the Government are sufficient
ly strong to form such parry, liberty, without a
speedy reform, must inevitably be lost. When
we add. that this great advantage Of the Govern
ment over the pcoplc--of power over liberty must
increase proporlloroby with the growth and pop
ulstion OF our country, it must be apparent how
fatal would oe the assumption, il acted on, that pat
ronage and influence should increase IN the same
proportion and how infinitely dangerous has been
| the tendency of our affairs OF late, when, as has
been shown, instead Of increasing simply in the
same proportion, they nave advanced with rapid.
| ity more than double So far is the assumption
from being true If we regard the duration Of in
stitutlons and the preservation of our liberty, we
must hold 1t as u fundamental maxim, tina, the nc
| ton Of the Government should with gro with,
gradually become more moderate insteod Of more III
iense--a maxim resting on principles deep and IL
reversible, and which cannot be violated withol
inevitable destruction. Moderation in the action o
this Government, the great central power OF ou
system, is, IN fact, the condition on which our pc
lllcal existence depends. In complying with TIN,
condition, we but conform 10 the principle which
Divine wisdom has impressed upon the beautiful
and sublime system Of which our globe is part
and in which the great mass, that gives life ant
harmony and action to tho whole, reposes almos
motionoss IN the centre.
Your COMMITTEE are aware that, since 1888
there has been very considerable decrease OF re
venue under he act Of Bad March, 1884, known NJ
the compromise law, with other preceding acts, II
consequence OF the payment OF the public debt
which would very considerably effect the con,par'
son, if the year 1884 instead Of 1888, had been SC
lected ana they have to express their regret Ina
the want offull and accurate materials for the for
mer year prevents them from furnI shing state
ment which, while it would show the decrease
would also show how little tho final discharge o
tho public deb, has contributed 10 diminish etbe
the public expenditure or the patronage Of the Exc
cutive-facts of NJ small moment us connected will
the subject of inquiry The deep interest which
the emil shtencd and patriotic took IN that great e
vent was, not to indulge IN the idle boast that The
country was free from debt, but tia, il would, a
they believed be necessarily follow cd by the sub