The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-08-24

po,oder very literally IN lS4i' o'''
pes.
In WASHiNuio
:, was minated in the official paper ~ io'o'
h =, IN The event of the success oil MI va"
on new class of citizens, fresh '''''i w
- ,.,o,,,d no called to Washington 10 'ahe
he naces of the % drones." FROM ,o'y
) removals would have been made u MI,
p,reo had been elected And amer us u.'
!, : understood he regretted that II had MOI oeeA
done long before. .n have
We think either before or after 1t wou'a nav.
h..n right There have been serious anu w."
...,.,ndsa complaints in distant sections Oh ''e
country. for some years past, that the
nr;ncipe,n which has been kept IN opela"on ~
ho,h narties in other sections OF the hepuo'''
has never been fairly applied in washington
Hence the People who have access 10 M '"e
o,her ofices of honor and profit every iour u
e;ght years. as this or that party at'ains 'he as
osnaency. are beginning to raise the cry Oh '.'ho,
nonolvn and " aristocracy" against the fedefa'
civ. under the impression that 'he 'ncuno.A
have. by some means, secured 'ye e''"' -
tho posi,ions they hold under the GoVefhnen.
They think the citizens at distance arc ~
lied 10 a fair proportion oil the oihces ~ ~
ca,;,a,-and that for those bred IN 'he a''i'o''
r. ,ha niet.iet n eninu a ''''n"""" -.SN.s
6f't6s spirit Of Democracy. They also believe
that if nep incumbents 'siresh from the People"
are capable Of fully dscharging the duties of
their respective Offices in the different States,
they would Likewise be capable Of doing the
same in Washington.
We have never been the advocate Of "gene-
raj sweeps" in Washington or elsewhere; but
nevertheless we think, in common with others,
that among the six or eight hundred Office
holders in this District, a, least fourth of the
number every four years might, with advantage
to the Government, give way for others fresh
from the People" Among such vast number
there must every four years be drones"-men
neither disposed nor qualified to discharge their
duties with benefit to the country.
A too long possession Of Office is apt to beget
an aristocratic haughtiness, and to produce ILL
treatment 10 the private citizen who transacts
business at The Departments, and disrespect for
those at the head of the Government. Indeed
we have heard Of many instances Of opprobious
epithets being applied 10 the head of the Gov
ernment by those in office who were deluded
with the belief that those above Them had not
the "nerre" to dismiss them; others in their
Zeal TO niiict as many injuries as possible on
the Administration, labor more assiduously in
the manufacture Of false rumors for the press,
than in the discharge OF their duties for which
they are paid by the Government and others,
while utterly declining to aid in the dissemina-
lion Of arguments and facts which falsify the |
gross charges with which the unprincipled enc
mics of the President seek 10 blacken his cha
Tacter, at the same time, under the plea of
IS freedom of opinion" and as if to demonstrate
their excessive independence" contribute to
circulate The false charges. Yet, if these gen.
lemen have good reason to believe that their
n, d,,~. - .-..ii f---->..- I
themselves to those high in authority with many
earnest protestaions Of duliful respect, friend
ship, &c. Such are the temptations to dupli-
city and profligacy to which too long continu-
ance in office is liable TO expose mankind
IL has been suggested by many statesmen that
he Offices at Washington ought TO be filed pc
iodicaly, and the selections made from the Peo-
lie IN as equal ratio possible, and upon the
recommendations Of their representatives in
Congress We know not how this plan has
zen viewed by any of the Presidents. But we
ave been led TO make the above remarks in
Consequence of supposition, that j, is con,empla-
ed at no distant day to call number of citizens
fresh from the People" to Washington.