The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-10-21
OIL ETECAL.
/ ADD E2S
.Ofhe Wig Com 'entioa, Held Gt.EichmOnd or
the 81 VI October, 1870,
TO THE Pr .OPLE OF. VIRGINIA.
LnDnE9S

the 81 VI October, $780,
TO THE Pr ,OPLE VIRGINIA.
(CO&aEuzed)
In thesgeneral exercise of the Executive pa
ttronage during the whole course of the ,aa-
manifestations we are reviewing. ave doubt ifia
trace cansbe fout I'D of any motive, object c.
principle, in the chssce ot public officers, bHf
the re WarG of pa rty deNetion,er the punish
ment of indepenr iences and the eaaltation, IN
both ways, of u lie presidential power 1t ls
most notorious, that party. zeal, reckless Ruth
less, undiscrimir stIng zeal, in support of the
President his mi assures and his pretensions
has been,an indi spensibIe qualification, if in
deed ithas not, cen the only qualification, to
which suy serion regard has been paid, for all
appointments of honor and trust, or OF any con-
siderable smolum lent. 1t is a merit achieVable
at the cheapest rate. 1t requires neither in
sdustry, nor abilit les, nor Tirue; on the contra
ryit notu afrequt mtly inGeEs the absence ofthem
all for when his n reward is the need of mere
zeal, the most unl worthy will generally be found
the Inostelamero JUS in their professions of 10y
atty, and the le;lst scrupnlous in the services
;bysWhich4hey essay to recommend themselves
to favor. The consequence was Natural and
inevitable: vast number Of men have been APP
pointed to office, who have earned their places
only by their partizan ser 2ices; who bold them
..by no Other tenure, and who have proved them
selves utterly untrust worthy: witness the nu-
4merous aefaulters among thereceiVeEs of pub
ilic moneys at the land offices, and the fire.
, quency box ness and extent ofther operations
We shorid be panied to believe, that in so
Large cGgyS as the Office haldeTs under the fed
teral government compose, there is net to be
afound large number of capable and honest
men: we dc not doubt, that nader any admin
GstraGon,5 the purest and most circlmsnect in
the exercise Of its patronage, many vicious men,
Though false representations of merit, nav be
sFi0 office. hut heIieUe hat bard
w ever under any government, and we are
GAita sure, never in former times under sours,
was there sa2Nrge proportion OF runworthy,
unprincipledsnen enjoying and abusing pub
licaeffice as Il ere is at this time under this adj
min;stration. Let us acqut president jackson
and.B-esident q an Buren, Of WiIful, premedita-
ted design to zopoint dishonest men TO placessof
public trust, yyel they have appointed theRown
partizans,i in consideration of parti2an services
only. The .nsrrow, ungenerous party motives
and tka,perVadicg principle of official ambition
whiotaEave regulated their choice upon all oc-
casiGns ,haye yi6ated their appointments: and
it is ehe motive and the principle, which we
wish aaA confidently hope 10 sassSig lally- re-
bukeG:hy an Indignant and viriuous people.
The same unworthy motive and the same
mischieseas principles have been equally mani
fest in thetemoYsIE from office which.hape been
made by president Van Buren, and his .prede-
cessor; aalli have operated likewise to withhold
them fro6araaaking removals of officers, when
the public EGeal reaEired they shoald be made
with prodnistitude and decision-@hen the
very cases occurred, in consideration ,of the
possible occurrence Of which the uncontrolled
power of reEneVal was conceded TO the Presi-
dent. On tlseeone han1, numbers of tried la
pabIe and faithful officers have! been removed
from places masel min i5terial, which theyhad
$ filed with credE TO thenseves and utility to
the public, wittiaut pretence of advantage tic
10 ,,,,bl; fault al
/, or imputable, saase only honest independence
OF political opinoaS and .otkers have been APP
,poiT ted to Offices, for nc merit but loyalty
Ito the President, watch has been in contempt
of common sense, mssnamed Democracy. On
the other hand, pubEc de(slaters have been
permitted TO retain THAR Offices after their pee
alationr have been detected and avowed, with
aaisRt tolerance wlsAly irreeonciablc with
the least care for the is:terests4f the public,
and. in.seme instances, reasons for continuing
such hetssters in the Offices they have abused,
have been suggested by friends efthe admins
traioa tofhe head Of the treasury ,Gepar tment, |
and (sRppoSng him TO have done ibis duty, as
we doGlbt not he did) communicated to the
President, Which ought TO haze been regarded
as an insWltito them both; reasons founded on
a considesatqg of the interests af the minister
ial party alone. Witness again, she notorious
eases OF defaulteEs among the receivers Of pub |
lie moneys in the Land Offices. Ofthese .abu-
,ses, we have, at present, only incomplete .ac
counts To what point of time they have csn-
tinued, and TO what degree of aggravaaion they
haze been carried, viii probably never be re-
yeaed, until full and searching inquiry shall
be ,,eade when the ministers concerned will
have no interest TO conceal the truth.
Mi Jefferson omulgated general pYknci-
nile. ynich President Jackson, before his cleo
ton to the Chief Magstraey approved, aad
which it was supposed, until lately. challenged
universal approbation-th sthe right any
officer to give his vote at elections as quail
fled citizen. oaght not TO be restrained, nor.
however giyeH, should it have any effect TO
bis preiudice;" but that he ought not to sat
tempt to influence the votes of others. nor take
any part in the business of electoneering, that
being deemed inconsistent with the spirit Of the
Constitution and his duties to it, that "iIlter-
.-ssrences with elections, whether of the State
or General Government, by officers of the lat
fer, should be deemed cause of removal, be-
cause The constitutional remedy by the elective
principle becomes nothing, if it may be
smothered by the enormous patronage OF the
General Government" The ministerial parry
in the Senate of the U. States were the first to
declare any dissent fromthese wholesome truths;
according to their doctrine, it is the right and