The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-02-20

NEw ORLEANs, Jan. %, ,ls49.

maintained friendly relations The lette
addressed to Mr.. Clay by Gen, Cass seve
raj years ago, but which only recently be
came public, relative to the charge Of "hsr-
gain and corruption was hoporable to the
writer, and many democrat who had been
traducing Mr.. Clay, and many wing then
rnisrepresenting Gen Cass, must have blush,
ed for themselves while reading the exalted
and generous sentiments ofone great states
man for another. The miserable SANDERS
and intrigues spawned during Presidential
canvass are soon forgotten, but History de-
lights to preserve the noble actions Of Illus
trious men II is fortunate tnat these dis
tingui.hed representatives OF the antagonist
oninions Of the nation should return to the
Senate together bearing for each other mu-
tual respect. do not see anything to pre-
vent their cooperation as to our external re-
lations, and il is quite certain they will act
together in every measure necessary TO pre-
serve the Union. Three other remarkable
men will be added to the Senate after the dth
Of March Mr.. Whitcomb Of Indiana, an
able lawyer, man of wonderful capacity
for details, and destined, l think, for very
great distinction Mr. Soule Of this state,
the most finished orator in the nation, GER
tainly the most dramatic and picturesque -
Gen Shields Of Illinois, gifted with the wit
and eloauence Of his Irish ancestry, and bril-
liant with the lustre Of chivalric achieve
men,
The departure Of Gen Taylor for Wash
ington has stimulated the applicants for office
10 increased exertions This Is reasonable,
for the Offices here are worth struggling az
ter But what think YOU Of the ambition
which is prompting many here to seek stu
atoms in the department at Washington:.--
lie il not folly little short Of insanity, You
and ! have some experience on this subject;
let US present one view Of life al Washing-
ton, for the benefit OF those now crowding
thither The Government Clerks, as boz
dy, are accomplished and meritorous men,
some Of them able to fill, with credit, the
highest places in the service. utCongress
by a retrenchment directed in the wrong
quarter, has reduced them to the lowest
point OF compensation at which men can
( live decently, as il to ascertain how much a
public servant can endure II is hard and
thankless service--an obscure and toilsome
berth, from which, like the efforts Of Sissy
plus, nothing results The moment one is
installed into clerkship, re may write over
his door the despairing wodrs Of Dante -
"He who enters here, leaves all hope be-
hindu In very wretehedness, the poor clerk,
disappointed in his expectations, but compel
led to hold on to the little he has got, be-
comes reckless. He loses heart, and works
like machine, His dreams are never real
ized, and the waters Of bitterness overflow
his soul. To rise, he must be the unscru-.
pulous toady Of some exaeting superior he
must hand to the skirts Of an intriguing Con-
gresham, or, more revolving still, play the
spy and informer to the party in power !;
must stoopto tricks that dam up forever the
fountains Of conscience, and bring promotion
and self degradation together Ii one scorns
to do this, and feels the dignity Of human ma
ture, as Burns exhibits it 10 the noblest SEN
timent that poet ever expressed, he is DOOM
ed to long term fproftless servitude, or to
an early and unhonored tomb. No flowers
bloom in his path Of life, and if the woman
he has loved plants one upon his grave, the
very pittance she thus piously employs must
deprive her Of a meal And this is clerk
ship at Washington, SO much sought after by
those who do not know its wrethed de-
tails! Better, far better, go forth into the will
derness--go bivouac on some distant lake
60 nestle in the scented prairies, and dig a
living from the teeming earth, than toy with
a bauble glittering but empty. Why, II
once knew $1,000 clerk to lay three days
corpse before the means could be provided |
for his interment, andhis unhappy family, an
aged mother, sister, wife and Children
but let US draw veil over so much wretch
edness, nor detail the vicissitudes that bore
some to an early grave, some to the scanty
charity Of an aims house
The life OF Government clerk is per
petual scuffle He is obliged to be
most polite to the two personages he
hates worst-the Chief de Bureau and
the Constable. He is prosecuted by one
and badgered by the other The Conven-
tionalties Of society compel him to occupy a
genteel house, with well furnished parlor
II he takes dodgers, bis rooms are filed up
al the price Of their impertinencies other
wise the interior Of his dwelling is absolute
~ naked, and his table-O We Gods! what
memories have Of collapsed mullins, Poto-
mac herring and dish-water for breakfast
Of limpid soup and fabby mutton for dinner;
and Of the inodorus tea, unbuttered toast and
:havings Of beef that salnted us at supper.
But what more can a fellow do, il he live
upon his salary In the attempt to do bet
ter, he invariably dies in debt, i, often bu-
Tied by contribution. and then the only re-
source Of his widow is---a Boarding House (!
And what is the history Of these establish
ments at Washington; A hard struggle for
credit to begin with---a little run Of custom |
"A falling oH--bills, duns, constables, dis
traints, sacrifices, ruin, broken health and /
slander--ior this viper never fails to strike its I
fangs into the reputation Of an unfortunate
widow in charge Of boarding house. II,
she be pure and beautiful as the shr:ne Of
Madonna, still the foul Of envy is on her
fame, and il withers oite., before she hears
that light word h., been snoken Than