The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-08-31

officers OF low salaries in the Executive Of
fees at the seat of government, there had
been studious purpose and general rule to
exclude all Wings and all republicans OF the
old school from Office during the admins
tration of President Polk. This mode OF
argument, applied to the state of facts, as
sumes that the administration of the gov
eminent by the President of the United
States does not extend beyond the dispo-
sal of Offices that the pledge to admins
ter the government as the President OF the
nation related solely to the Office holders
and the appointments to Office that the
office-holders at the close Of President
PoLK's administration were the sole bene-
ficiaries of General TAYLoR's pledge that
they were the nation, the whole nation,
and nothing but the nation that those
citizens of the United States who had been
removed from Office during Mr.. PoLK's
administration, and those who never held
any Office, appointment, or place under
his administration, were not included in
General TAYLoR's pledge-that is to say,
in effect they were no part OF the nation
to whom the pledge was addressed
The paradox in Hesiod, " The half is
more than the whole" is transcribed by
this modern paradox, that the office-hold-
ers comprised the whole nation, and ex
cluded all who were not Office holders.
The former made the half include the
whole; the latter makes the whole ex-
clude all its parts, except about the one
hundredth particular part composed Of
office-holders.
These absurd paradoxes (howsoever the
editors of the Union may strive to conceal
by sophistry and circumlocution are the
platforms from which they have shot their
envenomed shafts at General TAYLOR.
We millions and tens of millions of citi-
zens of the United States who held no
Office or appointment under Mr.. PpLK's
administration, do you think that General
! TAYLOR, in administering the government
as President of the nation, is not bound to
respect your rights and interests'
Do you think that the g nation" means
only chosen few who are fed and clothed
from the public treasury Do you believe
that the administration of the government
of the United States is so circumscribed
ana limited as not to extend beyond the
personal interests of the Office holders and
the disposal of Offices
| Do the contentious between the two
great parties in the United States mean
nothing more than strife about the dis
posal of the offices-a contention between
the ms and the outs 7
Principles, not men-measures, not men,
are the subjects which divide high, hon
orable men, statesmen, citizens, and patri-
OTIS into parties. Such parties, upon great
principles and great measures, can conduct
themselves with dignity, mutual respect,
and federation but party contending
solely for the disposal of Offices and their
emoluments, who look to the loss or gain
of dressed skins with commissions written
on them, as the cause, aim, and end of
their strife, are too low and groyeling to
be respected, and should be considered as
not excelling beasts of pasture, prona ct
yenfyi Occidental.
When General TAYLOR declared him
eaIf n Wb,o bnt not on ultra Wbir. tbat
if elected he would administer the gov
eminent as the President of the nation,
and not as the President of party; he had
alusion to those great principles and mea-
sures which divided the citizens of the
United States into two great parties, and
which principles and measures involved
the common interests and general welfare,
to be advanced or retarded by the opera
tons of the Government-such as inter-
nal Improvements, the tariff, the veto
power, peace or war, frugality or profu-
sion in public expenditures, sc. In these,
twenty millions and more of citizens were
interested /; to those great principles and
measures, and TO that great BODY Oh ciu-
zens of the United States, the declara-
tons of General TAYLOR had reference.
The Offices are established by the Con-
stitution and the laws. Some persons
must be appointed to fill them, so that the
Government may be properly admins
tered The great body Of the people care
not who the President and heads of De-
partments appoint to office, so that prompt
and faithful execution of the laws be
effected. The interest of the people re-
quires that officers who are appointed as
their servants, to do their business, shall
not become their masters, nor be en-
couraged by the inattention, favor, or SUI
pineness of the President and heads of
Departments, to fall into sloth, pride, ava
rice, or corrupt practices. The holders of