The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-07-16

Christianity, the purest and The best gift which ever
descended from Heaven upon men, and you there
find its professors preaching what they never prac-
tsed, and never intended to practise, what would
be your conviction of the sincerity and true char
acter of such professors What would you think
of that man, if, with the precepls Of this sublime
doctrine upon his lips, his life gave the lie TO his
professions You would not hesitate 10 pronounce
him guilty of the grossest hypocricy. All mankind
would unite with you in calling hima hypocrite.-
lie would not undertake TO apply this name to
gentlemen on the other side, but he should leave
the people 10 Judge This, however, he should
say; that the ruthless prescription which was now
progressing so directly at variance with all the pro-
iessions and pledges of the Wing wharty, was the
most garng and signal example in the history of
any Government ancient or modern, OF the oppo-
sition, between profession. before an election, and
prctce afterwards, No popular Government had
ever existed, beginning with that of Athens, and
coming down to the present day, in which polt-
cal party had so reckIossly and so suddenly viola
ted the most solemnly prcfessed principles, as the
Wing party of the present day had done. 1t was
no wonder that they should nndeavor to shroud
their conduct in mystery and 10 conceal their re-
movals from the world.
Never had the leaders oiany party been more
solemnly committed on any doctrine than those of
the Wing party were in their hostility to proscp-
ton From the Senator from Kentucky, MIR Clay
down, they had all spoken the same anguage.-
That Senator had repeatedly, on this floor denied
the exislance ofthe power of removal by the Pres
ident under the Constitution. How eloquenty had
he declared against the maxim that to tho yiclors
belonged the sposi"
MIR Clay. win the Senator from Pennsylvania
allow me word in explanation | have said that
power does not belong to the President, though it
has grown into use. 1t has been subject Of leg
islaton, and such it is not questioned,
Mr. Buchanan. The Senator from Kentucky
then declared that under the Constitution the right
did not exist but that in law it did and that now,
being in office he would Justify his Administration
for lis prescription, not by constitutional hut by
legislative authority. Had he not, over and over
again, denounced the late Administration, the
ground of prescription
Mr. Clay, from his scat, in ocular way,) |
did SIR our practice now grows out of the necessity
of our case. We connot, indeed, sir, consent TO
allow your friends to remain in our confidence.
Mr. buchanan The Senator then acknowledges
that whilst he hates the principle, he loves the
practice. So much for Wing consistency And
the Senator from Kentucky candidly admits that
the power of necessity goes beyond the power OF
princlpe; and this, because the friends of the late
Administration stand in the way of principle, and
i,s enemies arc clomorous for the loves and fishes
!e (Mr Buchanan) had never expressed any
ooinion of his own on the subject of the spoils be-
lnncno IN the yic,ors. lie had never said that 10
the ylctors belonged the spoils lie had acted dit
ferenlly when he had declared to disturb the
Wings in party post offices in his district of COM
try. But prescription now proceeds rapidly, and in
less than six months hence, at the same rate there
will not be man left in office who was appointed
by the late Administration. On the the entry Of
the present Administration into power, he did eS-
pect that they would at east have done one thing
Hundreds of persons had been appointed 10 office
| by the late President under existing laws, for The
term of four years, If the present Administration
had allowed them to remain till the expiration oil
their term, it would, III some SINAI! degree, have
acted in conformity with lis professions, and would
have lost nothing by the arrangement; because
what its friends might have lost in the beginning
would have heen made upto them IN the end hu
not even having adopted this principle, what had
been the spectacle presented to the world ny 'h'
determination, so instantly and almost by nnticlpn
ton, acted upon,o unsparmg prescription; Dld no
the blush of shame suiluse the cheek Of every dis
interested American when the spectacle OF The
rush for office was exhibited in all lis odous coor
at the time of tho naugura'ion' Did it not fur
nish foreigners an occasion OF deridlng our Inslu
tons 1t the new Administration had announced
that all those IN Office would be allowed to complete
the term Of their appointments Tor four years, unless
they had been guilty OF official misconduct, there
would have been no unscemly rush Tor Offices; the
new appointments would have been made gradu
ally as the old expire; and this country would have
been spared the Illuminating spectacle winch 'ht
supporters of the Administration exhibited. Bu
prescription was necessary 10 reward those who ha'
restored the golden age And what had beer
promised rs one of the blessed effects OF the rul'
Of that golden age!
The Senator from South Carolina Mr Preston
had uttered sentiment which had gone forth t.
the world, and was hailed with cuIogy wherever
was rcad--far and wide had spread ovcI the lane
tina, the days Of prescription had gone forever
There was profession worthy Of the golden age
nha' oena'or n'u' WIN '"s"o"' a"u o,olN GU
Indignation; repencd' on ,hs nocr' even a,'ot Wv