Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-05-04
POLITICS.


APPOINTMENTS TO OfrlcE.-The appointing power
f our Governments State or Federal is invested with
great responsibilities and therefore cannot be exercised
too cautiously As government IS strictly popular
in origin operation and object its officers are created
soIslv for public benefit Ii is government designed
for the transaction Of business and not the emolument
or other qualification Of its administrators IL is popu
lar in origin because made by the people, Popu-
lar in operation because essentially conducted ny the
people, and popular in object, because designed solely
for the benefit of the people Hence every pubic ON
Ger ia servant of the people, appointed tor the sole
nurnose of transacng that portion Of their business
which they cannot conveniently transact IN any other
mode This view of the will demonstrate to any
ordinary capacity that the appointing power is invest
ed with great responsibilities to the people, and that
any abuse Of it is treason to the people
The first of these responsibilities IS the appointment
of persons both intellectually and morally qualified; OF
persons with sufficient capacity in both talent and know
ledge to perform official duties intelgenlly, and with
sufficient integrity to perform them faithfully Who-
ever is incompetent to conduct his own business, can
not be trusted with that of the people This is merely
general rule, and admits many exceptions: man
may be incompetent to complicated and difficult pri-
vate business, and yet thoroughly qualified Tor the
simple details Of many Offices A man with abund-
ance of talent and knowledge may fail in various en-
,erprises through beyond his CONTROL and con.
cealed from his knowledge; and Of such cases the j.
naneial history of country affords thousands
Still that may be thoroughly qualified Tor oftces
requiring great mental powers. Therefore success
or failure in business is not always sure test OF
intellectual power But as a general rule, whoever
has not intellect enough 10 conduct his own affairs
WE'LL has not enough for the affairs of the people
hence any appointment of the incompetent is treason
to the people. The appointing power cannot plead 'g
norance in justification of an njudlcous appointment;
for, if it would know the merits Of applicants, it can
ascertain them, and is bound to inquire whoever mas
not conducted his own business honestly, cannot be
trusted with that Of the people This rule UNIVERSAL
L. cltnnyc
a want of integrity that will yield to temptation in
all cases. He who is honest from expedency, and
not from principle, is never sale; tor interest may
place the eXpediency on the other side OF the moral
account He may not steal thousand because hdeli-
~ will give him two thousand and therefore is expe-
dent But if fraud will give him million, then fraud
NAV be erpedient Therefore whenever the appointing
power puts dishonesty in Office, commits treason to
the people Of the worst kind
The second Of those responsibilities is the influence
Of example, in both the appointing power and the IN
cumbent All men, in high places, have influence
All we'll constituted minds entertain respect Tor 10
vernment because they know that 1t IS necessary 10
human happiness and this respect IS very naturally
extended to those who administer Government inns
sentiment ought TO be encouraged because no Govern
ment however we'll constituted or administered, can
endure or be useful without popular respect and 1t can
only be encouraged by regard to the characters OF lis
administrators, for intelligent and vlrtuous people
will respect a Government administered by wicked
or vicious men. Bnt the greatest mischief pro-
duced by bad administration of Government is
not the decline of popular respect. 1t ID the ex-
tension Of popular Generalization The example
of rulers will be followed by the ruled and there
fore bad appointments demoraze by setting bad
examples in both the appointing power and the officers
appointed. If the President of the U. s. should ap-
point notorious profgate at the head of department.
or q custom house, he would set bad example by e1-
hbiting his own contempt for virtue, and furnish the
public with bad example in the person of the Secre-
colla md mon iuht
their own misconduct the disregard to character IN
both Hence the appointing power, in appointing Inn
moral men to Office commits treason to the people ny
furnishing them with corruPting influences
The greatest mischief which has been produced IN
our country by this disregard Of the appointing power
TO character has the perverslon OF all political &C
ton to trade in which the least scrupulous have the
most numerous chances of success. Our political con-
tests contests for the emounents OF ONCE or
of partial and corrupt legislation and in these contests
those contribute most to success are most urgent
In claiming and most fortunate in obtaining
But the means of success are not considered One
may labor very assduous'y in preaching and dliusng
correct knowledge and sound doctrine, another is dis
terminating alsehood and SANDER, third in frauds at
the POLLS If the latter turn the scale IN an cleo
ton by procuring few hundred fraudulent votes, ne
can show some definite specific means OF success wnile
the influence exerted by the preacher OF truth or OF lies
in merely conectura If the cheat at the polls be pre-
ferred to the liar the public informed that fraudu
lent action is more acceptable successful candidates
than fraudulent preaehng and if the liar be preferred
10 the teller of truth, the public are informed that sue
cessu candidates will be more grateful to rogues than
to honest men. The influence of such preferences IS
obvious 1t tempts the seekers Of Office into innumera
inquities and corrupts the whole constitution OF socie-
IT, Hence our whole political action has become in
efaby corrupt and most grievously has the country
suffered under the corruption.
The appointing power may sometimes be deceived
into choice ofthe unworthy. In such cases, its duty
is the immediate correction of the If then Pre-
s;dent or Governor discovers that he has unconscousy
paced rogue in Office, his duty is to remove him with
out delay By negectng this, he is unfaithful to
his trust az treacherous to the people, as if he had
made the appointment with full knowledge of the un-
worthiness.
Nobody can deny that unworthy appointments were
made by the late Federal administration, and that
they were theme of frequent loud and just complaint
during the election Hence the new administration
enters Office sufficiently warned on this point, and
therefore is without any excuse for following this ex
ample Of its predecessors II then IT has placed any
dishonest or incompetent in office deliberately, or
will maintain any in Office after discovering their un.
worthiness, it has already opened with the people
heavy account of moral guilt, and can balance it only
by prompt thorough reformation. We therefore call
upon TO search diligently as well among its appoint
ments, as among pending applications Ifitfnd among
public officers any addicted to intemperance, gam
ing cenousness, other vices, any swindlers, any
SANDERS any Of those cheats at the pois now
technically called Pipe layers, 1t IS bound TO remove
them promptly aud Indignantly, and will show OPEN
reckless contempt for IFS moral obligations by the least
hesitation-Phi Public Ledger.
ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT DENIAL.
In the National lntellgencer of this morning we have
the following:
we authorized say essential in the
which the Globe Of Saturday last respect
the appointment Of u Consul Paris and that the friends
young Mr. Brent interested for him. complain Of
Of the Administration in regard that appointment
sWm. Brent the father Of young Sir. Brent walked
from church with General Harrson in the
church with him. Nor did he Harrison The
subject of the appointment of his the Consulate Paris
except Presidents House sunday;
conversation very brief"
The object of this sauhorised article s to correct
"esssntiai errors cheh appeared in the Globe of Sa
tuyday last and have them corrected in the par.
ticuars that Mr. Brent ''neuer ,0aiksd from Church
.ciM General Harrison, and nerer 'oas in the same
Church 10Th h;ns-nor did he mention to Gen Harri-
ron the subject of The appointment Of his for the
consulate at Paris, except at the Presidents House,