The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-30

the private circle il commanded the respect and good
will Of the citizens who regarded il as the badge or
pledge, Of glory won, TO be won for his county
Alas how is il of late years" since midshipmcn
warrants are considered by the government as part
Of the spos to be distributed in payment for part
san services One half the nation has been put UNI
der the ban of prescription and have been thus forced
10 look with jealousy or contempt ON all military IN
sigma which they know 10 have been bestowed with
out any pretension to impariaity or justice on inc
part Of the Executive, and too often with equal u''e
gard to the particular merits Of the wearer.
With the patronage Of the Departments mus use'
for substituting support TO the President - DC
wondered AL that in some of our large towns Objects
who happen 10 be the side Of poacer, nave been seen
running with indecent haste, from ward 10 wafu mar
shang their connexions and dependents TO The polls,
and betting on the result with all the ardor OF the low
est dcmagogue, in search ofhe meanest office Nor
have they gone without their reward as the annals oil
the Department would show. What tale would
these annals unfold, if deciphered bya Master Key
or such marginal explanations certain Secretaries
might supply What precious specimens of patriotic
disinterestedness would such explanations display =
how especially becoming to literary gentlemen and
old Federalists! One desideratum has been long
wanting to complete the machinery of corruption,
which has been, Of late years, so much imProred
at Washington, under the auspices of certain inagi-
clan I! The substitution of man. for the three IN
Navy Board Foolishness TO certain wise men has
been this riumprate supervision the contract depart
ment A snarling troublesome dog, to all poachers
this political CERBERus for while one head, especial
ly if of the spaniel turnspit breed fond Of good eat
ing and drinking might be sopped into silence or SOM
nolency there would yet be two others on watch.
Hard indeed did the blood uckers labor in the reign
of the "Old Hero" to roll This block from the do of
one Of the apartments in the Treasury. Well did his
atterers know his impotence of all restraint upon his
arA and fain would they have persuaded him, in re-
ference to the Navy Board as they did in other
rable cases. that simple faithful and honest pcrerm-
ance Of imperative duty by subordinate functionares,
was contumacious resistance of his lawful Preroga-
tires, Well might it have been said then, as Link
later said to Richie Monahies, in the Fortunes OF Nigel
Richie the King is well-natur and just man OF
his ain kindly nature, but he has whin maggo's that
maun be cannily guided and then Richie, says he IN
a very high tone | would tell il to name but a wise
man like yourself but the King has them about him,
wad corrupt angel iiom Heaven"
| There is not a member of Congress who does not
know that the patronage ofthe Navy Department has
been prostituted in the manner have stated. The
head of it has been known to signify that, for war
rant they should get the names Of certain influential
men Of the party! Now, while would not have the
writer "the Reorganization of the Navy" infusc
pollute with any alloy of faction personality dis
QUESTIONS which, subject important, should be
purely philosophical and patriotic yet would have
him dssect his subject expose the existence Of
in its vtals, which, unless il be extirpated
and branch, hope can be entertained of radical
cure restoration to any tking like sound endur-
ing health and vigor Of constitution.
/ An anxious however humble supporter, Of the pa
trot who is about to take the reins Of Government
from the hands of the most profgatc and thank God,
therefore, also the neakest dynasty that ruled
country sincerely hope General Harrison will ap-
point to the Navy and the War Departments at least
gentlemen who will cause to be publicly burned the
first letter they receive recommending any applicant
on the ground Of The party services Of his CON
The smoke thereof might be supposed, without much
license Of imagination, to ascend to Heaven, some
assurance that once more we have a patriot at the
helm, who will be the President, not Of my democra-
tic fellow citizens" but of the nation-the whole ma
tion--and nothing but the nation
PREBLE,
know but one officer of the Navy who ever voted
native State was of his gallant nature, if he
had witnessed an insult to his own mother-and nsbly
did he resent it.