The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-06-15
DEMOCRATIC MORALISTS.

HouiiCe tiidt tney propose 10 make all ISSUE
OF morals with the Wing party on the
question of removals from office. General
TAYLOR promised to be the President Of
the people, and this they choose to inter.
pref as promise to preserve the monopoly
of office in the hands of the Democrats In
this view, it is fraud upon the people
to make any removals. Nobody can be
a President of the people who disttIrbs
Locofocoism in its supposed property in
all the places of honor, trust, and profit
under the Government.
Without discussing the logical accuracy
Of this conclusion, let us ask who are the
men that raise this issue! "Who drives
fat oxen should himself be fat" The
censor should himself be little of saint.
Can any sensible man refrain from laughter
when he sees question of political morals
raised by the men who were the friends
and allies of the defaulters who plundered
the public treasury during the Administers
ton of Mr.. VAN BUREN, Does it lie in
the mouth of those men to talk of broken
pledges who aided and abetted the gross
imposition that was practised upon the
citizens of Pennsylvania, through the me.
dunn Of the KANE letter, and the assur-
ances that were given in the canvass OF
1874, that Mr.. Polk was opposed to dis
turbing the tariff of 1912?
Let us see who have been the political
associates of these eminent moralists, who
threaten to convulse the country because
the Administration will not acquiesce in
the Democratic construction of General
TAYLoR's letters. Do they all show clean
hands How is it with Mr.. ELI MOORE
1t was great hardship to that worthy
man, no doubt, to lose his office; but he
was no more unfortunate in its admins
tration than some score of others who
were retained in office by the Democratic
Mr.. Secretary WOODBURY. long after their
gross defalcation had become public
scandal. How is it with those great lights
of the Democracy, which fared out in the
western land Offices How is it with the
collectors and district attorneys, who en-
bezzled the public money in the Southern
district of New York! Where is LITTLE
BURY HAWKINS, with his cool 500, Zoo
ofthe metallic currency! Where is WILEY
P. HARRIS, with his 500, 178! Where
are all the minor defaulters-your $40, 200
men-whom these penitent "pious 'uns y
shielded and upheld in their depredations
Really, our moralists must be blessed with
very short memories, if they have forgot.
ten their old friends. These wholesale
embellishments produced the state of pub
lie opinion and feeling which led to the
political revolution Of 1910. The FRAUD
practised in Pennsylvania with regard tc
the Tariff, saved the party of defaulters il
1874. When these men rallied agar
under their two great leaders, Genera
CAss and Mr.. VAN buren,, in 1S4S, they
were again defeated, because the people
recognise no such statute of limitations a,
these gentlemen plead in bar to their ole
transgressions.
But on this question of morals involved
in the matter of removals, we have wore
or two more to say. DR.. JOHNSON wai
considered in his day pretty rigid moral
list. He was little too much infused
with the notion of strong Executive, ant
in this respect his Toryism was on pa
with the Locofocoism of the present day
He looked to the throne with as mucl
reverence as the most devoted admirer O
the Veto power looks in the year lS49
But this cannot impair his authority in thu
eyes of Democracy, on question of Elk
ecutive administration. And what salt
DR.. JOHNSON on this subjecti He hell
the very doctrine that Locofocoism re
joices in. "The administration, he sal,
to Boswell, some time in ITS, sis feebl,
and timid, and cannot act with that au
thority and resolution which is necessary
Were in power | would turn out ever,
man who dared to oppose me. Gop1n
ment has the distribution of Offices that 1
may be eaa6ledt TO maintain its authority"
This is the Democratic theory, as we un
derstand it. But good Democrats limit thei
theory to single aspect of the case. The,
say that Democratic Presidents have tn
distribution of Offices to maintain their au
thority, but that Wing Presidents mus
maintain their authority and leave all tn
Offices in the hands of the Democracy
Otherwise, they will make moral uues