Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-07-12


THE ARIsToCRAcY or PARTY.
TO make particular shades Of opinion, modes Of
belief occupation, or want Of occupation, rather
than superior fitness or qualification, the ground of
selection for such reward as the Executive can be-
stow in public employments, is precisely the same,
in principle, whether men are to be taken from one
condition in life Or another. The question Of en-
ploying man is, in every instance, apersonal one
only to him: his being Of this or that class has
no more to do with his title to be employed than
has the fact whether his hair is brown Or red, his
stature short or tall II is, in word, just as little
republican, in any sense Of that word which is not
a mere cheat to appoint man to Office only be-
cause he is mechanic as because he is a million
aire. And this may be safely said that he who
would, because mechanics are many and therefore
powerful, prefer them for Offices to every body else,
whether competent or not, would do precisely the
same thing as to mobiles, il mobiles were every thing
and mechanics nothing in the land.
An illustration Of the spread which demagoguism
has Of late years given to this distinction Of men
into classes that are to be favored, or the re-
verse, struck US short time since in the official
organ here 1t admits into its laudatory columns
an article in which the President is extolled
for having made blacksmith postmaster at Read
ing, Pennsylvania. Now, to our democracy, no
man is one whit the worse for being black
smith: no, nor one whit the better We ourselves
were bred printers: but we have never looked upon
that fact as entng us to be considered better ct-
zens than others that were bred to the bar or the
pulpit. Certainly, the new officer Is also, in the
Union panegyrized as being an excellent Democrat,
and as having done very efficient Locofoco service
in the late contest: bnt we cannot for our souls
perceive how that will make him better public
servant, an honester officer. s5
If this is Republican Government, and they
who are administering it republicans, then there
can be but one principle upon which the selection
Of men for public trusts can be made; and that
principle is, the superior qualification Of the man
his capacity to discharge the duty with greater adj
vantage to the public than any body else. To APP
point men on any other ground is against all the
spirit Of our institutions; is gross and corrupt
violation of duty of the laws of the general rights
of those whose business the Office affects, and Of
the personal rights of every more qualified for
the place than him chosen from mere favor only.
1t Kings alone, and those. the yorsf Of Kings,
who dare thus to disposeof public trusts apart from
the single view Of finding the man who viii bes,
discharge his duty.
Nor is this all: no matter in favor of what order
or set Of men, whether high or low, you set up a
superior right TO the rewards which the Govern
ment can distribute, you are, after ALL erecting but
an aristocracy-a privileged class, the exclusive
favorites of power, the sole benefcaries Of public
advantages to individuals. Very bad is it. when
you make soldiers or people Of a particular birth
this privileged order: but we cannot see that it is
one whit better republican TO constitute the
whole body Of the citizens into two great classes,
the one rulers, the other subjects according to their
political, or rather party and sometimes even per-
sonal ideas An afistocracy of party seems to us
the very worst Of all the arisocraces we have ever
read or heard Of It is one-half the community all
the while DISTINGUISHED, crushed by the other half,
reduced political slavery, and made the victims Of
all the laws and authorities; which are constantly
bent against it and the public good order TO bene-
fit the opposite faction its leaders, or its minions.
This is but too nearly our present condition. As
if however, this were not bad enough, these people
seem bent erecting within this arstocracy (call-
ed by one Of their own leaders The Goldfish aris-
tocracy Of Democracy'') yet another--an inverted
aristocracy, in which the lower the condition, the
less the education, and perhaps the qualifications of
men, the entitled will they be to govern or to
administer public affairs
Never, however, did any set Of demagogues thus
trample upon real liberty, thus besot the multitude,
with any more of faith towards their instruments
than Of mercy towards their victims What has be-
come Of that Calhoun clique, that forged the very
crown which MI. Polk now wearss Where is the
Tyler party, whose control Of the Office holders turn
ed the balance in Mr.. Folks favori Who have been
chiefly promoted in New York1 Mr.. .Polk's Van
Buren, opponents. But where are the benefits which
demagoguism has bestowed, since 1899. upon H.
own unregarded dupes, the common crowd A
few little crumbs Of Office, swept from that rich
banquet Of athe spoils," at which the leaders and
their friends gorge themselves. These crumbs are
about as one 10 ten thousand mouths: and the
dear people," the "worthy mechanics" stand
around, like poor folks at frolic."
The Executive Mansion was thrown open to
visiters on the forenoon Of the 4th, and the civil,
military and naval officers at the seat Of Government
and large number Of citizens and strangers paid