American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-07-28

tR9 example o! government agents 10 urge III
justification of their own Offences. The system
Of ''husaing up" crimes, or attributng them to
20 error Of Judgment" should be abolished
altlEethsr-for the more respectable the for
m,r standing ofthe offender, the more danger
ol5 Is his example to the community.
PaoscRIrrIoN-ERRoR CoRREcTED. 1t is
well known to our readers, that the National
Intelli Lencer HIS uniformly, under all admins
trations, opposed prescription for opinions
sake-and It consistently maintains the same
ground at present-but writer in the Wash
ington Union recently attacked W. w. Seaton,
Esq. Mayor OF Washington, and one Of the edi-
tors of the lnteligencer, for having prescribed
municipal officers for difference of political
sentiments, and as guilty of inconsistency in
having given Office to none but political friends
This has induced the Mayor to address Il note
on the subject to the editor of the Union, il
which, after quoting the charges, he says;
"Now, Mr.. Editor, after giving currency t
these confident assertions, you may be surpris
ed to learn, that the nominations referred to
pie of prescription or favoritsm, embrace, al
most without exception, the same persons that
the Mayor found in Office at the time of his cleo
ton, FIVE years ago; and nearly all of whom
were continued ill., or appointed to office, by a
Democratic Mayor; that the Mayor has made
but four removals during his administration
two Of which were for lntemperance, and two
for incompetency; that the whole four were, to
the best Of his knowledge, Wings; that two Of
the four who succeeded them, as he has since
learned, were Democrats that lie does not, to
This day. know the politics Of one-half of the
persons he found in office, aud has continued
in Office TO the present time; that he has never
excluded man from office, or appointed one
10 Office on account Of his politics; that instead
OF thero being, As is alleged, but one Democrat
in Office, the Mayor has democratic authority
Tor stating that considerable number OF COrpo-
ration officers are democrats that, so far from
holding the cruel and anti-republcan doctrine of
prescription for opinions sake the Mayor disa-
VOWS and detess it, that, so far from regarding
the Offices placed at his disposal as being his
property, To DC given or taken away, according
to his caprice, or the indulgence of party favor,
he looks upon himself simply as the foreman of
the public to see that his fellow servants perform
their duties faithfully, with the power and the
obligation to remove them If they do not; and
that so long as an officer is faithful, competent
and exemplary in the discharge of his duties
the Mayor would as soon think Of going, and
thinks he would have Just as much right to 90,
into his house and take the bread from his
hearth, as to take away his Office. Whether
this be Democratic doctrine, you can best tell
but it has ever been the doctrine out of Office
and the practice in Office, of your obedient and
very humble servant"
We make the above quotation not only in
justice to Mr.. Seaton, but because it indicates
the course and contains sentiments which should
be adopted by all men possessing power and pa
tronage, lfevery public officer could be Undue
ed to consult the public good alone in his APP
pontments, we should not have so many loaf
ers in authority, nor such an incessant yelp;ng
by the ours Of party, when offices are to be dis
trIbuted Mr.. Seaton has parsued the liberal,
the Just, the honest course; and it affords us
great pleasure to record one instance in which
politician has not stopped to use power to
wreak his vengeance upon opponents. Would
that the occurrence were more common: but of
this we can have no hope so long as the con-
tests of parties are for the division of the spols
instead of for the establishment of great princi.
pies fgovernment. Theoretically we are free.
men, enjoying and exercising the most glorjous
privileges which man can possess-practicalIy
we are the slaves of party, and ate subjected to
an iron despotism.