Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-02-19
or STATE OFFICERS
DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
TUESDAY, FtaRrAFF' '-A"' ''e'

par ~ as the election of first Auditor was concerlea'
and that James E. Heath and Ro johnston "e'e
nM o TaNARD rose and said That II was only IN o Os
disnce 10 stern and imperative sense OF DUTY no address
=, his time and under existing circumstances ~ a.
al ' S, Eaanad fas Others doubtless were) with al
tendance on the protracted debate tnhl ae throat so
.ns olsI nv Win great pain and difficulty he was
able TO speak at al-with an impatient under
sigh exhausted su5ecit was only .e consned to make
one annea 10 the House. before the vote was - What
state in as few words possible MS oPpo''"O'
il was proposed TO do ,e ,h;s body and what the
dn,v thew had TO perform? You called upon ~ sense
Office merely ministerial not and experience and
snch knowedqe as is the result OF industry anu en in
-knowledae of your finances. and nhahca. "a reyenue
a. he Observation-Disclosures of your land laws a .i,h the
AN rs l ,her notifications and familiarity WIN .ae
duties of the various officers throughout M yom have
CURED TO act under these various avs ofre gentle
@ Who has filled i, for years, the entire @ re
the whole country-whose eminent qua.iu. IS narty-who
served him untouched amid all the mutao h inch AN Off
& admitted by all candid men OF all parties " - he hless-
GER as few people have had the gooo and cha
wh-and against whose conaact a. now oppose him will
venture 10 breathe breath of suspicion OF " n;stc
of complaint;-and yet, this officer ming NOT even
= conncillor a mere Clerk Of Accounts ,nin a
whose qualifications all were iaiha a" - he nut out
city and fidelity none would Nv, in his place OF
and Mr. Robert Johnston TO be pu! III ' ,hng for
Mr. Iohnston personally Mr. S meant 10 say no's go
he knew nothing; and that respect ne slooa a. h MOO
bsrdad IN tho same poson with vast majority Vi '
hehueo Al m is nronor,ion at least of the members Of
both branches of General Assembly VINO his oice
nc Mr. Johnston ill he put in nomination lol . III.
II NAV be said that his friends represent MN 40 da
f, for this appointment, and so, but snor. wen o
the friends Of Mr. G. " Thompson Jana e u; ,heir SIM
nav are the came gentlemen who 90 warm III e sup
mort of Mr. Johnson represent h'm as OF aii ~; ~
State or out of it, the est person 10 receive ' re
monument That they mistaken men, no oie W. pia
s ,,hat had occurred in our presence o-day would
venture 10 denyaud for aught ne knew, Tue. is b.
taken again. all events no one WouJ cs might or
the qualifications Mr. Johnston IN other L l
might moi be he did and could not possess ha lon G
perence which, in office OF tins Rino IS 50 es'e" "
proper discharge of its duties M. ,o,r ,-;.J md
ooat faithful and competent officer to DC oiscaloeu @
public service and his place suPpne o NOV or can know
mill the experiment is made) incompetent sncceesI s
the public service require such chanse @ bS in anv
sn.,tn,ent of Government officer more afapie more
Courteous and universally popular WIN men o. an &
han lanes E. Heathl Why then lr ,. ASKED agaa' I'D
h;s man 10 be discarded the office he mas 80 os |
M h, slled and turned in his old age 70 pfo'ee as ne
SO aoiy nieu Of himself and his iaplyi Sir there
s but one answer be given 10 ihis queeuIb Hi
public service does NOT require and public
e revolt at it-hee is but reason that mas oeen OF
can he assigned for it, and that reason 'hal James l.
Heath is Wing while his competitor is Densoe,. ha
,b;s Il said is no proscptionand arguments hao
been made elsewhere and doubtless WIZ DC Repeated s
prove that in all this there was nothing Ike IN
opinions SAKE ma.,;or II did not admit of argument
There was one plain test, one simple u "ailed
would determine the character bic hand
upon every Democratic member present ~ pu. D.mo
his heart and saw whether if James Z. Heash VIZ 80 ns
erat as he Wig could single man DC n con-
voice in opposition hint He appealed 70 th9if owl
were Democrat instead of being Whig would ms peno
cratic Senate hesitate 10 re-elect hlm! no nun o MI
M hove and cav that they would The question VIII not
and cannot De answered except in the negative. ,a =;
James E. Heath was no partisan he nao os, av div
ho6I hpflr
aons arose and at time when the profession oi certain
cass If noitical opinions did not constitute Inc o'
ofcal canacity or the only passport TO ohca s'ato
a,ed ~ The duties of his Office he had taken no part 10 M
political contests Of the day beyond his simple voe
defed any member present 20 put his nnser upon l
of Mr. Heaths of partizan character All the vigilance
Marty scrutiny had been able TO detect single
Enteraninc certain political opinions Mr. Heath haa ever
csed the right and discharged the duty OF freeman ID
@ those opinions at the polls and this extent ana 70
This extent only had he had anything 70 DO win
This is the head and front OF his otfenoing; anu ~
alone such man and such officer is 10 be discarded rom
the public service is it possible To conceive case OF oe
palpable undsguised unmtigated ana po'sp
ton for opinions sake . 49,; ,h;,o
.hcy had as well and avo" the true character OF
what they about to do All attempts at are
idle and worse than idle Disguise or attempt 10 alseIoe
a. YOU may will dare deny that II James H. iea'
were Democrat as he is Whig YOU would not tonch a
hair OF his head In that case, his rsapponten were a.
