The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-06-18

printed in relation to Mr. Benton in this region of
the country The papers have been filled with that
long, tremendous speech, partly in favor of the
Wilmet proviso, or, he calls it, the Jefiersonian
proviso, and partly in deadly opposition to Mr.
Calhoun, of South Carolina-a speech as long as
from this to California, and little bit farther
Singularly enough, the journals of both factions
here are publishing this Speech and lauding it to
the skies. Thus, Thurlow Weed, and those OPP
posed to him, in A 'bany-both Argus and atlas
unite in this Qualification Of Benton, striving which
can praise him most. Indeed, throughout all the
party press of the Northern States, a great effort
will be made to make Benton great a man as he
himself supposes he is and that is saying good
deal
All this must be quite amusing to Mr.. Benton
himself for the whole movement is merely po-
htcal ruse his part, for the purpose of securing
the wings of Missouri and thereby getting re-elect-
ed to the Senate of the United States. If this
rible, awful, magnificent free soil movement, should
answer the purpose of his reelection, that is the
last that we will hear offree soil from Mr. Benton,
for many years 10 come. Benton has number of
relatives and connexions in office, placed there by
the former administration, and his object is to take
up position in the Senate and be returned to that
body in order to save them. That's the whole Sc
cret. lie will support the administration Of Gen.
eral Taylor just as far may be necessary to
tinue his friends in Office, and no farther.
Yet in the very face OF these facts, which are as
plain pke-stali, the wing politicians Of the
North, with characteristic Stiffness, seem to look
upon Benton as If he were the sea-serpent himself
who is just about to be caught by them, so that
thev EXHIBIT n he 81 nIshf nf ,nd
and men, and the whole wing party. They seem
to relish his onslaught MIR. Calhoun most enor-
mously but no doubt that gentleman understands
his position better than he did during the first pre-
sdency of General Jackson You won't catch
HIM mapping again, or find his party putting them
selves beyond the pale of the constitution and the
Union, now, by taking any doubtful position with
regard to notification. The Wllnot proviso, AS
applied to new territories, amounts to nothing.
We doubt whether Congress will ever have an
opportunity of deciding practically upon the point;
for probably the people of California will settle 1t
for ever, themselves, before Congress reach II
through their interminable debates.
Bat there is question which will agtate the
South and the North, connected with the social in
stitutlons of the Southern States-and that is,
slavery and the slave trade in the District of Co.
lumbia. On this matter, we believe Mr.. Calhoun
and his friends in the South, take constitutional
position, from which they cannot be very easily
driven while Benton and other, who are making
such fuss about an immaterial issue like the Will
mot proviso, will have to occupy the same ground
or, they do not, they will fare worse than Lots
wife in the desert-not having even the fortune to
be sailed up, although they will stand as warning
to all future politicians.
The OFFIcE-BEGaARs AND THE COMMON CoUN-
cn..-The Mayor and the Common Council-and
we might add the ten newly appointed Commits
sisners Of the Aims House Dcparment-are just
now pretty much in the same predcament as Gen.
Taylor and his cabinet, in regard to the distribution
of patronage. Office-begglng, not only at Wash
ington, but in New York city, is the order of the
day. 1t would seem as if all other pursuits (gold
digging exceped) were given up-that industry,
honorable enterprise and even the paths of science,
were all deserted TO JOIN in precarious race for
the attainment of some paltry Office. which the
successful competitor, whoever he may be, can
only count upon for one year he is then turned
out as useless piece of lumber, to make room for
some one else, with his energies and business ha-
bits enervated, unfit for active employment and
left without any resource save that of professed
politician, which is at best but very equivocal
character amongst men of sense and business.
These and the following remarks have been sug-
gested by the strife and contention that are being
carried on daily, for the last three weeks, by the
office-beggars and politicians who figured In the
last city campaign. Groups of these men can be
seen and heard, from morning till night, in all the
purleus of the City Hal-in the Mayors Office, in
the committee rooms, and in all the avenues and
passages of the building-fercely contending with
each ether for the possession Of the spoils In one
corner you see knot Of able-bodied young men,
each IN a stentorian voice and with the fercest
gestures, setting forth his own peculiar CLAIMS
the number of committees Of which he was men,
Der, the meetings he attended, the speeches he
made, the resolutions he procured TO be passed,
and the amount he subscribed in hard cash to carry
on the campaign.
Pop your head into one of the committee rooms.
and there you find another group, some Of them
in earnest conversation about the chances of the
different candidates for office, contrasting their
own services with those of their opponents, and
denouncing the heads of departments for their
neglect and lack of promptness in making appoint
ments; others are reading an article IN one of
the morning papers which suggests to the city
fathers to begin system of retrenchment and to
reduce the salaries of the officers and clerks
within reasonable bounds, at all events-to appor-
ton emoluments according to the amount of SER
vices performed while third party, who fances
his own hopes and expectations may be blighted by
the suggestions, pours out torrent Of abuse on
the devoted head OF the poor editor, for his Off
cous interference in what according to the logic
Of the disnterested speaker was none of his
business.
Thus the vice of office. hunting, with all Its at
tendant evils, has been gradually stealing upon
us for some years, until at last it has become the
bane OF the community. Mature age, as well as
youth, have been deludcd by it, and our manners
and industrial habits have been or less cor