Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-09-30

high, and enable even weak hands to WELD them as
an irresistible authority, he debauched all Admins
tratve employments and the future minds Of all
aspiring to them: he turned all Office into an Ex-
ecutve endowment, fief to be held, like the feudal
ones of William the Conqueror, on the tenure Of
whatever service to the King he might prescribe
and thus spread an armed and disciplined encamp-
ment all over the subjugated country, to render its
revolt impossible. Each baron held his castle and
lands of large office directly of the suzerain each
man-at-arms his hide of land Ia smaller employ
menD through his lord, ready for muster under his
banner, or to pay his fine, at the royal summons.
The original serfs were seduced with the promise
of liberty, and the old Saxons of the SOIL who still
chung to their primitive country and institutions,
were outlawed. In word, the land was treated
like conquered country, and all who would not
betray it were prescribed, as much as the Catholic
| Irish or the Poles (about whom such sympathy
is pretended by the English or the Russians, in the
worst times. For the Catholic and the Pole were
| rights and Locofocoism, without law, did precise
ly the same thing to its opponents, as far as it
could, by either authority or management. Briefly,
it was system for perpetuating power by means
of having gotten hold of it; for corrupting all the
vena and terrifying all the timid with Government
rewards and punishments for using the power of
appointment and dismissal-a sacred trust, for the
public, not party, benefit alone, and in the discharge
of which the President or other trustee of the peo-
pie should know no difference between men but
their fitness to do the public work mot with any
view to the skilful and honest administration Of
each service, but in such manner as to defeat the
public will by the means, of the public offices them
Selves held on the tenure of fighting for the party
in power against the people, and keeping it in
power, no matter how much it has deserved to be
thrust out of it with Indignation. 1t was Of this
scheme reduced to practice that Mr.. CALHOUN
spoke, when he described Loco(ocosm as a party
banded and kept together by only the cohesive
power Of public plunder;' it was for those en-
listed in this plan of partition that the party watch
word was given out "To the victors belong the
spofs."
Now, there are but two sorts of party proper to
good institutions and natural to our own. One of
these POUNDS itself on existing interests and their
preservation the other upon opinions. The first
Of these is the Conservative party the second that
Of innovation, now generally styling itself, by
more attering title, Progressive. From the begin
ming, party had, among US, resolved itself into these
two forms, but neither pushed its own to excess.
For a time the FEDERALIsTs were utra-conserva-
tive, through natural alarm at the enormties of
French Democracy and Mr.. JEFFERSON, from his
tendency to French theories, was as much over
disposed to be guided by speculative ideas, by
policy which regarded too much untried opinions
rather than solid interests. Under Messrs. MADI-
SON and MONROE, however-liberal yet cautious
rulers-both tendencies were checked; for their
administrations were full of a spirit of improve
ment rather than of innovation Genuine states
men, they did not blindly adore either the old or
the new, but endeavored to preserve the former,
and to found upon it whatever the latter offered of
amelioration. They were both Conservative and
Progressive: and thus satisfying both these adverse
tendencies, (which, as we have said, determine
men in politics, these to the DID, those to the new
the sober and thinking TO guide themselves by the
past, the headong or unquiet to expect every thing
of the fuure,) they united both in one great party
Of the country. There could be nothing better.
The Government, sagely and honestly administered
for the benefit of all, drew to itself the confidence
of all. Enlightened in its foreign policy cautious
and moderate yet vigorous and advancing in its do
mesdc, it guarded and yet strove to perfect every
institution. The opinions which ragged before had
sunk into mere distractions men were not re-
warded for having nor punished for not having
them. Nobody feigned them, therefore, nor con-
cealed them. The only test for public employments
was Mr.. Jefferson's SIS he honest! Is he capa-
BILE! Is he true to the Constitution - The Gov
eminent was pure, impartial, moderate, and active
only for good three-fourths of its time and all is
energies were not, as now, employed in only sus.
tanning itself at the expense of the country, making
war upon halfthe citizens, coruptng or inhaming
the rest, and spreading dissension and danger. If
powers which had been disputed were assumed,
they were first, such as precedent after precedent
had sanctoned-the precedents of good times and
high authorities secondly, the powers SO assumed
TO incorporate Bank, TO carry on Internal I'm
provement, and to protect Domestic Industry were
not for the exclusive aggrandzement of the Exc
cutve, and did not tend to monarchy and, hirdly,
they were all purely benefcent.
Such was the state of things which New Demo-
fnund m -