Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1837-03-11

":~.:.,s~ - rnritv and freedom Of cleo
-..@ e,,sss course-ut if due to cons's
~. s.,c.~ those who call themselves re
:. n;c:.s ma followers Of Jefferson. II Is
M 10 the cause Of liberty and free govern
rent, that every public officer who has dread
q interfere in any elect on, State or Nation
4. should be made an example Of in all time
= Conc. But. sir. this is the business and
Iuty of the Executive, SO far as the past IS
concerned. |
What propose that Congress should DO.
. simply 70 declare the removal Of any pub
ic officer upon politiea! grounds, and Tor Q,
o;nion's sake, to be hig Is misdemeanor; enc
cave the punishment to be applied ny nm
or by the action Of public senti
ment at the ballot box, as heretofore. pro
pose to leave the power OF removal IN the
President, as it IL now, believing that any
a tempt to limit il would be iDjudlcious. but
we are under no such restraint in providing
m adequate penalty against all public off,
GERS who interfere in elections, except to cast
their vote; nor is there any reason why we
should not declare any gift or promise Of any
officer or place under the Government, as
the consideration Of service in an election,
to be bribery; and to punish such offences
for the future in = manner prOpOrtIonate TO
their enormity. Until the National Legisla-
,ure shall take this subject up, and act upon
It, experience has shown that we have no
security Tor the purity or the freedom Of cleo
tions--none for the protection Of our tree
institutions. The only popular objection to
enact into law, is tho principle Of rotation
in Office. Whatever objections exist in the
adoption Of that prine;ple-and they are very
serious and important-still l infinitely pre-
fer the adoption of it, according to the views
recently expressed by some Of the people of
good old republican Pennsylvania, than the
present practice Of tho Government. If we
can agree upon no remedy for present abu-
ses, let Us adopt uniform rule, az least, and
let all officers 60 out the end Of four or eight
years. Now, sir, when the President, or
any head of Department, wishes to remove
a meritorious officer Of offensive politics, in
order to make way for some favorite parti-
san, he may cite the popular principle Of ro-
tation in office to support his conduct-but
still the great mass Of tractable and obedient
who are ready to become the
creatures Of Executive will, are permitted to
remain in Office, for life, in defiance of the
salutary and popular principle Of rotation in
office. The rule, sir, should work both ways
or be discarded altogether.
Mr.. Speaker, experience, l think, has con-
cluyively demonstrated Of late, that patron
age is the vice, and - likely to be the euthan-
~ of our political system. The Vxginia
directors to the constitution were mistaken.
1t is not the great powers ofpeace and war.
Of the purse and Of the sword, vested in the
Federal Government, which are most to be
feared; nor is it SO much the aggregate a.
mount of patronage within the control Of the
as it is the want Of proper con-
stitutional limitations and restrictions upon
the use of it in the hands Of the Executive,
which is to be dreaded and guarded against.
Government will wear out by time, and are of
small moment in comparison with this of
patronage.
Let u be understood that do not propose
to divest the President Of one particle Of
the patronage which the constitution has con-
ferred upon him, in giving him the power of
to all the impor tant offices; nor
do l wish TO deprive the Executive of that
due and proper influence over the public coun-
ellis and people Of the country which the le-
Ultimate exercise oft naturally brings to him.
The legitimate exercise Of the patronage YES
ted in the President insures to him vast
to keep alive the jealousies and vigilance of
free people. The power Of nominating to-
all new ofhces-to fill all accruing vacancies
by death, resignation, or removal for unfit
ness-the power Of appointing all the heads
OF the Executive Department, all foreign min
istsrs, and the judges Of the Supreme and
other courts Of the United States vast
power Of itself, and operating directly upon
the highest talent and abilities in the country
besides these, the power Of promotion 10
the Army and Navy, and the patronage Of the
Military Academy, exclusive of the other
great branches Of the public service, would
Of themselves, when exercised with an eve
single TO the interest Of the country. as it
should be, constitute an aggregate influence
great enough to be trusted in the hands of
any man. To this measure of influence. and
more, the President is entitled.-The consti-
tuition bestows it. and l seek not to deprive
him Oft. But, sir, this vast power was a
deposite for the public good; and
not the smallest portion Of it was given for
The personal qualification, or to advance the
private interests or wishes Of the President