Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-05-11
RICH OND,V VA.
Thursday Morning. May 10, ls4e.
1.-THE PUBLIC orFICEs-GENERAL TAYLoR,s
POLICYO

"THE PUBLIC OFFICES-GENERAL TAYLOR's
POLICY"
The Wing papers OF this city are gradually
coming round 10 an advocacy OF prescription by
the "no-pary" President. viz: turning out De.
mocrals, because they are Democrats, and putting
in Wings because they are Wings. Al one time
their argument was that the pos, offices wherein
changes had been made were miserably small
and inconsiderable; that il was no hardship TO
turn out The incumbenls. But they at The same
time orgol 10 slate, that 10 a poor man a small
office is as necessary as large one TO rich
man, and that in both cases The principle is the
same. Under the language of the Inaugural and
General Taylors many letters, laying down "ho-
nesly, capacity and hdeity" as The only lest, il is
not The loss OF The office alone which hurts, but
the direc, and necessary impulation upon the
character OF the person removed.
This idle prelext, however, has now been aban-
, doned, and yesterdays Wing boldly defends The
removals Tor political opinions already made, and
auemps 10 justify them by the example q! Demo-
cratic administrations The Wing says:
The game which the Locotoco press 10 at
this lime attempting TO play, is seen through
wiiacal The slightest difficulty. The object is TO
intimidate Gen. Taylor-!o prevent him from
making The necessary removals and reforms"
The object OF the Democratic press, as far as
we know, is 10 lay The truth before Gen. Taylor
and the country-to refresh his memory with his
own "no-party" professions, which, by giving
him the votes Of Democrats, mainly elected him,
and 10 hold up as a consequence Of continued
violation OF pledges, The continued indignation OF
an enlightened and patriotic people.
The Times quotes President Jeffersons letter
to the merchants of New Haven, and contends
that Gen. Taylor is acting upon the principle
",ha the emoluments and duties connected with
the offices of the government should be equal
" shared" by Wings and Democrats. YET,
when a portion OF the Democrats, a few winters
since, proposed to apply this same rule oil
equalization" TO The large preponderating ma
iorily OF Wing office.holders in our own De.
mocralic Slate, the Wings raised Up their hands
in holy horror against This prescription"
Was Gen. Taylor elected upon such grounds 2
Was any thing said, in the canvass, OF this JET.
tersonian rule OF Equalization" or ereorgani.
zalion," as an Alabama Wing paper modest
ly calls il7 Was ii ever argued by the
Wings, that if General Taylor was elected,
he would turn oul Democrats and put in Whigs7
Did he not, on the contrary, say that the
Wing. must take him on their own responsible.
lily, and without regard 10 party distinctions q
Did not Mr.. CriIenden, and other organs OF Tay-
lorism, intimate that faithful and honest officers
need not fear "lhe constitutional axe2" And
were not many votes secured for Taylor, for the
express reason that be would pu, down party
distinctions, would rise above The ignoble schemes
OF party and restore the "era of good feelings"
These things cannot be denied-yet, no sooner
is The Presidential robe assumed, Than Gen.
Taylor is paraded as an "ul,ra Whig," apd
with sDi,huut his knowledge and cunsent, faItn-
tul officers, and men who have shed their blood
for their country, are turned out, because they
are Democra,s-and The Jeffersonan rule oil
equalization" quoted in mockery of justice!
For ourselves, we are inclined to believe, that
some OF the removals are made against the wish
es OF old Zac-lhat if possible, he would adhere
10 his pledges-but with his utter civil ine1peri
ence and in his new position, he has not the mo-
raj frmness to resist the cunning arguments or
pressure OF the selfish "poli.icians" around him.
As evidence Of the fierce onslaught for Office on
Old FAC, we quote The following from the cores
pcndence OF The N. York Journal of Commerce
Taylor paper:
ali has been rumored that General Taylor had
himself called a halt in the work OF removals
and appointments. Ii would certainly seem ha,
there is some obstacle 10 progress-but what IL
is, is not so certain. There Is some mystery
about i, +; for all the members Of the Cabinet but
two, have declared themselves in favor OF remn-
wing Locoiocos and pulling in Wings. The true
cause of the difficulty is imagine, TO be found
in the rivalries and dissensi0ns OF the Wing lea
ders, who wage war more frtonsy upon eoeh
othsr than upon their political opponents. In re-
gard TO the New York Collec,orship, the Sewa I'd
influence is sand TO be for Mr.. Bowen and that OF
Mr.. Fillmore, for Gov Young.
"The administration proceed as last IN remo'
walls, as the contests among their friends for APP
pointments will permit them
~ have little doubt that General Taylor, ii his
private sentiments were Known wishes once or
twice day, that his friends had left him on his
plantation, or at his military headquarters"
It appears that even when Old FAC has been
alloped 10 select his own favorite, his hands are
afterwards 10 be tied by the stronger master
spirits which surround him. Not long since, as
we learn from tho Pennsylvania, General Tsy-
lor appointed an old friend and companion in
arms, Major Young, to the Colleotorship of De-
laware. The Major accepted, and forthwith
made his subordinate appointments, which were
submitted to the Secretary Of tho Treasury for
approval, according to lsw. He, says a VIII
mington letter, Sin return, received from the
Secretary list of names, (setting aside tho
names submitted by the Collector) and order
ing tho appointments to be given to those
named. not even permitting tho Collector to ap
point hi, own deputy. The Major urged it as
indispensably necessary that he should have for
deputy person whom he could conhdc in
This the Department would not assent to, Blu,
insisted that the Major should take their list
entire. The Major, who is high.toned soldier,
and a man OF spirit, to this wholesale dictation
would not submit, and indigna~tly resigned.
aThis whole affair is evidently one of the
games of JOHN M. CLAYTON, who has alrong
and influential party opposed TO him here. To
tnwar, This party and reward his own clique has
been his aim How little, how undignifed, for
Secretary of Stale to stoop from his high posi-
ion But he mus. be king of this little empire,
it matters not by what means, be they never SO
degraded. And now let me ask you the question
how could your Pennsylvania Secretary of the
| Treasury, (Mr. MEREplrH,) TO whom these mat
ters entirely belong. lend himself 10 such mea-
sure of usurpalion and desradalion7 ! venture
TO say that under no previous administration,
Wing or Democratic, has the collector had his own
appointments wIested from him, and list made
by Secretary of State, tor Mr.. MEREDITH did
not name, and could mol have named the indivi-