New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-03-16
mis- ipd
The silent Multitude.

fore him, has been surrounded aud pressed upon
at and about the tne Of his lnsug araton by large
nanbers Of the People over whom he is - rule
Chief Magistrate for the next four years. The
Members Of Congress past and future, have been
with him, especially those who contributed TO his
election great number Of the most active Poll
tcians OF ike faith have crowded each other in
their anxiety 10 touch the hem Of his garment
the Army and Navy have paid their respects to
him, in the person OF the thirty forty prominent
officers Of each whose duties are performed at
Washington, or who are not restrained by them
from visiting the eders City. The Office holders
have Wed with each other in burning incense be
fore him T; the Office seekers have not been back
ward in the same line. All have performed their
prostratlOns before him with an Oriental abandon
meot all have burned the sweetest incense the
altar OF his self-approval and harsh monitor
who gravely whispered to the ancient poteDtate,
Remember Philip, thou art mortal has been
present a, the Inauguration feasts. All has been
adulatior, rose hued and superatve and the gen
eral current of laudation has had circular gyra-
tory and reactive operation, substantially as fol-
lows "Mr. President you are the second
Washington and mistake in fact, | rather
Taylor. Pm the boy that did so much to get you
nominated and elected. Hem Cant you do
something handsome for me, now Say lif an
Army or Navy officer Brevet or promotion, or
# an Office wanter a fat Consuship, Embassy,
place in the Customs, or something rich and
'juicy-a good deal to get and not too much TO do
Just say it, dear General :"
There is great danger-Or rather, trust 1t is
more proper 10 say there gds-that the President
would be overcome by this avalanche of entreaty
and solicitation-that he would be imporuned into
making appointments in haste which he would
not fail to repent at eisure-that he would forget
that the salary outfit sued for by Gov II, or Geu.
b. must be paid out Of the hard earnings of far
ner c, blacksmith d and hod-cauier Z, who
do not altogether earn by the hardest labor half
much as this Office seeker wants for bis servi
oes and is inclined to consider very moderate
reward for them In short, there is-no, there
lcds-grest danger that the crowd of applicants
would shut out from Executive view the great
mass Of non soliciting People, who cannot afford
TO go TO Washington when mddling board and the |
least possible lodging costs each sojourner two to
four dollars per day, bat who nevertheless have
interests at stake there which need aud pro.
lection. There was danger that the camorous
crowd would be listened to and the Silent Multi.
tude forgotten. We rejoice to see that the indi-
cations are otherwise.
The number who aspire to honors and emolu-
ments from the Federal Government is deporably
large-immensely larger than it twenty five
or thirty years agobut it is still vastly short of
majority. The great body Of the People have an
interest in the subject entirely antagonist 10 theirs
In favor Of moderate Salaries, few Offices, slow
Promotions and frugal Government generally
They feel that the money annually raised by taxa
ton or otherwise by the Government should be
devoted to works OF public and general utilty-to
the improvement Of the means of Intercommuni-
cation the facilitstion of Settlement aud Cultve-
tion, OF Mail transmission, &c. &c Every dollar
devoted to such uses gives employment in the first
place TO the Labor OF the Country, and in the next
place adds permanently to the public wealth. To
send abroad four ambassadors costs the country for
the 6rstysar $4,000 at the very least, which sum
wo1ld give employment to about two hundred me
chancs and laborers upon Canal Railroad, Riv-
or Harbor subsist their families in decency and
comfort, and upbear the market for Labor all
around. This would give the farmers Of the neigh
borhood cash payment and better prices for their
produce, quckening the circulation of money and
giving an impulse TO industry generally. The
money. though discussed from the Treasury,
would remain in the Country the Nation would
have the work constructed with it and be scarcely
poorer for it in any respect while the money paid
TO the ambassadors would be mainly wasted
abroad on Injuries aud vain ostentation. A like
hat, III ,l,ll
on 4 ship of war or her cruise and canal or
Post-road, and all in favor of the latter We
know many favor liberal expenditures for the
Civil, Military aud Naval Service of the Country
who are also favorable to River and Harbor I'm
provements but, until some means shall be de-
vlsed OF eating your cake and saving it, we know
also that the policy which makes the solitary places
glad and the wilderne" to blossom like the rose
must be paraly 1ed by liberal Promotions and APP
poIn,ments, Outfits and Salaries. We grudge
every dollar expended for objects that perish in
the usins while our country pressinsly requires
so much in the way of Internal Improvement, to
facilitate the transmission OF Products to Consu-
mers-or. better still to secure the approximation
OF Consumers 20 Products these are ends Of gen
eral bene6cence to which we would see the
energies and the means OF Government devoted.
reducing Army aud Navy, Embassies and Emolu-
meots. N the lowest practicable standard. In
behalf OF the Silent Multitude, we would press
this view on the attention of the new powers q,
Washington, rejoicing at the indications already |
Afforded that they are already kept in mind, aud
that the President aud Cabinet see over the heads
Of the throng around them to the waiting People |
bcyond.-we intend nothing Of objection to the |
policy Of tho Administration making its appoint |
ments in good part fsom among those who regard |
its existence with favor. That is but fair and just
But spportioning Offices is not the msin business
of the Executive, and has no right TO take prece
dence of everything else. Let it be proceeded
with deliberately and with dignity, as pubic In |
,crest aud not private olamor shall dictate Inc
New Administration is beginning well.
RaopE IsLASp.-The election for State officers |
and Members OF Congress takes place three weeks
hence and IL 10 hoped that this noble Wsis State Will
hv dixl dad delP All