The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-24

to himself OF his duties unless he reposes i'm
plct confidence in his clerks. Men, whose,
political feelings run high, are active, sway
their Judgment, are disqualified from holding
or receiving office under an administration
whose tenets they are opposed to. Nomat-
ter how pre-eminent the qualifications they
possess for office, they lack one essential
ingredient which goes to constitute reliable
public officer, and that is, the confidence Of
the appointing power. And because such
is the fact, we should like to know by what
right, the appointing power can be justly
accused Of prescribing them for their opin-
ions sake, because they may not be retain
ed in or appointed to office They are dis
qualified in the very nature Of things, and
are the authors Of their own disqualification.
They have prescribed themselyes-are not
prescribed. They lack the cement Of the
ingredients of honesty, capabiGty, and
fidelity.
But there are men in Office and out Of Of
fee, who desire to be retained and appointed,
against whom the possession Of opinions adj
verse to the public policy Of the dynasty in
power, does not apply with So much force.
They enjoy the quasi confidence Of the APP
pointing power, but they have no right to
complain of prescription for opinions sake,
if they are displaced or are not accepted.
A lukewarm man in any thing, is not ia
Yarits with God or man State reasons
frequently require the absence Of such per-
sons, with quite as much force as those more
decidedly opposed. Indeed, we have thought
and still think, that no man Of high-toned
feelings, no matter what may be his pecu-
mary condition, ought to hold public trust,
when his political opinions condemn the
policy and men Of the dynasty under which
he serves his country. 1t is impossible,
that he should do that justice, which he
ought to do, to his trust, if his feelings are
strongly opposed, and it frequently happens
that he does not perform bis duties as he
ought to perform them, because Of his indf-
ference to the success Of the Administra
ton. II such men are not sufficiently keen
judges Of their proper relation to the APP
pointing power, they ought not to complain,
if they are reminded Of it by the appointing
power itself AT all events, they have no
right to Judge in the premises.
Now, the chief merit Of Gen. TAYLoR's
position in relation to this question o! APP
pointment to office, consists in the fact, thathe
does not prescribe men purely forpolitical opin-
ions sake We care not what the Union or
its allies say to the contrary, not single in
dividual has been prescribed by the Admin
istration, because he thought thus or so. In
every case, there has been want Of conf
dence in the person displaced or not reap
have not beenyery numerous-the possession
Of high qualities and qualifications have
been accorded, but the possessors had,
by their own conduct, disqualified themselves
for receiving and enjoying the confidence Of
the appointing power. They had shownthat
they were not to be trusted in executing the
duties Of their Offices according to law. In
some cases--though few have they been
stolid indifference to the successful discharge
of their public duties, has prevented the sp-
pointing power from reposng confidence in
them. With the exception Of the Office Of
Navy agent at Norfolk, Of postmaster at
Richmond and Of four post-masters in
Georgia, there has not been, single mani
festaton any where Of confidence in the Ad-
ministration by our opponents. The friends
Of the Administration in the vicinity Of those
Offices, did not make, have not made the
least exertion hostile TO re-appointing or re-
tanning incumbents, Why1 Because con-
'fdence in the Administration was manifest
ed by those incumbents, and it begat a cor
responding confidence Of the Administration
in them. 1t ought not, therefore, to be a
matterof astonishment to the Union, that SO
many Wings have been appointed to office
and so few Democrats The latter, not on
" do not manifest confidence in Gen. Tay-
lor's Administration, but avow uncompro-
missing hostility to it. 1t is natural, that
Wings should confde in an Administration
Of their own principles, and that Wing
administration should confde in them, and
hence they are taken, when all other things
are equal.
But, say our opponents, Gen. Taylor
pronounced us no-party administration.
To be sure he did and the old Hero is
giving the country every day just such an
administration. That more Democrats are
not appointed to Office, is not the fault Of
Gen. Taylor. Do they expect him to APP
point men to Office, in whom he has no con-
fdence 7 Why, they demand of him to be
party President They demand, that he
shall not remove any Democrat from Office,
that he shall appoint none but Democrats to
L.. Tx % fha enbatanrp IF their