New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-06-07
NEW-YORK TRIBUNE.
The pre.;deucv-MilItnry ChIcnains.

,b, Tnifcd states, because 0i hs vocation on cat
;,~ n il be useful and honorable one. u is no
valid objection % any citizen who may aspire to
ss Office or whose friends may desire his promo
ron n H. that he is a f, mer mechanic, phys
ean. p LAWYER. or military chie.tan. The doc
,,pe of exclusion. in case Ike this, s not p
,coublican doctrine Nor should any citizen be-
excluded from the Office Of Chief Justice Of the
meme Court of the United States, nor from the
,Fce of Commander in Chief Of the Armies Of the
United States. nor from the Office Of Commodore in
,be NAVY Of the United States, because Of ms vo
e,,,on or calling. The talents and services Of
every citizen. Of every denomination, should be Of
the command Of the Republic, for each and all o
these Offices. This we hold 20 be truc republican
doctrine.
BIT it's also republican doctrine that every
Servant Of the people I'm any oihce should be flo
tel by knowledge aud experience 20 discharge
the duties Of the Office to which he is appointed
Tms principle pervades aud governs all the de
psrtments If business as il il n principle which
governs all men ia their private transactions and
arrangements, it may be dcnominatcd purely de
Inocratic
There i nothing in the Constitution or the laws
which precludcs n merchant or a farmer. from be
ing Chief Justice of the Supreme Court OF the Jn-
Rcd States. but the appointment has uniformly been
gwen to an experienced lawyer not because the
lsg Al profession has any exclusive legal or consti
,phonal richt To this high office, hardly inferior n
silrdty to that Of President Of the United States
but because the knowledge and previous training
yeanisite 10 an intelligent and able discharged OF the
duties Of the Office have been uniformly deemed
Indispensable. suppose that II were proposed 10
give this Office 70 Military man, rs a reward for
services performed TO the country upon the sug
eesion that he might take the advice Of proiessed
lawyer 10 assist him IN forming and preparing his
opinions. the idea would be discarded as absurd
So too if a proposition were made % reward o
Civilian by comforting upon him high Military
Command. on the suggestion that he might avail
himself Of the advice of protested soldier.
Equally absurd is the notion Of rewordinsa Mil
,ary Chieitain for services performed on the field
Of battle by comforting upon him the Office OF Pre-
s,dcnt of the United States leaving him to supply
his admitted deficiencies Of know ledge and cx-
perence to perform the duties OF the Office by the
selection Of Cabinet who could instruct him what
70 do
True, tho first President Of the United states
was Military Chieitain, but he was far more than
mere soldier He was well instructed in the
great principles of Government; he was possessed
Of remarkable GOODNESS and sagacity. Before hc
was elected President under the Constitution, he
had been chosen to preside over the deliberations
Of that Immortal band of civilians and Legislators
who formed that Constitution. He had participated
q 4 4. a. q Il. l..4.a
who devised that code Of fundamental law, and un.
derstood, as well as any other member of the Con.
venton. tho principles upon which it, provisions
rested.
SO in tde case of General Harrison he had been
distinguished for his Military services, but at the
time Of hs nomination to the Office of President OF
the United States, he had ceased more than TWEEN
,yfve years before to practice the profession OF
arms Beside, he had been a civilian double the
number of years that he had been soldier he
had been member of the House Of Representa-.
tives and of the Senate Of the United States had
been Governor of the Northwestern Territory,
and Minister to neighboring Government.
But should the Whis Convention see fit to nom
mate either of the distinguished soldiers whose
names are now spoken of as candidates to the
Office of President they would, for the first time
in the history of this republic, nominate man
actually employed in military service, fresh from
the battle field, with his epauets on his shoulders,
and his sword by his side. Neither Of these dis
iinguished public servants has ever had any expo
rence in the civil departments Of the Government;
their whole lives have been devoted TO the study
and practice Of the military profession. 1t is con
oeded that neither Of them is fitted by experience
o. previous training. to discharge the high trust
proposed 70 be committed TO him but then 1t is
said that either Of them be trusted to select
sood Cabinet who viii instruct him in the path OF
duty.
II ought not TO be entirely forgotten that the
Wing party, during the canvass when Gen. Jack
son was candidate. had occasion % employ
great deal of argument and eloquence against the
propriety Of rcwarling Military Cheltan Tor
military services, by eecting him to the Office OF
President OF the United states. Th.s, too, IN The
case OF man who had ceased to be a soldier, and
bad had the advantage OF some previous civIl ser
wee, IA ms own state and in the Congress of the
United states Ii this same parry should now s.
lect = mere military candidate m opposition To
candidate whose claims rest upon civil services il
would be exposed to most CALLING FIRE. durine
the canvass, from the ranks Of tho encmv; and il
would have the modification to feel al the time
that the weapons Of assault wers forged aai pre-
pared IN its own armory. This would prove
somewhat embarrassing, and ii we should, per.
chance. be defeated, we should have L.te TO con.
sole ourselves I'm defeat
Perhaps. however. IL may be- urged tiiat We
were mistaken in our mode OF attack, m the case
ci General Jackson Has the result shownlt -
Have not al the evils which Wings predicted OF
the, choice been more than realized and have they
net 6own from the fact, that the solder President
cid not understand. and did not know the pre-
VISIONS Of the Constitution and the cnactmouts O.
Law Consider, H.
SourH-C ARoLINA.-Th Richmond EHqH"o
eontradicts the statement OF Mr.. Thompson cleo
lion, copied from the Columbia Is. c. IccgrdPh'