Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-09-26
THE COHESIVE POWER OF PUB
LIC PLUMBER.
A few earnest Thoughts for the PeO-
pie of Pennsylvania, without re.
SpeCt To Party.


In all ages OF the world in ali governments, and
under all forms and conditions of society, few
leading men have endeavored to speculate upon
the administration of public affairs, and thus to
enrich themselves at the expense of the great body
of the people. This policy has assumed different
shapes under different circumstances and different
forms of government, but it has nevertheless re-
mained essentially the same, from the earliest Pc
rod of the world TO the present time II is true
that it has so accommodated itself 10 circnm-
stances, that it has some times been almost entire
ly lost sight of; but it was nevertheless always
sure TO return, with all its audacity, whenever
more favorabiy auspices combined Tor It's more
vigorous Development. Thus it is that society
has been divided into castles and classes and that
these castles and classes have been perpetua,ed,
with an increasing mark of distinction every day,
until at last, IN many countries we lind them sep
arated by an almost impossible gulf.
In the infancy Of society," are told, and we
bound to conclude, that the form of govern
ment, was for long time, necessarily patriarchal
And while this form OF government continued 10
exist in its purity, we may fairly presume that it
was administered with fatherly tenderness, and
all fathers impartality and Justice But in the
course of time, ii is supposed that families so
spread, and inhabitants increased upon the
earth, that it was found necessary TO abandon the
strictly patriarcha system, and 10 unite large com
munllles under one government and this govern
ment may have been entrusted TO one more in
dividuals who, as matter of course, became in
vested with the supreme au thoriiy in the commu-
nifty over which he or they may have been called
to preside. Here then, is at once the germ of that
monStrous system of classes and distinctions In
society, which is every where to be met with, no
matter what the form of government may be, at
the present day. The immediate family and
friends of the ruler, and those whom he deemed it
proper to call around him in official capacities,
Immediately became class, apart from, and in
every way distinct, from the great body OF the
people, who became the hewers of wood and draw
ers Of water for the privileged few, whom they
had thus elected as administrators of their public
affairs.
While the government which was thus set up,
continued to be despotic in its FORMS shall of
course be unable to trace more than two great
classes of society in the body poIitic,-the chief
ruler, and his immediate family and friends, and
the great officers of State, (and the immediate
families and friends.) whom he may have called to
his assistance, c0Aslisung the first class, who by
exercising the power entrusted to their hands, TO
be welded only for the benefit OF the whole peO-
pie, for their own aggrandiZement 1t may be Tea-
sonably inferred, continued to grow richer and
more powerful every day, while the great mass Of
the people, who were doomed to labor not only for
The support Of themselves and their families, but
also for the support Of the drones they had thus
poorer and poorer, and weaker and weaker, until
they found themselves the mere slaves and meni-
ais of the former. 1t is the natural tendency of
wealth and power to accumulate; the rich and
strong grow richer and stronger every day, while
the poor and weak, as class, grow steadily poor
er and weaker. There are two great classes,
then, which, in the very nature of things, are
common to all despotic governments but under
some othe: forms Of government, that of Eng
land for instance the class hay found
venient to introduce another, third and midd le
class, composed chiefly of the younger branches
OF the families Of the first. These are the lords
OF the loom, the mine, and the counting house, |
who live by traffic and speculation in the various
commodities which they produce from the blood Of
the hearts, and the sweat of the brows Of the toll
ing millions below them. The third class, are Of
course the LABORERS and PRODUCERS ofthe |
empire, the hard-handed peasantry of the coun-
try, the beasts OF burthen and patient asses of the
few A; and constitutes the great su6stratum upon |
which the former strata, and the whole supersiruc-
lure Of society rests.
In our own country, whose institutions, though |
slightly different from, were nevertheless moulded
upon the foIms of those of England, the same
great divisions of society may be traced, not so
distinctly, it is true, but at the same time, with
0oldness of outline which admits Of neither mis- !
axe or cavil. Those who hold the reins of Gov
'rnment Tor the time being, are precisely in the |
position of the first class which we have already !
described. 1t is a vice which seems to be inher- |
mt to the nature of man. TO love the exercise of
authority, and not only its legitimate exercise, but
o make use Of that which was entrusted TO them !
'nly to be exerted for the public good, inahe at
ainment of their own selfish objects, in anriching |
heir families and friends, and in The perpetuaton
'f their power. Ii is a lamentable fact that the /
epublican forms of our institutions have not been
roof against the silent but steady encr0achments
f venal and despotic power. The first thing
which an Executive officer does now, upon his
ccesson TO power, is, generally, to look after and
rovide for the different members of his own house
old, and the next objects of his care are his most
evoted friends and partsans. This constitutes
he league Of plunderers, and the plunder itself is
he cohesive power which binds the whole togeth-
r. Mr.. Calhoun, II is thought, was the first to
make this discovery, but that is mistake the dis
oVery was made before he was the first how
yer, who had the boldness to proclaim it,
Until the time of Gen. Jackson, we believe thai
uch thing open defalcation had never oc
urred among the officers of the General Govern
1ent. Partizan feeling, until then, had never been
uly developed, with all its baneful Influences in
ne country. Under his administration, however,
nd that OF his immediate successor, the Swart-
Vouts and Prices opened up new in the ad-
history Of the Union; and the result
f it is, that more than THREE MILLIONS OF
have been plundered from the public
reasury, under the Administrations of Jackson
an Buren, and Polk while, remarkable as it may
eem, the short nermsson of Locofoco rule du-
ing the administration of Mr.. Tyler. was not mark
d by single defalcation. The reason of this
'as, that in the twelve years of the Administra-
ons of Jackson and Van Buren,, the league had
lcreaSed lis wealth and Dower had