Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-06-27

thSt0 Hdu uccu uH Improvement II
the plan Of sending ministers abroad
and bringing them back when they ha,
finished their business " for, said h,
- they are now sent abroad on sieere
Tess crrands, that they may come bach
re-iat ecfa, to pocket their cmoluments.
Mr.. Speaker, the Greeks and Romans
both held il to be highly useful, bul
exceedingly difficult matter, 70 know
ones self. Modern history, aud our
own items, add new furcc 10 the truth
OF that position. do no, al all ques-
ton the sincerity OF Mr.. Randolph,
when he uttered tine sentiments bur
great as he may have been, and sklful
as he protested to be, and, no doubt,
was, in the motives of human action,
after events proved how little be knew
Of himself. Sir. we soon found Mr..
Randolph giving up his constituents,
and leaving allthe boosted endearments
Of his district, for foreign mission 10
Russia, where, so far as any public adj
vantage resulted from il he went on a
Sleeveless crrand,' and !" camo back
re-iRfecfd, to pocket his emolument y
Indeed, this mission to Russia seems TO
have been specially dedicated by the
party" to short terms of six and
twelve months, for the advancement OF
some Of the T" enlisted soldiers" DESERT
bed by Mr.. Buchanan. In this way,
the cost Of that mission has been NOR
dina,ely increased and i, is high time
this drain on the public treasury for
private benefit should be checked.
Mr.. Bond said /, was no, to be dis.
gulsed that many of the politicians who
engaged in the debate and strife OF the
times TO which he had alluded, had
been surprised, il not disappointed, by
events which soon followed. A singu-
larexchange Of position has taken place
between two Of these gentlemen. -
When the retrenchmcnt resolution was
discussed, a friend of the then admins
tration, Mr.. Pearcc, Of Rhode Island,
took ground, not IN terms, but some
somewhat similar TO that avowed and
prac,ised by the dominant party, "ibai
the spoils belong 10 the victors." Mr..
Wickliflo, jackson retormer, denied
and condemned such r'gLt. He was
appointed member Of the retrench-
merit and reform committee, and, after
Gen. Jackson came into power, Mr..
Wickliiie zealously endeavored to ear.
ny out the promised reform; but not
finding the cooperation he expected,
he ahlured the party" About this
time, it happened that the reformers
avowed the doctrine that the spols
belonged TO the victors," and Mr..
Pearce enlisted under their banner.
Sir, has not the country been disap-
pointed /? Have not the People been
deceived and allured by specious and
vain promises las not The Federal
Executive patronage Unfortunately in
creased, and is it not still unrestrained?
Is not the power over il abused and
perverted DO not the expenses Of the
General Government far transcend in
amount, all our past history? Why
are these things so, and why has moi
this "plague been stayed" Mr.. Speak
er, according to your plightcd faith 7
| will tell you why, sir, but | prefer
doing so in the language md ilIustra-
tons Of one Of your own friends, Mr..
Buchanan, of the Senate, to whom
have before referred. In his speech
here, to which have already alluded,
and when he was assaulting the, Chem
Administration, he thus exclaimed -
" The very possession of power has
strong natural tendency to corrupt the
heart. The lust Of dominion grows
with its possession; and the man who
IN humble life was pure, and innocent,
and just, has often been transformed,
by the long possession Of power, into a
monster. In the sacred Book, which
contains lessons Of wisdom for the pol
itician as well as the Christian, we find
a happy illustration Of the corrupting
influence Of power upon the human
heart. When Hazael Game to consult
Elisha, whether his master the King of
Syria, would recover from dangerous
illness, the prophet, looking through
the vista Of futurily, saw. the crimes OF
which the messenger who stood before
him, would be guilty, and he wept.--
Hazael asked, why weepeth my lordi'
The prophet then recounted TO him the
murders and cruelty of which he should
be guilty towards the children Of Isra-
el. Hazael, in the spirit of virtuous
Indignation, replied, Is thy servant
dog that he should do this thing ~
And Elisha answered, the Lord hath
shown me that thou shalt be King over
Syria" This man afterwards became
King by the murder OF his master, and
was guilty Of enormities, the bare re.
cital Of which would make us shud-
DER"
How true, and alas how applicable