The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-08-22
From The Lasorenos (Mass.) Courier.
A Rrnses "A milan.

Among the fables of Pilpay is recorded one of
fox, who, behodng kid perform the thing
that himself had but lately done, with much VERDI
age decried the exploit and ridiculed the actor.
Similar, in many respects, TO the conduct of the
fox in the fable has been the conduct of the Democ
racy in regard TO the apportonment of Offices.
For upwards OF twenty years past the principle of
rotation in office has been managed that the dis
missal or resignation Of one Loco made way only
for the advancement and promotion Of another.
Like old mill horse, each successive rotation
brought back the party to precisely where it
before II even the murmurngs OF a discontinued
people were heard, il was only when, through mis-
take, some Wing intrusvely gained appointment
under administration which went not only for
Democratic measures, but also for Democratic men,
In the course of events change has taken place,
equally astonishing and amazing to this self same
party. Declarations among those holding Office,
and officers untitled to their trusts, rendered il an
imperative duty upon the new Administration, if
they would In any way uphold the principles
which had sustained them, or render the wheels of
Government capable of moving in a new direction,
TO and rcappoint This duty has been spar
ngly exercised. Where it was not imperatively
demanded it has not been performed. OF the hun
dreds of thousands of officials in the employment
Of the United States some few thousand have been
dismissed But no louder wall could have echoed
from the Democracy had the one half been guio-
tined and the moiety banshed. If ii were not for
the alsehood Of their assertions and the contempt
IDLE meanness of their conduct, the whole thing
would seem excessively laughable and positively
ridiculous. The suddenness of the change in their
principles and belief is comparable only to the
transformations of juggler or the lightning like
evolutions of "A rope dancer. Over the length and
breadth of our country their journals TEEN with
charges against the President. Partial sentences
carefully clipped from various letters that he
has written and from various others that he neUer
has, and opposed to each other in a manner that
shall render them contradictory. Where they fail
alone in doing this, they assisted TO by means
Fl
is next TO impossible to open Democratic journal
without finding the word "pRoscRIPTIoN" in big let
tiers staring one in the face. A foreigner would
probably infer a total remodelling Of our Govern
ment, an entire change in our political system
Those who have suffered are loud in their walls,
and those who have not are equally expressive OF
their fears.
1t is duty we feel ourselves bound to perform
to state that the whole thing is a ridiculous hum
bug, contemplate compound Of bghted hopes
and disappointed ambition, of envy, malice, and
hatred. If there were ten times more truth in the
charges than there is, what reason have they for
complaint? Ifevery Loco in Office were immedi-
ately discharged, where is the justice of their re-
| history to render it at all novel or unjust? Hac
their conduct been the exact of every thing
it has been, upon this point had they been, in tn,
least, tolerant in regard to the matter OF politca
opinions as test of competency for holding an OF
flee; had they allowed one man in ten, nay, on
man in hundred, of government employees, Il
| have been heterodox in his creed-a believer IL
Wing doctrines then, they might have said tina
the Wings acted differently from themselves, they
might have found fault with measure they them
| selves never practised-a m0dns Operandi they dit
| not believe in. But such has not been the case
Look to the history of their conduct in every SINH
lar occasion. Look to the official appointments a
New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Portsmouth, o
any of our great cities, in the palmy days of Jack
son. The custom house officers, the collectors, tn
postmasters, the treasurers, nay, there was no
even porter so insignificant, nor tide waiter .
low, but that he received notice of dismissal. An
now, with what proprety and modesty do the.
raise the cry of "PRoscRiPTIoN."