The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-12-04
Puras Deus, non pienas, adspieit manus.
God Looks not 10 fuN, bit 70 clean handy.

God looks not 10 fuH but 10 clean hands.
Office IS, or ought to be, duty, not privi-
lege. Those who have sought il for its profits,
and used il for selfish or party purposes shoald
be removed. II the preposterous apology of the
southern Receiver is set up, who, having got
surieit OF public plumber, would not, for that
son, be likely TO abuse his Office any more, il
should be the best reason for the switest punish
ment There are many things in the Govern
ment which are radically aorong, and they
must be made radically right. Many of these
are obvious to the public. Among them is the
re eligibility of the President And on this sub.
ject we need not say more than was said by MIR.
Smythe, of Virginia, in 1928, whose conclusive
speech we have taken the pains TO copy The
temporary abuses which have insidously crept
IN, and the excrescences which have grown up
where they are not authorized TO be, are more
numerous, and will require to be ferretted out,
and reformed and Topped by the hand of the
Executive, and his constitutional aids There
are corruptions in every department Of the Go
vernment, and with many gross abuses, men in
office have been so long familiar, that some have
cNNoie ihSNhsibit W tiSI tuolliitt, per
haps unconscious of the evil they work. To the
correction of these, and to the task OF reform
generally, clean hands fresh from the people
should be vigorously and faithfully applied. For
this purpose, we have no doubt, men will be
selected, who are able and willing to work Off
also require correction well official disho-
nesty, and mafeasance We want men of So
briefly, industry, energy, capacity, and honesty.
Mere partizans, political spectators, and men
who think they must be eternally intermeddling
with the elections, will not be good officers.
Entertaining these views and for the reason
also that they accord with what we have been
writing for weeks past, we approve OF the fol-
lowing article from the Cincinnati Republican:
THE CABINET
Speculation is rife on the subject of the Cabi-
net The press is busy in starting candidates,
and the public are curious TO know who will fill
the prominent offices of the Government. All
this is natural and right and amid all, there is
this glorious consolation: that the number of
those i'll TO fill these high stations is large beyond
precedent. But one fact is clear no State or IN
diriduai can claim office from President Har-
rison, on The score Of services rendered 10 him.
Leading men all over the country have done
their duty nobly; they have stood forth every
where boldly procaimng dangers which threat
ened the Constitution, and denouncing evils
which periled our liberty. But these dangers and
evils were seen and felt by the people They
realized them and knew and did their duty. In
mass they moved, in mass they came forward to
the relief of the country, and rescued the Con
stitution from the grasp OF a venal power and il
is to them, and them alone, that we owe all the
rich reward of our late glorious victory.
President Harrison, then, stands, on this sub
ject, on the highest ground He will in all his
appointments look alone TO the welfare of the
nation. No personal considerations-no mere
party authority-no combinations of influential
men can induce him to nominate TO. or remove
from, office any one individual for mere party
purpose. Fitness on the one hand, and fidelity
on the other, are the only inquiries which he can
or will make and any effort to change or thwart
this course would receive his rebuke, and merit
general Indignation. A pure people have elected
him to serve the country, and while in office, that
country's claim will ever be first in his patriotic
mind
| Let our friends, then, speculate as affection
may direct, curiosity dictate. But let them re-
member at the same time, that new rule is
about to commence and that under that rule, par
tizan strife can'fmeet with no encouragement,
and selfish scramble for office, no quarter. A
higher and trucr stand we repeat, will be taken
Honesty and capacity, then, are the great requi-
sites. They are, we are confident, the only re-
quistes which the people demand, or which Pre-
sdent Harrison can acknowledge These sug-
gestons are entirely the offspring Of our know
ledge Of Gen. Harison's character, and his in
variable course in all his public relations.