The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-22

On Removals. and Appointments TO Office +;
delipered in The Senate of the United
.StateS, March 21 and %, 1850.
[Concluded.l
At length the astounding declaration has been
put forth that he shall be resisted and opposed,
whatever he may do.
"We mean (said the Democratic organ in this
city few months since) to do our duty; and,
whatever face the future may wear, we mean to
oppose The Administration of General Taylor and
his cabal to the bitter end"
2. II has also been the manifest purpose of the
Opposition to exclude his vicys and policy from a
proper examination, and even from any consider
alton whatever. This was disclosed by concerted
efforts to carry the present House OF Representa-
tves against him, when 1t was not OF the slightest
Importance with view to uphold the measures OF
the last administration, as they have fixed major
ity in this body. To elect Chief Magistrate at
one period and then, within short time thercaf-
ter, to constitute Congress to thwart and oppose
and intelligence Of the American people; and this
is exactly what the Opposition sought to do, 80 far
the House of Representatives is concerned. And
they succeeded, II we may add to their strength
the third party vote; and this, perhaps, may be
done without Injustice as the discordant powers
allied at one time to make a distinguished
member from Indiana Speaker of that body, and
that too, in hostility to the Administration
3. The President tried conciatory line of policy
in Virginia. He reappointed George Loyal, esq.,,
navy agent at Norfolk, and Thomas b. Bigger,
esq.,, postmaster at Richmond but his advances
were treated with scorn. 1t did not appease the
violence of the opposition in the slightest degree.
Every effort was made in Virginia, at the April
elections in lS49, to put down his Administration,
and all the Congressional districts were carried
against it, save one.
joined the Abotionst party, with view to local
advantages, and partly to embarrass the President
and his Administration. This was 30 in Connecti-
cut at the last general election, Q649.) coali,
tion formed to carry not only the lst I'd, and
30 Congressional districts, but also the State Le-
gislature.
The Democratic candidates in the three districts
indicated gave tcrtten pledges to the Aboitionists,
which are before me; but will not trouble the
Senate by reading them. By such means the
friends of the President defeated in these dis
tricts, and a fatal turn given to the Congressional
elections. This, it will be recollected was within
not have been, in any thing done here, the slight
est excuse for this course. MIR. Polk hurled out OF
Office many Democrats in the State of New York
and elsewhere for joining the Free-Soil party.
have before me list of no less than eighty-four
deputy postmasters dismissed in that State for this
reason and will produce here highly interest
ing letter relating to one OF those cases. from the
Hon. William J. Brown, lately the Democratic
Free-So candidate for the Speakersip, ION pledges,
too:)
APPOINTMENT OFFICE,
p. o. DEPARTMENT, July 20, lS4S.
"SIR: Your letter has been received, and sub
mitted to the Postmaster General. i think your
reasons for abandoning the Democratic party
wholly unsatisfactory. The Postmaster General
has heretofore refused 10 listen to applications for
the removal Of postmasters for such reasons. But
the party to which you are now attached having
taken ground against the administration, and the
regular nominee Of the party for President, ! dc
not see how the administration can further refuse
10 act in these cases. without subjectng IT to tho
charge of lending its influence to defeat the candi
date of the party.
81 am, yours, SC, w. J. BROWN.
"H. j. SIcKELs, esq, p. M"
wonder if this letter commended Mr. Brown te
the three members from my State, and wonder i
southern Senators will shed tears the fate Of
the Democratic Office holders of Connecticut If SO
venture to predict they will be crocodile tears.
would by no means insinuate that General Taylor
or his cabinet have acted on such grounds. Certain
y have not brought this actious coalition TO his
their notice, and only use it now 10 show how RI
| diculous IL Is for the northern Democracy to com
plain of his dispensaton OF patronage in that guar
| ter of the Union.
1 will now, Mr.. President, turn back, as init
mated ! should, TO the Presidents inaugural ad
Dress and particularly to the passage on which thu
honorable Senator (Mr. b. relies. He, il is true
on that occasion, remarked that " the appointing
power vested in the President imposes delicate anC
onerous duties. So far as IL is possible 70 be in
formed, shall make honesty, capacity, and fidelity
indispensable prerequisites 70 the bestowal OF office
and the absence of either of these qualities shall b
| deemed sufficient Of removal" From thi
the honorable Senator (Mr. b. deduces the con
clusion that all officers removed from the fourth o
March must be regarded as stigmatized for the wan
| Of either honesty capacity, or fdelity-a conclu
sion which would equally follow from the languag
cfGeneral jackson and MIR. Polk in their RESPECTIVE
| addresses. But this is all mistake, which vii
| prove by producing here extract from Genera
Jackson first annual message TO Congress, as fol
| lows:
There are, perhaps, few men who can. for an,
great length Of time, enjoy office and power with
| H.. .l.., xA,,,. ~ fool
4 ings unfavorable 10 a faithful discharge OF thei
public duties. Their integrity may be proofagains
/ improper considerations Immediately addressed
| themselves; but they are apt to acquire habit o
looking with indifference upon the public interests
and of tolerating conduct from which an unprac
tised man would revolt. Office is considered aspe
| ces Of property, and Government rather as
means Of promoting individual interests than as al
| instrument created solely for the service Of tn
people Corruption in some, and in others per
version of correct feelings and principles, diver
i Government from its legitimate ends, and make
engine for the support Of the few at the expens
| Of the many"
am almost provoked at myself for not sdvertinl
| 10 this authority earlier; IL would have saved
world Of trouble. What a corruptng, hardening
effect long office holding has, according 10 Genera
jackson, on the minds and morals of menl Why
the Democracy have been in possession OF nearl,
| all the places under the Government since the al
March, 1879. President Taylor should have turne
| most If not all Of them out long ago on presump
. uOn. Inc 10ca OF the nOnOrhDic Scnatof udt VI
dismissed have gone out on papers or libels, as b
would have us believe, is all imagination or moon
shine. Il Is true President Taylor says ''the wan
Of honesty, capacity, or fidelity, shall be deeme
sufficient cause for removal;'' but General jackson
tells him he may infer this from long enjoyment Q
office; that in such cases, il the integrity Of ncum
bents "bc proof against improper consideration
| Immediately addressed to Themselves" he may a
least infer that they look "with indifference ON th
public interest,"" and tolerate conduct from whic
| an unpractised mind would revolt" Removals un
der such circumstances do not attack the rectitud
Of particular individuals-they only carry out
general principle. The honorable member calls 70
a confession by some friend of the President; and
we make il in the form and to the extent be
pleased 10 indicate, he graciousy says he will nc
press his resolution. Though not authorized, d Wi
confess that the President wanted "unpractise
minds" in the Governments hence some changes
He thought he might proscribc prescription, BY LEI
ting in his own friends TO fair share Of tho Offices
II did not occur TO him that he succeeded as mer
administrator de bon,s non TO Jackson, Van Burer
Tyler, and Polk. n he had ono enemies to punish
and no friends to reward he surely was not oblige
to treat his own friends as II they were enemies
the place Of calling for papers-esisting only by ny
pothesis-let the honorable Senator ask the Prosi
a. lac