The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-04-22
OHice-Begging Editors.


Of all the melancholy things to be witnessed,
about these melancholy times, in the melancholy
village of Washington. the movements of the for
lorn band of ofice-begging editors are, perhaps,
the most distressing. We do not recolect any
former occasion on which so many of the fra
ternity beset new administration, demanding
share of "the spoils." General Jackson, to be
sure, was subjected to the assaults of very nu-
and hungry pack of EDITORS in full cry after
the fesh-pots. There are probably many persons
yet alive, who may remember the famous pro-
cession of editors who went in body to the White
House, determined to take no denial from the Old
Hero of New Orleans. They took their measures
with good deal of common sense and discretion.
There were at least four-ana-twenty of them, and
they took up their line of march for the White
House In single file, like string of onions--ths
hungriest, leanest, and most ragged individual of
the lot being placed first. Thus they started, on
regularly graduated scale of starvation and tatters
till the line ended in one, who was fat and
rubicund, and looked as tolerably decent as cir
cumstances admitted. They were told before.
hand, that if the fat kline went first it would be all
up with them but if the General happened to be
81 the melting mood" the sight of the bare.
boned wretches amongst them would at once
settle their business. The ritse was successful
General Jackson was SO appalled, by the miserable
aspect of the poor devils at the head of the process
sion, that his bowels of compassion were moved
for the whole party, and every mothers son of them
got an Office
The respectable and intelligent masses of the
community have been at once mortified and
amused by the conduct of the ofice-seeking editors
who have been buzzing about the White House.
like so many angry wasps around cask of mo-
asses, ever since the advent of the new admins
ration. Several ofthese vociferous applicants for
flee have not the excuse of starvation, and must
classed with those begging imposors who in
est the highway clamorous for aims, and yet are
ound by the police to have store of silver and
gold hid away in some wretched howell There is
an editor, in neighboring city, who has been
quite successful in his newspaper business and yet
for twenty years, he has been boring the wings for
an office. He now wants to be made postmaster!
In our own metropolis, the proprietor and editor of
one of the respectable sixpenny" papers has been
dogging the administration, by night and by day,
pressing with characteristic and ridiculous vehe-
mence his claim to lucrative diplomatic appoint
ment These men cannot plead the palliation of
the pangs of hunger,-and yet they as shame
less and mcesean In their appeals to the charity of
the government as the neediest and most desperate
OF the whole tribe. We admit that many of these
begging editors are wretchedy poor. There is a
sincerity In their whine acutely distressing to the
The tone of despair which characterizes their
appeals would affect even a heart of stone No
one can doubt their necessitous condition.
We must confess, however, that, notwithstand-
ing the positive wretchedness of many of these
editors, and the high-sounding pretensions of
others, we cannot see how General Taylor can
bestow office upon them, consistently with the
principles which were so solemnly announced in
his inaugural address. If an editor be worthy
of his vocation-f he be engaged faithfully and
usefully in the discharge of his duties-t would be
clearly wrong to withdraw him from his appro-
pirate sphere. If, on the contrary, the ofiice-beg
ging editor be good for nothing in his own calling
it is u,na facie evidence of his incompetency to
serve the public creditably in the capacity of an
officer of the government. All these beggars claim
Office on the ground of services in securing the
election of General Taylor. Admitting that they
did render such services, we deny that they con-
sttute valid claim to office. But, in general, these
pretensions are unfounded. Not a few of those
very individuals connected with the public press
who now demand office, attempted to prevent the
nomination of General Taylor, and it was only at
the eleventh hour that they gave in their adhesion
10 his cause Thiiis quite well known to the new
administration.
In striking contrast 10 the indecent conduct of
these office-beggng editors, the independent course
OF the conductors OF the popular press must in
the eyes OF the country. 1t was the independent
journalism of the country which first presented the
claims of General Taylor-pressed those claims
and finally carried him into the White Uouse
Who doubts it? Who denies it, Is this not al
matter of history Yet no squalid, bawling. i'm.
pudent deputation of editors, connected with the
independent press, appears at Washington The
journalism Of the country needs no
eleemosynary support from any administration 1t is
sustained by the people. On it, after all, must the
present administration rely for an honest support
To its unpurchasabe columns it must look for
lair, and candid, and just examination and review
OF the policy and action of the government and by
It's free surages it must stand or fall. Public men |
now begin to understand better the journalism of |
'ne country The election of General Taylor was,
aier ALL triumph over party spirit and party tactics
"a triumph achieved mainly by the ind ependent
press vas ho'' The administration may PEN
sion OH as many party editors as they please II
VIII be tor The people to say whether in doing an
the administration has acted according IN tho mo,
morabe declaration of the President bir,soIe
either IN the spirit or the letter of that ma, al |
wholesome law.
The CHERoKEB.-This steamer arrived at bsr
pier las, night, after the short passage of 81 hours
rom Savannah We are under obligations to her
r.rf1r "A (fon Co. .t.