Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1841-06-23
From the Whig and Journal.
Removals from Office.

rom all quarters the cry of prescription is
10 De heard 'rOm the unfortunate Loco Focos
lie 1iooe, The great organ of their party, first
Soul'ueu me alarm, rung the ,ocsin and raised
uredu'ui cry o prescription for opinions sake,
sketchlng lhe scenes of wretcbeduess and wua
that the change OF officers under the general
government were producing: MAKING i, apDear
as though the persons who had held nfT;,.e her.-
tOiOre ior ~ years, were in a grea, measure
poor and destitute! That it was the wid,w and
the orphan who were deprived of their depeu-
dance, forgetting all this while, that IN make
room Tor their appointment others were turned
out. Thus commenced the cry of prescription.
and it has been reiterated bv every opposition
paper throughout the whole country, the hollow
ness of which must be apparent to all.
| During the recent political contest there were
certain principles and measures held and adyo-
Gated by the friends Of the present admnistra.
ton, and most prominent measure, and one
which seemed to be deeply impressed upon the
minds of the whole party, was the necessity of
change in the officers at the head Of affairs in
our government. This was deemed to be OF
vital importance TO the welfare and prosperity
of our country-men from honest convictions
acted upon this, and change was affected.
The people wied and our lamented Harrison
was chosen 10 fill the Presidential Chair, assist
ed by his worthy successor the present occu-
pant of the highest office in the Republic And
was this all the change that was intended BY
the people Was the mere exchange of few
men to fill the chief Offices in the nation to pro-
duce and carry out those salutary and effectual
measures of reform which were SO loudly called
for. No. Every freeman when he deposited
L
fed his wish that there should be complete
and entire renovation in the army of office-h hol-
ders, who as rampant as hungry wolves, were
foremost in every thing that tended to promote
their ends. 1t was for this that the freemen OF
the United States spoke in so loud tone. 1t
was for reform and complete reform they fought.
How then Is this object to be accomplished If
men who were the most inyeterate and thorough
going opponents of the present administration,
and we make the assertion without fear Of con-
tradlction, that ninetenths of the office-hold
whose office was of any value, were thorough
partizans, are to beretained Can the measures
of the new administration be carried out If the
subordinate officers are plotting for its downfall.
We ask not, nor desire for prescription for opin-
ions sake-bui we do ask-and the people ask
that where men holding Offices under the gene
raj government and have been, and are still vi
olent opponents, that they be removed.
To show that the doctrine for which we con-
tend is one for which the party who now so
loudly denounce it, not only recognized, but
practiced, we subjoin letter from the great or
acle and mou,h-piece of loco focoism, written
at the time when Jackson came into power:
FRANKLIN MILLS, (Ohio,) Sept. 9, '29.
&C t. ~ L, l.
of men," without a change of men, fraud
cannot be punished; delinquences cannot be
detected; unlawful allowances cannot be stop
ped; improper modes Of doing business, and IT.
regular practices in office, can never be cor
rected. Do not all offices belong to the PeO-
pie? What right have the incumbenls to them
more than others? No wrong is done to the
man who is removed; for he is deprived of no
right. 1t is the duty of the President, and all
others to whom the People have entrusted the
power, TO remove their subOrdlnates whenever
they believe the public interest requires 1t. SO
fascinating is power, and so cOrrupting the long
possession of office, that believe the chances
for pure administration, would be much great
er, were limit of eight or ten years prescribed,
beyond which no man should be competent 10
hold any of the subordinate offices at Washing
ton. 1t is the policy of office holders to create
animpression that their offices are Prirate rights
that they are wronged when removed; that they
have right 10 demand the reasons for their
removal, and have them formally set forth.
When the People assent to doctrine like this.
You may bid farewell to all hope of reform,
however great may be the abuses of our Gov
ernment. We shall have Clerks, Auditors,
Compsrollers, Registers, Treasurers, aud Sec
retaries for Iiie;-bad customs will never A,>
corrected; erroneous principles will prevail Fss-
ever; precedent will take the place of laWSz III"
official corps at Washington will gOyvsn the
Union; and if we do not have Presidents for liir,
we shall have entailed upon US forever, sue
cession from one office to another, preservng
the unity of the official phalanx, and perpetua-
ting all their opinions and abuses. Inmy opiniora
the People have more cause to fear too tew re-
movals than too many"
"AMOS KENDALL