.s-,ain ne the election came But being Wing, you
mean TO turn him o III gentlemen p!eer me pniase} ~
refuse reeect him. because he is wing ana i9 nas 10
tencs that il prescriptions for turn ana twist inns mat
FER az YOU nav o this complexion must come at last
Mr. said James Z. Heath his friend personally and
,oljt;cay He venerated him for his virtues admired him
Cor his talents and honoed him for the manner IN whch ne
had discharged his official duties But with all this person
Al regard the fate OF Mr. H. any other man. was IN ms
view bur as dust in the balance compared WIN me lno
duction for the first time into Virginia of PLAIN and dTe
prescription an respect 10 ministerial Offices II was against
This deestable doctrne-he spos syetem in s most OBJ
noyious for-now for the first time sought TO De introduced
among US that Mr. S raised his voice. No such doctrine
nd bef
on by any party in this State Wherever else may nave
aourished aud borne fruit plant too poisonous ever 70
take root in Virginia soil Here at least II mad never ye
been held any time or by any party that IN respect = a
o75ces polcal and mniserialfrom the highest 10 the
iowestpohiica opinion was to be 'e soe lest OIL on''
caoacity-ihe only passport TO official station
And what are % be the consequences if this sPois system
was now for the frs. time be carried out In virginia
What is to be the result respects the OH GERS themselves
DO Won expect 10 have hereafter such officers yoa have
had eretoforelaonest faithful! competent-devoted 10
che duties of their Office and concerning themselves WIN
naurh besides! Do you this under the operation oil
SYSTEM BY which you shall in effect il nor IN terms, de-
clare 10 these very that length OF public sefrceno
fidelity in the discharge of public dnty-no purity OF private
enotbinp that appeals the higher and nobler feelings
OF our nature shall avail you any thing II you DO not nap
pen 10 entertain particular class OF poii,ica opohS In
sny man fail perceive, that under such system ms re-
tanning his Office will depend not upon the manner IN wt
ne NAV discharge its duties but me ascenoancv Oh '
or that patty in the Legislature OF he sate ana WI"
M, have the strongest Of all possible inducements 10 n'ihg
te influence of Office in conflict with the purity Of eec.os
and 10 neglect the duties OF his station IN ode 70
,scendancy of his partyl Sir system so corruptng c
debasng ta tendencies have but one result ana Una,
m that instead Of tho honest faithful diligen' anu ecien
bc officers we have heretofore had every department OF
government will come BE- filled with brawlns paflsas
who will regard the offices Of .he country moi rs sacII
trusts 10 be administered for the public good but as
held out for the most and unscupuious party service
and the Alpha ana Omega Of whose political creed ana
action may be comprised .he pratca slogan mat 70 f
vicors belong spos 1t ia for the people to say we
er they will nave such system TINS fastened upon nsm
ana 10 them he (Mr S> appealed Tney had never siia 50
81, ard las Ir his conscience believed they would not
say so no,o. III. :. a., a,,,;, ~
the Whg party TO be utterly dpT ,h 81 a, the
ans tss Of disabilities for oceand the Wings are to be
regarded as negroes The prescription BY General
this ac, But said Mr. s., this prescription had been com
menced in 1925 BY Cen Jackson aDd carried out ny van
Rprsn Polk, Sc 40 that no Wings were left in Office If
the doctrine be right now, why not Mr3eah removed
nj mat tme7 Was not this House in the very aci week
ago OF eecting man. whose public sentiments had been
read in the other House to-day the abhocnce OF all ana
he 70 take the place Of Mr.. Heath STAKEHOLDER who IS
oound on the slavery quesons This TOO Just alter passing
The strong slavery resolutions.
Mr. S. Declared thu, doing this act the Senate would
violate the wishes generous people, and the universal
,,,s,o,, of the State-apd sustain his views, read