Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-05-04

place. But this evil of the last twenty years, growing out Of
the proscrptive policy is not the result OF the act OF is|o
alone Unfathul incompetent Office hode whether they
get their places by direct removal Of former ncumbsnt or
come in BY appointment the expiration Of former term
while they continue faithful to their party allegiance are ne
dropped removed until their defacation becomes a-
grant, and the general voice demands their Dismissal The
President in such is naturally reluctant TO
friend the party leaders 10 mis- protection and defence
they urge bis influence pasan and insist that his faults
shall not be harshy nt with and the common result Is
that be Is continued in ce This, sir, is great abuse
Of the prominent of the brood connected with the
policy of prescription and believe il has been felt 10 be SO
by all the buncf, classes Of the community ms Is he
abuse which the sentiment pointed to by the senator rom
Maine in the inaugural address intended to redress
Gen. Taylor when he gays that the want OF hon.
esty capac,y and fidelity shall be sufficient ground for re-
in all cases. that he will remove for this cause
whether the incumbent Of office subject to his control DO
Whg or Democrat friend opponent whether ne received
bis appointment from himself from OF his
But the Senator still insists that the sentiment Of the insu-
g,ra or ,,r Taylor pledge that Tor no oher cause
would he remove an official tnan 'ne wan ~ us
particular qualifications he therein specified ana, wlY',
Interpretation Of the language of Gen. Taylor the honorable
Senator has referred to statement alleged have Teen made
during the late by the present Governor Of Kentucky
for many years distinguished member OF the Senate, ov
Crttenden) That distinguished gentleman, known TO have
been the particular and confidential friend of Gen. Taylor is
said have declared in public speech, in some letter to
friend, afterwards made public, that of his own personal
knowledge he could undertake that Gen. Taylor was
and this Of Gov Cenden is triumphanty appeal
ed proof conclusive not only hs General Taylor was
pledged by his letters and the language Of his inaugural
address against the policy OF party prescription but when
these p dge considered in conne1on with the number OF
officers uy removed by Gen. Taylor that he has grossly
violated them. Docs the Senator know that the dlstn
gushed gentleman Of Kentucky referred to- known as he was
and the decided enemy of the proscrpve policy when
he member Of this body regarded the interference OF
office holders in elections gross abuse that he intro
duced and advocated the passage of bill prohibit 1t by aw
and compel the President all such offenders
against efica propriey And is it for moment to be pre-
sumed that Gov Crenden dreamed of pedgng that his
friend Gen. Taylcr would not for any such cause
But aside from The authority Of Gov. Crttenden on this sub
ec Gen. Taylor in assuming ocous ntermeddng in elec
lions good for removal might well rely upon the doc
ne of Mr. Jefferson, the boased father Of Democracy That
great opposed in principle the practice of removal
for opinions sake yet he held all active interference in cleo
Just removal Gen. Taylor, then, has taken the
ground that Jefferson took and he may safely stand upon
such platform. need not remind the Senator from Maine
that the Democratic party this day goes far beyond and con-
ary the doctrines Of Jefferson upon this subject Can the
nator from Maine really believe that Gen. Taylor, either IN
his letters his inaugural address, really meant
pledge would public officer on the
ground of inemeddng in elections cannot perceive even
plausible ground for such belief but seems the honor
able Senator has worked himself up to that conclusion
The Senator has instituted comparison between the num-
Der Of removals during the administration of General JACKSON
and the administration, far, of General Taylor Sir there
is fairness justice in such parallel When General
Jackson
nearly ALL Republican Democratic. The old party lines
had been nearly quite obeaed for the preceding twenty
Gen. Jackson into power protesting to disre-
gard the old party distinctions in appointing to office and it
well known that in his election he supported BY great
number of the old Federal party. However it may be
that there few incumben,s in the Executive depart
mcn and throughout the country who had received their
appointments under the administration OF the elder Adams and
Of Gen. Washington yet the Of them had been put in
office by Mr. Jefferson by Madison, and Monroe, all demo-
cratic and republican in their principles The practice OF
movas from office had fallen almost into dsuse after the
mencemen of Mr. Jefesons administration; and with but
few exceptions the offices of the Government filled by
persons who held the principles Of the party which triumph
ed in 1900. Gen. Jackson, it is well KNOWN did not mske
removals the ground that the ncumbents were tederas
but because they anii-Jackson men.
Mr.. BRADBURY. If the Senator will allow me- stated
had reference to those who in favor of and those
who were opposed to- Gen. Jackson
Mr. BELL The distinction between Democrats and Fede-
rass neither made regarded at every step IN his
progress of removal he probably turning out Democrat
The Senator from Mane evidence of the greater for
Of Gen. Jackson in making removals. states that OF
three four hundred office holders then IN the Executive
Departments, he only removed forty and he now admits as
he did in his Speech that these removals were made IN efe-
the question: whether they Jackson men or anti
Jackson These forty removals, then, were made on
the ground of anti Jackson feelings and sentiments what
the presumption tha, arises the political sentiments Of
the remainder of the three four hundred office In
Washington Why, they must have been jackson men
Or at all events, willing to be considered And General
sir, the There had been fierce struggle for
fnal ascendency between Mr. Adams and Gen. Jackson
only forty of the three four hundred officers in the Execu
tive Departments understood to be friendly to the Ad-
mnis,raon of Mr. Adams. The distinguished Senator from
Kentucky Mr CLAr) formed part Of his administration
and if any had Just to indulge proscrpive
feelings he might find in the circumstances and incidents
OF the contest then going but not single removal OF all
the cehoders in Washington known to be favorable to
the election Of Gen. Jackson made BY Mr.. Adams.
Judge Mclean then Postmaster General and the abest
had known the election Of Gen. Jackson,
still he retained in office. But Gen Jackson
into power he proceeded every Office holder in
Washington and throughout the country who, IN the pre-
cediDg canvass had made himself obnoxious TO him by
declaring his opposition TO him. The whole number re-
moved under his Administration and that Of Mr. Van Buren,
said to have been about twelve hundred and at the close
of Mr. Van Burens administration il may be fairly presumed
that they ALL nearly all Jackson Democrats
But wha, the condition Of things when Gen. Taylor
came into power How many Wings or Taylor men were
then in Office Of the twenty thousand civil officers
poyes under the Government subject 10 Executive control
Probably not five hundred, If 50 many.
Bul am dwelling too long this subject. The question
presented by the which the discretionary power Of re-
m1ra claimed be the President has been exercised and the
quences to the country, bring mind old and familiar
topics party discussion and hardly trust speak
of them without unnecessary dgreson II has been my pur-
pose the suggestions have made show that General
Tay since he into power susceptible Of the
ccare and most ample defence and vndcaon against all the
charges Of and violated pledges which have been
made against him. think upon the whole, that the Sena.
tor from Mane in the views he has presented OF the course
and practice Of Gen. Taylor in the maer Of pledges and re-
mova from office, has been prompted by the ador OF his
fecns to assa him with undue hashnes and at the same
time rashiy do not, repeat pretend that Gen. Taylor