Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-10-20

dctalcatlons; robblng OF the mails anu post
officers by the officers themselves, and OF 9th
crs absconding with large sums oi the pupiIc
money.
In no other country on the Globe does
there exist such u band Of public officers US
ed as the instruments OF private aDbition.-
In England, n change Of parties Is noth'hg
more thana change Of the principal ministers.
All subordinate officers, throughout the realm,
collectors, postmasters, consuls, &c, &C, are
left un,nolested in the full enjoyment OF their
political sentiments and tho free exercise OF
the elective franchise. In republican Amerl-
ca alone do we find an immense, organized
body Of men who have sold their right Of sui-
fragc, and retain their power of voting only
to employ it, at command, against their iel-
low citizens. We apprehend that the people
generally arc little aware oft numbers and
force of this powerful body, directed as 1t IS;
or, of its deadly influence over all elections.
Ii is estimated that there are in New York
alone between thirty and forty thousand OF
them, and we may conjecture what they must
amount to in the whole--probably to some
hundreds Of thousands, spread over the whole
United States, and in every city, village and
country town, rallylng at the polls, and ex-
crting themselves to control the electons,-
their whole efforts concentrated and directed
to the same point and object-to pcrpetuate
all power in the hands of their ChieE and his
adopted successor, in perpctuity. And to
these must be added at least an equal num-
Der of eager expectants, who are constantly
led with promises of Offices, cmploymcnts, a
gencies or perquisites in some shape or other;
and upon whom, under one prctext or other,
of public service, immense sums OF the pub
lie money are squandered. Thus, is created
and organized an army Of civil officers and
retaincrs, an hundred times more numerous,
and thousand times more formidable than
any military army that could ever be embo-
died in this country with views hostile to its
freedom. Who can wonder that the public
expenditures have increased from less than
thirteen TO more than forty y-seven millions OF
dollars? or that the remaining thirty millions
should also be wanted to recruit, increase and
supply this vast army and keep it in active
political service.
In rejecting upon the extent of the Execu-
tivc's influence over the elections, and his
means Of accomplishing any purpose he wills
to accomplish, your thoughts will turn to the
numerous subsidized presses, and the almost
innuinerable post Offices with which the
whole U. S. are thckly planted over, and vast
numbers of which, under pretence OF the pub
lie service, are set up and supported at the
public expense, purely for political uses; TO
multiply and extend the number of retainers
and instruments, and to misinform and mis-
lead the public mind. These two powerful
establishments, of the press and the post Of
flee, made to cooperate together, with the
aid of the mail contractors and carriers, and
under the direction Of the secret committees,
form an irresistible engine OF poverty means
of which the faction is enabled TO fill the
whole country with false information; to cry
down the characters of the best men and tru-
est friends to the constitution; to conceal dis
guise and palliate all official mal-practices;
and, on the other hand, in great measure, to
obstruct, retard and suppress the circulation
Of all correct information, from which the
people might know their situation and be en-
abled to Judge for themselves. The cnormi-
ties committed in the post Office establish
mcnt, under the management OF Barry, the
first Postmaster General appointed by the
present Executive, are fresh on our minds
And it ought to be here remarked, that the
continuance Of such man at the head of the
same department, after its frauds upon the
public had been publicly exposed and been
condemned by the unanimous vote Of the
Senate, aud we believe, of the House Of Rep
in the selection Of public officers, the public
service and interests have been wholly disre-
garded and that political services TO the
chief, not fidelity to the people, are the rcqni-
site qualifications. 1t was perfectly well
known, before Judge M'Lcan, the then most
able and faithful Postmaster General, was
removed into the Supreme Court to make
room for Col. Barry, what conduct was to be
Icxpec ted from him, and therefore it was not
surprising that instead of disnissing him at
the commencement of his mal-practiccs those
practices were studousy concealed from
Congress as long as possible; and the state
of the department grossly mlsrepresented.n not
only by himself but by his patron chief; and
he was finally rewarded for his political SER
vices and fidelity to that chief by the office
Of Minister Penipotentiary to the Court Of
Spain, with $4,000 outfit and salary.
But let us do no injustice to Gen. Jackson.
Had he been left to himself, un;nfuenced by
evil advisers, would he have acted directly in
the face OF his own sentiments and principles,
repeatedly, publicly and solemnly avowcd?-,
1t would be doing him injustice to believe il. I
He had no possible motive for doing so. lie
was secure in his station, and had only to
consult his future fame, and uxalt himself in
the estimation of the people, by showing
that he was what lie advised Mr.. Monroe to
be, he Chief Magistrate of The Nation, not The
heal Qfa party. But the case was far differ
ent with Mr.. Van Buren,. In him the people
had no confidence, especially after his British
negotiation: and there was no way for him to
obtain the Presidency, but through the very
measures which Gen. Jackson was led into
by organizing powerful Office party to con-
troll the election, and by getting the control
of the public revenue. And how can we
doubt that he was at the bottom of this poll
cy, when we know that it is the same policy
upon which he had prac,lsed in his own State.
and which until he came into the adminis,ra-
tion, was wholly unknown to the councils of
the nation? Or can we believe, that had not