The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-06-07

Il
cases OF removal, far as informed, there had
been sufficient alleged Jenersonian principles,
for removalsuch as ntemeddling in elections stated
distinctly that in my section OF the country, in any
other section, so Tar my own personal knowledge
concerned-I did not know how It might be in other
Slaes-there had been removal without some cause
alleged and held to be sufficiently proved other than
mere difference Of political opinion ! want to know
whether the senator will now retract the declaration be
| Mr.. DOUGLAS. Out OF courtesy and respect TO the
senator from Tennessee and solely in consequence OF the
declaration he has now made, cheerfully make an
exception OF him; although cannot conceive how any
other wing can come TO the same conclusion
Mr., BELL accept the retraction. and can make the
calsy have had 10 GET removals which thought ought
10 have been made know it to be particularly the
case in the South and Southwest have had no occa-
been made at the North but, stated the other day.
is my opinion that the whole corps Of office holders OF
the North appointed BY the democratic administration
might be swept out without any danger Of violating the
rule OF Jefferson, that Intermediates in elections ought 10
| be turned out OF Office.
Alter debate between Messrs HALE, KING, UNDER
WOOD, and DAWSON, report Of which we published
yesterday
Mr.. DOUGLAS. The remarks Of the honorable sena-
tor from Georgia require from few words and but
few in reply He denies that the President has
given any pledge that would render incumbent upon
him not to remove democrats from office because they
were democrats and TO put in wings because they
Wings, and challenges me 10 show anything, either in
The Presidents letters the inaugural address, which
authorizes such declaration will refer in an instant
10 extracts from those letters. some Of them, on which
can lay my hands, to show that they authorize such
charge In the first place. however, must remark that
with the TO which was replying in my former re-
marks. The senator from Tennessee took the ground
that the President had removed man, far his be-
lief went, on account OF bis being democrai-none
cept Tor cause His defence therefore, rested upon the
denial OF the fact The senator from Georgia places his
defence upon the ground that the President had right
10 do these acts because he had never given pledge moi
to do The denies the pledge, and the other, by
implication conesses it and these two inconsistent posi-
L.t.r
make my escape, and allow the 10 extingush the
pledge ITSELF
Sir do not stand upon any precise form Of words What
say is that the President, when he candidate for
the Office which he fills, did declare to the world in
his letters that he the candidate OF party and he
declared il in such terms left the world to believe and
such did actually make the people of the United States
believe, that he would not remove the democrats then in
office because they were democrats, for any other
reason than for good cause OF removal. not, sir
in What form OF words he conveyed that impression TO
the public iii he used words that did convey that i'm
preston, If they understood and believed and
acted upon, bubble the words phraseoogy is
to relieve him from the responsibility that attaches to the
violation oil such pledges given to the public Now, sir
hold in my hand several letters, which the President
says that he will not be the candidate OF party Here is
one OF them:
saitened and sectarian sense which would prevent my
being tn. President O. the people IN case omy election
upon public Offers good and bad, mho d6r opino
party candidate
Mr.. DAWSON. That is what mean, too
Mr DOUGLAS Yes. SIR, he IS. not engaged to lay
violent hands upon all officers unfortunately; and what
is the inference. That he viii remove the bad and
tain the good That w.s .As a Of E T.. b6
the language conveyed TO me. He would discriminate
he would turn out the bad and retain the good wings or
democrats and. sir, show that the Executive meant
IT, in his inaugural address he says:
The appointing power vested In the President poses
delicate and onerous duties 50 far as is possible 70 be
dspensabe prerequisites The bestowa Of office and the
ab,enee Of eh Of thess qsaie, shaa be deemed sufficient
cause Of rensoraL
Now, sir, wha, is the inference from these extracts
That the test III possessed these three requ
slies oil honesty capacity, and hdelity ndiscnminate
hands were not TO be aid upon him hair Of his head
not TO be touched; he under the solemn
pledge the President had given before his election; bet
absence oil any oil these was TO be sufficient cause OF
We sir, can there be any question that that was what
the President meant or that that what the people
understood him as meaning Sir II there can be no
question upon that point, does il not result necessarily
that the removal OF any by that President under the
solemn guaranty made when he just taking the oath
Of office and raising bis eyes to heaven in pledge Of his
slncertydoes Hot such removal amount TO charge BY
the President that the party removed deficient in
OF these requsesl say therefore, that the Executive
has thus branded every he has removed from Office
and say furthermore that, by thus branding them, the
charge he has made against them is say that
OF my own knowledge, many instances, he has removed
men who were as pure and as patroticyes, SIR, and
will say competent TO fulfil the duties OF their several
Offices as himself to I'LL his There are many men OF that
description whom he has removed; and thus sir repeat
| it, there has been falsihcaton OF his pledge.
But the senator reminds that should not such
language towards men high in authority ], too, would
remind him that thus elevated in position, and
clothed with the power OF Office give moral force and
weight what he speaks should not bring that power and
weight bear upon and blast the character Of private
individual who has been thus rutblessy elected from an
office he held Sir when you speak OF elevation OF char
acier that elevation should show itself in the al the
head Of the government who is using his power against
who have not the in their hands to rebut the
charges made upon them. Mr. President, speak in plain
and direct terms but not in terms which meant TO be
uncoureous which ought TO be offensive 10 any mem
| Der OF the Senate, or 10 any other man.
Bot the senator from Georgia has given us On exposi
ton OF what he regards the true meaning OF the Pres
when the President sad he would not be the candidate
of party, he that he would be the President Of
the whole people, and sucb, would eluaze the Of
hees between the two great parties of the country Well
u that be his meaning-and Tor the purposes OF dis
cussion am willing 10 consider It as hs meaning, al
though do not consider such is the faciI say that by
that construction he stands condemned By the very speech
OF the senator from Georgia himself Sir the senator
from Georgia has told that In this compenuon ior
and division OF Offices between the two great pares you
must look TO the great and valuable Offices and MOI 70
the number OF them Sir you take the .number oi ne
Offices, have dout that the day President Taylor
naugurated, the whg party in the nation held me
majority OF the Offices because the small country post ON
generally were filled by the merchants OF the neghbof
hood and the merchant, general thing from the ma
ture OF his occupation whg. And SIR, In the ives
tern States find almost invariably the case The