Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-10-15
EXECUTIVE PATRONAGE.

the OeneruI Government, t0gethef WIN the
patronage of the State Governments. IL
is sufficiently alarming TO awaken pubic
attention and lead to the adoption OF mea.
sures winch will limit the powered lndlVl-
duals and transfer it TO the people. II ap-
pears that The government at Washington
controls Of posrmasters, deputies, mail con-
tractors and clerks, some thirty thousand
nersons distributed throughout the Union.
OF Executive appointments connected with |
the revenue, army, navy, land offices,
clerks. &c. &c. il is computed by the Wi
ter. that with the addition of State patron
are no less than half a million OF persons |
at the commencement of every new admi- |
nistralion are looking with teverish and |
frightfu anxiety for Executive favor. This
is an alarming power 10 be exercised BY |
the Executive of any country or the GO
vernment Of any State-and it must con
stiiule full half of the duties of the Pres
dent, and those duties can never he salts
factorIy discharged, for the simple rea-
son that il is not possible that the appoint
ing power can be familiar with the claims
and character of all the applicants. When
the trainers of our constitution arrived al
the consideration of the power and pa
ironage of the President, they shrunk from
it in dismay. Not from lis extent at the
time, but what in alter years it might be-
come, and they did the best that checks
and balances could do, and even then they
surrendered it with painful antcipatons
The crisis they apprehended has arrived.
The interests of the country and lis very
liberties are in a measure Jeopardlzed by
the enormous power Of the Executive, and
The time has arrived to apply the only cor.
receive presenting ITSELF which is 10 make
certain differs elective by the people, in
stead of being chosen hy the President.
Whether this would require amendments
TO the Constitution, we are not prepared at
present TO say; but let US take the post.
Offices 10 begin with. Suppose Ivy an act
Of Congress, the electors of each county
in every State should be required to elect
postmasters in such towns, in which they
are or may hereafter be appointed in each
county, once every four years, submitting
disputed elections 10 the decision of the
Postmaster General; we thus relieve the
government of 10000 appointments, AMI
confer them upon the people. Once in
four years the people elect on one ticket
the postnasters in each county, and elect
them quietly and securely. Here is one
great item disposed of, one great engine
of power taken from the Executive track
Let US carry out the same experiment on
broader scale. Let the people of each
collecting district or city throughout the
Union elect once in every four years col
lector of the port, naval officer, and SUR
veyor, and in case of contested elections.
the President of the United States is to de-
eide upon the claims of candidates to the
commission which is to issue from The Ge-
neral Government. Let all appointments
and removals from office besmade by the
collector, by and with the consent and APP
probation of the Secretary of the Treasu.
ry. Here are the two great objects and
sources Of power AMI patronage, and the
fruitful cause of intrigue and manage
ment taken from the General Government
and given directly to the people. True,
il may be said that there will be still in.
trigue and tricking, possibly frauds and
local quarrels; still it will be among The
people, the righiiu owners of these offices
and the source OF all power. Relieve the
ity and trouble OF the appointments, and
let the people settle the points themselves
Few at this moment can conceive how
such course would disemDarrass the &c
neral Government, and how far the propa
sltion would go to strengthen the Union
and give stability 10 the general Admins
tration. Let the experiment, properly
guarded, be limited to post Offices aud re
venue districts, and great, valuable, con
servaiive, and satisfactory measure will a
once be adopted.
The proposed reform is not party ques
ton 1t has been advocated by all parties
and is again. The present Administrator
declared in favor of il sDon after The Pre-
sident came into office, and we may there
fore look for its accomplishment at the mex
session of Congress. IN Y. Sun.
Owing to the uninterrupted good healtl
of The city, and the prospect If its cont
nuance. il is anticipated that business thr
season will commence earlier than usual
Indeed, it may BIO said already to have com
menced, and the symptoms are enclurag
ing that before its close October will be
busy month. Customers from the countr,
can now visit US with as little risk from al
epidemic, as in the months Of Novenbe
or December. This great hlndrance Il
the early resumption of trade being out o
The way, we shall look for the ARRIVAL q
dealers from the inferior in throngs, am
tho birds OF passage who are taking tou
ahPnad must ratttrn h thao coau If taa,, a.,