The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-30

anu universally signined us appfopauoh oi
the Consultation, as settled form Of federal
government, but it began to be divided as
to the proper construction to be given to the
language Of the written charter, even during
the administration Of WAsHINGToN, and this
division Of opinion formed the basis, upon
which the third Presidential election was
conducted ani. decided. The ascendancy
Of the Federal party, whose principles oil
administra ton Of the federal Executive Office
and whose views Of the construction Of the
Constitution, reese mbled more nearly those
which were entertained and practised By
Gen WASHINGTON, than did those preach
ed by Mr.. JEFFERSON and his adherents,
gave new urn TO public affairs. For the
first time, in our republican history, was the
Government co mmitted to the care Of a
party, no longer the party Of the Constitu-
ton, but that Of particular construction Of
that inst rumcnt. As the policy and views
of the Administration Of President Adams,
were almost a transcript Of those Of the Ad-
ministration of President Washington, there
was, therefore, no absolute necessity for a
change Of public officers, and accordingly
none was made. The history Of that era
shows, that scarcely single incumbent in
Office was Of the party Of Mr.. JEFFERSON,
when Mr., ADAMS was elected, for the
simple reason, that neither Mr. JEFFERSON
or his adherents found official favor in the
eyes Of WASHINGTON during his last term.
In truth, we may consider the elder ADAMS
Administration, nothing more than proon-
cation Of WAsTlNGToN's Administration,
and as the standard of official worth and
qualification was elevated by WASHINGTON
to the highest possible point, and kept by
him at that point, there was no inducement,
no necessity, no plea for ADAMS to change
the personnel Of his official corps To va
cancies occasioned in the ordinary way, Of
course he appointed Federalists, because he
had confidence in them and they in him,
but he never permitted the standard Of Off
cal excellence to degenerate an iota. Pro-
scrption for opinions sake had no existence
under the elder Adams, unless the Jefierso-
mans considered their exclusion from Office,
prescription, because Of their opinions. But
they did not so estimate the exercise Of the
appointing power by Mr.. ADAMS. Demo-
Gratis or Jeifersonians, in those days, were
different men from Democrats in these days
In the political contests Of that period, the
Fedora lists and Democrats fought for the
establishment Of certain principles of con-
struction Of the Constitution, and we cannot
find any stress, laid upon the fact of the ex-
clusion Of Democrats from office, by Mr..
ADAMS, in the warfare that preceded the
election of Mr.. JEFFERSON.
But, after Mr. JEFFERSON got into pow
er, he saw the deep hold, that his political
doctrines had taken upon the public mind,
and disturbed as the public mind was, at
that period, by the struggles of liberty
against tyranny in France, the Democratic
party began to be influenced by the desire
of appropriating to its members the Offices
Of Government. Mr.. JEFFERSON was the
man, of all others, to popularize any doc
trine Of government, by clothing il with la
king language. In this respect, he was
without an equal in craftsmanship His
political formulas are plain, even to child's
comprehension The doctrine of confidence
in the depositaries Of public trusts, was
quickly made acceptable to the dominant
party, and forthwith it was put into execution
with bold hand. He did not wait for va
cancies to occur in the usual way, but they
began to be created by him, and he il was,
who first taught the nation, that an event,
may be made to happen; thus givinga new
construction to that clause oil the Constitu-
ton, under which the Federal Executive is
now regarded as absolute master of the ten
ure of public Office. II was an acceptable
construction, and the power Of Mr., JErrER-
SONS popularity fastened il upon the institu-
tons Of the country.
Had Mr.. JEFFERSON kept up the standard
Of official worth, in his appointments, to the
point at which WAsHlN eToN and the elder
ADAMS had fixed and sustained it, all had
been we'll; but unfortunately for the coun-
Try, he lowered it, and hence spring all the
evils Of prescription for opinions sake, in
our humble judgment. We hold TO the
WASHINGTON doctrine of the necessity Of
perfect confidence, by the appointing power,
in the depositares Of public trust, as the
only guarantee Of useful and successful
administration Of public affairs; but, unless
the standard Of official excellence be kept
up to the most elevated point, the doctrine
is capable Of being made destructive Of all
good and efficient Government. Mr.. JET
FERsoN omitted to keep up the official
standard, whether purposely or accidentally,
q. .,o,n.far;a1 49, tha raeutf 0nr amman