The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-05-30
The Rule of Appointments.

Tie SUCCEEDS Ndtnanlel Greene, SWuOs4 NssoA "P
pointed, was editor of the Boston Post, q leading
democratic journal Of the same city Judge Con
rad, the Deputy Surveyor OF the port OF Fhlla-
delphia, is editor of the Daily News, lwhIg) He
supplan;s John w. Forney, editor OF the Pennsyl.
vanian, (democrat) So in AlaDama-I. SANFORD,
editor of tine Register at Mobile, has been turned
out of his office as Timber agent, and E. S. Sayre,
of the Alabama Journal, at Montgomery, succeeds.
Such are the fortunes of the political press-and
SUCH in general the fortunes of political war
fare The editors fight the political battles of their
party, and sometimes they share in the rewards of
| the victory. The offices are the accepted mode for
remunerating services-and sometimes they who do
the best service get the best rewards But not
always, by any means. Conrad, for example, would
better grace higher Office from this administration.
Sanford was but poorly treated for his eminent po-
sition, in the petty Office which the last admins
tralion assigned him. Between the parties there is
lille to choose in the rn!c upon which they act in
the assignment of political rewards, and the equity
| with which the distribution is made The truest
and abest friends often set aside, because the
ardor of their zeal may have created enmities
which it is good policy not 10 offend and often
because their loyalty has been well tried that
neither detection GOODNESS is anticipated from
their disapponments. The friend may be
passed over to concillate his enemies, to fix by
self-nerest, a waverer or convert. Ii is polt-
cal nccessiiy-and hen we add to this the bunders
arising from INSTRUMENTATION, false information,
and the difficulty which springs from the inability
TO decide between the claims of competing friends
we may we'll account for the irritations and disap
ponlnents The complaints and The enmities so fire.
quen,ly, ALMOST invariably, prodi,ced by the dstri
button Of The Offices on a change Of administrations
by revelation OF parties. No rule can be inhexi-
bly, observed, and no intent can be uniformly carried
out The reputation of the appointing power is at
the mercy of thousand accidents-for which ex-
PLANTATION is impossible--and it becomes degraded
and weakened by becoming the object of suspicion
and complaint among its own friends, as much as
by its real faults of commission, for which it is
assailed by its adversaries.
1t is, however, settled now by the practice of
both that their rules Of appointment to be
practically the same. The instances we quote are
decisive on the point. They are all political-and
ayowedy so-one political editor succeeds another.
1t would be unjust to suppose that the claims of
either upon his party friends different in kind,
or the motives for appointment more pure in one
case than in any other. Mr.. Hayden, Mr.. Conrad
and Mr.. Sayre doubtless appointed because
they had been valuable party friends to the new
administration, as Messrs. Greene, Forney and
Sanford were appointed because they had served
their party friends we'll on the other side The
Executive in both gives offices to its friends
and takes them away from its opponents. 1t is the
losing party which discovers mischief to the coun
try and individual oppression in the exercise of this
power. Both use it when they are in the ascen-
dancv. The winner always finds or makes new
circumstances and good distinctions, sufficient 10
absolve itself from the obligation to keep its advsr.
saries in place.
1t is now settled-fnally, we suppose-that every
change Of parties carried into the administration of
the government by change of the political char
aeter of the President, carries with it a general
change of the officers of the government. No sue
ceeding administration can ever be expected to
come in, from which change in the practice could
be expected so strongly, it expected from the
administration of Gen. Taylor. Yet it has not teen
able-iis opponents say has not desired-to depart
from the precedents of previous administrations.
1t viii save a good deal of fIuit!ess dispuiation
hereafter and prevent some great mistakes, to have
it thus distinctly understood, rule of all sides
that successful parties will fill the principal offices
with their friends, the exclusion, and by the
exirusion of their opponents. Ii will be something
gained for the advantage of any future contest on
principles, to have this point so distinctly under
stood upon all sides, that no man can cast his ballot
under any Misrepresentation Of its effect upon the
distribution of patronage.
So we'll is that understood among the parties
named above. that we believe all of them consider
it matter of course, not involving personal rights
or personal feelings. Messrs Hayden and Greene,
at Boston, the late postmaster and he who has sup
planted him, were personal friends. and continue
TO be so, under all their TRANSFORMATIONS of politics
in which they figure personal rivals Conrad
and Forney, Of Philade pha, are under the same
circumstances, cordial in their personal regards for
each other in spite of the loss and gain of Office
and Sanford and Sayre we know to be on terms
of perfect kindness. They are champions on OPP
pose sides in great strife of opinions, and they
acknowledge heartily the merits of their opponents,
and submit magnanimonsly to the fate of war.
These pleasant amenities in the warfare of poll
lies. Bat they can only exist where removals and
appointments are made on open political grounds.
Men will identify themselves with their party and
share its fortunes in defeat with infinitely better
humor, if removals are placed upon the general
ground of political nonconformity, than if they may
be construed into charges of personal incapacity or
unworthiness There will not be half the bitter
ness in party maryrdom that there is in an i'm
parchment, however indirect, of integrity in office
We hope never to see political conflict waged
upon the supposition or expectation that removals
from Office for political cause political or per-
sonal wrongs. They are political necessities, and
must happen, and truth requires that they should
be SO acknowledged. There are other ways of
the acknowledged evils of the prac-
sice-to which they who are ashamed of it or de-
sire it acknowledgements to turn for relief. The
honest adversaries of prescription for opinions
sake y we trust TO find msnesting their sincerity
by setting themselves earnestly to work to reduce
the amount, and limit the range of Executive con.
troll over Office. That will be real reform,
worth long and earnest struggle OF disinterested
men, and the party that will adopt it as prnci.
ple effectively, will go into any contest with great
advantage over its adversaries, who may cling
to The existing system.
d. Mr. Clay made Ills appearance at slave. |