Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1838-07-03


diaries 81 executive patronage. The Sec
rotary Of tie Treasury estimated that te"
additional officers and an extra expense of
100000 only, would be sufficient to carry
the scheme into operation, but how will
stand the case if we take the light Of ex-
perience to guide Us in estimating the ex-
pense of any untried scheme, particularly
lift is to be carried out by corrupt and
proaigate Government Eight years ago
the whole expense of Government was
about $4,000, 600, and now, without
much apparent necessity for an increase
of expenditures, $4,000 600, double the
amount, are necessary to keep the wheels
of Government in motion. Mr.. RiveS in
his speech against the Sub Treasury in
the Senate stated that the same system in
France requires 100000 men to carry
on its operations, and how can we expect
to conduct it with any greater economy.
Mr.. Garland of Virginia in his speech in
the House of Representatives repudiated
the idea of the Secretary of the Treasury,
and said:
"All propositions for the creation of
new systems are accompanied with the
most rigid regard to economy, but after
their organization their wants gradually
develope themselves, till finally, by legis.
lation after legislation, the officers and the
expenses are fearfully increased. All the
departments of the Government had small
and economical beginnings, yet in the pro-
gress of time the number Of their officers
and the amount of their salaries, and other
expenses, have greatly increased, -such
will be the course of this system. This
will be but the germ, and your ten addi-
tional officers and 100000 additional ex.
pense, will swell into hundreds of officers,
and hundreds of thousands ofincreased
expenditure. To tell me that all the in.
crease of clerks, house-rent, stationary,
and other Incidental expenses which this
system will require can be met with $780,
600, is to tax my credulity with the be-
lief of an utter impossibility."
The Executive, (and every man in the
nation is aware ofthe lamentabie fact has
too much power and patronage already,
and ifthe Sub Treasury scheme is adopt
ed by Congress, there is no doubt that it
will be alarmingly increased. The effect
ola further enlargement of Executive pa
tronage is stated SO clearly in Mr.. Cal
houn's speech in the Senate in 1885, that
we cannot forbear making an extract from
it.
"There remains, said Mr.. Calhoun, to
be noticed another consequence no. less
important. The construction for which |
contend strikes at the root of that danger
Gus control which the president would
have over all who hold Office, ifthe power
of appointing and removal without limita.
ton or restriction were united in him.
Let us not be deceived by names. The
power in question is too great for chief
magistrate of free state. 1t is in its ma
ture an imperial power, and, if he be per-
mitted to exercise it, his authority must be-
come as absolute as that of the autocrat
ofall the Russias. To give him the pow
er to dismiss, at his will and pleasure,
without limitation or control, is to give
him an absolute and unlimited control over
the subsistence of almost all who hold Of
fee under government. Let him have
the power, and the sixty thousand who
noun boIJ <s,,ovloVy,,,ey,f ,,oJo,.
would become dependent upon him for the
means of existence. Of that vast multi
tude, | may venture to assert that there
are very few whose subsistence does not
more or less depend upon their public EN-.
| ployment. Who does lot see that pow
err SO unlimited and despotic over this great
and powerful corps must tend 10 corrupt
and debase those who compose it, and to
convert them into the supple and willing
instruments of him who yields it? And
here let me remark, said Mr.. Calhoun
that have been unfairly represented in
reference to this point. have been char.
gel to assert that the whole body ofoffice-
holders are corrupt, debased and subservi.
ent: with what views, those who made
this charge can best explain. / have
made no such assertion, nor could it with
truth be made. / know that there are
many virtuous and high minded citizens
who hold public Office; but it is not, there
fore, the less true that the tendency of the
power of dismissal is such as / have attri.
buted to it; and that if the power be left
unqualified, and the practice be continued
as it has of late, the result must be the
complete corruption and debasement Of
those in pnblic employ. What, Mr.. G,
asked, has been that powerful cause that
has wrought that wonderful change which
: history teaches us has occurred at different
periods IN the character ofnations? What
t has bowed down that high, generous anc
: chlValrous feeling; that independent anc
proud spirit which characterized all free
!, states in rising from the barbarous to the
civilized condition; and which finally con,
J. verted them into base sycophants anC
: fiatterers! Under the operation Of wha
/, cause did the proud and stubborn con
d querors Of the world, the naughty Ro
mans, sink down to that low and servil,
debasement which followed the decay o
: the republicl What but the mighty caus,
which | am considering; the power whiel
1t one man exercised over the fortunes anC
j subsistence, the honor and the.standing o
y all those in Office or who aspired TO publ,
+ employment? Man is naturally Drou,
Jt and indeD,andant and ;f - 1~-, 49,,