Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-07-30

politics. We have seen brother afraid to speak |
to brother. We have seen (and in the Rich
mond Enquirer tselO removal from Office jusi-
fled on the ground of blood relation of a person
removed to some other person who was obnox-
ious to the party in power.--We have seen in
this very city private individuals prescribed in
their vocatlons Of industry, such as butchers
bakers, builders, blacksniths, &c. with such
an obdurate pertinacity of purpose and practice
that they have been obliged to abandon the city
and fly to distant lands, where opinion was yet
free, to earn bread for their support. But, alb
llorrng and execrating, as we have ever done,
this extent OF party despotlsn, whilst we COM
miserated rather than condemned those who
were slaves to 1t, we are yet of the opinion that
1t IS due to consistency, as well as to the known
wishes of the popular majority 'Shich brought the
present Administration into power, that the re-
| torn OF abuses in the Government should en-
brace persons as well as things that the re-
CURED change OF measure should be accom-
panied with such change of officers as will
| produce harmony of action in the different de-
| partmentso OF the Government, and restore men
and things as far as practicable to their ancien,
| relations. This, 1t appears to Us, is no more
than what common sense and ordinary prudence
require of every man in private life in the ma.
nagement of his affairs. No man, for exam
pie, coming to the head of a landed estate,
OF amanuactory, of mercantile house, or the
| command OF ship, would retain in authority
under nun an oVerseer foreman, cashier,
or mate, (and so also of inferior employments,)
| IN whom he had no confidence, or whom he
knew or found to be entirely incompetent or ne
glecttul. To this extent, and no further, do we
advise and justify removals from Office. This
limit, it is very certain, has not been transcribed
by the present Administration, but, OH the con.
trary, the Administration has, in this particular,
thus far alen short OF the expectations Of many
of its ardent supporters.
But with what grace, we repeat-with what
face, we might say-do the friends of the Jack
son and Van Buren, dynastics attempt to raise a
| clamor now, because ofthe removals from office
were they as many as they are few, that have
been made by the present Administration, A,
what period of either ofthe two preceding Ad
ministrations has any one been allowed to re-
tain office under them who was known or even
suspected to be opposed to them! AT wha,
moment has either OF those Administrations dis
played in any digree the spirit of federation =
Was It when,towering in the pride of its strength
the Jackson Administration undertook "the
task of Reform which it found "inscribod or
the list of Executive duties in characters toe
legbe to he overlooked !" Let incontestible
facts answer that question within few months
OF the first year Of the jackson Administration
persons were removed in ninety-nine cases GU
OF hundred, merel on account of their polit
cal sentiments from host of offices, of which
the following is but partial enumeration tina
is to say
FIFTEEN Ministers Plenpotentarv, Charge
d'Atfaires, and Secretaries of Legation
NINE lfarshals and rIfTEEN United State
Attorneys.
FoRrr-EGHr Collectors and Principal Rev
enue officers.
NINE Indian Agents and Navy Agents.
TwENTY-slx Receivers and Registers Of Ian,
) Offices.
TwENTY-oNE Consuls for foreign ports.
FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETI-ON
! Postmas,ers.
Besides these direct removals from office b,
the Executive there was a host OF removals o
such persons as held office by secondary an
poInlInents, such as clerks, inspectors, &c. il
the Custom house, whom we have no means q
numbering. We have a statement before us
however, which may afford the reader some ide
: OF the extent of those removals. In the Gus
tom-house at Boston alone, out of iftv-eigh
persons employed in different capacities FORT
were removed IN all, there were remove,
from office, of all grades of civil officers, With
the first year Of the jackson Administration
MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND MEN.
> How misplaced and il timed, after this exhL
, Nj must not the waing of the Enquirer, owe
the three inspectors whom it has been though
eXpedlent to remove at the Baltimore Custol
mouse, appear to every unprejudiccd reader