The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-25

the commencement of the term of General Wash
| ington to the fourth Of March, 1929, but one
i hundred and fourteen removals and eighteen
refusals TO renominate these were, however, per
sons whose offices were in the gift OF the President
/ by and with the advice and consent OF the Senate
| There were, however, during the same time, re-
lnovals in the departments and in subordinate Of
/ fees for cause. Among those removed by Mr..
| Jefferson was one Elijah Goodrich, who, when a
| boy, was defender of the city OF New Haven, and
| in that affair was bayoneted by the British The
Senator from Maine had charged the President with
great cruelty and oppression in the removal OF GER
tain persons who had defended their country; here
was great precedent for the act, and was evidence
| that the removal OF heroic men was part OF the
| Jetfersonian principle,
When General Jackson came into office, what
! became of his pledge against prescription Mr..
Clay turned out four of the printers OF the public
| laws General Jackson turned them all out
turned out erry printer Of the laws. He then com
menced rewarding his political supporters, and APP
pointed TO office of every kind-auditors, comp
troers, &c.no less than fifty five editors of polit
| ica papers From the 4th of March, 1929, to the
10th Of March, 1880, he removed no less than four
hundred and ninety -one deputy postInasters, be-
sides corresponding number of persons in all the
departments, and throughout all the custom houses
of the country. In the first year of his admnistra-
ton he removed over fifteen hundred persons from
| office.
/ Before the election of General Jackson, much
said and written about the necessity of clean
ing out the "Augean stable;" and the speeches and
| resolutions on that subject were most prolific. Gen.
jackson, in his inaugural address, carried out the
idea ola determination on his part to do away wthall
| those who living upon the public, and thereby
clean out this "Augean stable" In that inaugural
address, he declared that he would rely upon the
zeal, honesty, and integrity, rather than upon the
! number of his officers. Scarcely had the words
fallen from his lips, than the blue book began to
| sprout in many directions, and continued to do so
during the whole Of his term ofofce. One instance
| of the increase of the Government patronage he
would mention: that the expenses of collecting the
| revenue in the port Of New York, during that ad
| mnstraton, was increased over three hundred per
cent; and that too, when the average revenue col
lected at that port did not much exceed that col
lected during the term of MIR. Adams. This was
the way in which the pledge to cleanse the Gauge
an stable" had been carried out.
consequence of this violation of this solemn
pledge was the loss OF vast amount OF public mo-
ney, which was carried off by Swartwout and other
| wholesale defaulters.
| Mr. S. then proceeded to the examination Of the
| pledges made by the Democratic party in 1874,
| and through which they succeeded in electing Mr..
Polk. The first Of these was the Kane letter, which,
to say the least was equivocal letter. and calcu-
| lated to impress the people Of Pennsylvania and
other northern States with the opinion that he was
in favor of protection to manufactures and Ameri-
can industry. The implied pledge carried out
| by the enactment of the tariff of 1896
| During the negotiation for the annexation OF
Texas, and after the treaty had been defeated, the
joint resolutions OF annexation were introduced in
| Congress. There were many Democrats in the Sen
ate who believed that Congress had no power to
annex Texas in that way, and thus provision was
introduced, leaving it to the President to elect be-
tween negotiation with Texas for an annexation
/ by treaty. or TO carry out the legislative action.
That resolution could not be passed unless it had
been pledged by Mr.. Polk that he would elect to
proceed by the treaty making power.
| The resolutions were passed, and John Tyler, on
the last day Of his administration, elected to carry
out the Legislative action. Mr.. Polk could have
called this act Of Mr.. Tyler, but he did not and,
| in his next message to Congress, stated what Mr..
Tyler had done, and declared that it met with his
approval. Here the manner in which pledge
was carried out by Democratic President.
Again: Mr. Polk declared, in the language OF the
Baltimore convention, that our title to the whole OF
| Oregon was clear and unquesonable, and he would
maintain il TO the utmost of his power. The whole
Democratic party adopted the creed of $40 40, and
would stand by the line How was this pledge
| maintained! The English marched up in that re-
gion, and il was caution 70 see the way in which
| the Democratic party ran down 10 ago. They did
vers island, the greater part of which below that
| line distinguished Senator-late a minister
abroad-declared that the President had consigned
his such depth of degradation. that the
hand of resurrection could not reach him Here
| was another fulhlment of pledges.
Mr.. DODGE, of Iowa. wish TO say that the
Wholesale charge made by the Senator against the
Democratic party is exceedingly unjust, and when
he has the Senator from Missouri (Mr. BENTos)
in his eye, be must identify him with claiming up
10 $40 40. The Senator has spoken Of the Demo
cratic party, tout ensenbis and must accordingly,
| charge the Senator from Missouri
| Mr. SMITH. Not at all.
| Mr.. DODGE. Then qualify.
| Mr.. SMITH. As the Senator from Missouri came
near being excluded from all the standing COM
mttees Of the Senate, don't know that he belongs
to the Democratic party [Laughter.l I refer, how
ever, TO the resolutions Of the Baltimore convention
| demanding the line Of $40 40.
Mr. DODGE The resolutions OF the Democratic
| convention say nothing about $40 40.
| Mr. JEFFERSON DAVIS. You have got him
/ there.
| Mr. SMITH. II says "the territory Of Oregon"
Mr.. DODGE. The Senator from Missouri some
| times ranged with the Democrats; and I think,
| Notwithstanding the remarks Of the Senator who
invoked the curses Of heaven on certain negotaors
who surrendered Oregon think, in speech Of
moderate ability the Senator from Missouri showed
that the whole Of Oregon was below the line Of 49o
| and that the territory above that known az
New Caledonia, and not as part Of Oregon.
| Mr.. SMITH No man admires more than do
/ the speech Of the Senator. II one Of signal
| ability. The Senator had long remained silent in
bis seat, and, after all the distinguished men had
beenh heard he rose in his seat and threw food Of
light on the subject and demonstrated that we bad
no honest pretensions 10 the territory above s9o.
say the Democratic party took the ground that we
should have the whole Of Oregon. Mr.. Polk and
| Mr. Buchanan consented 20 the reduction. We,
however, obtained in the treaty all we were enti-
tied TO, and am not certain but what obtained
/ more. have rejoiced in the treaty.
Mr. Polk, in his inaugural address, declared that
he would not be the President Of party, bot would
| be the President Of the nation. This was ss much
| pledge az any Of those which the Senator from
Maine urged AZ having been made by General
| Taylor.
Yet, despite all this he (Mr s. took upon him
70 say that the administration Of Mr.. Polk the
most proscriptve ever known 10 this country. All
| the patronage Of the army-all the generals, the
staff, and the cld-ofiicers, were selected from the
Democratic party. There may have been a few
| captains and lieutenants chosen from Whigs, but
| no field officer.
| The President bad been charged with all kinds
| OF misconduct With having violated his pledges,
| &c All species Of opposition had been urged
| against him. The AbOlitionists and Democracy
had formed coalitions every where AT the North %
embarrass and oppose the Administration.
| Mr.. =. then went into a minute examination
and statement Of the removals and appointments
from and TO Office during the administration Of Mr..
Polk, together with statement Of the politics Of
| the clerks in the Departments upon the advent OF
that administration, and Of the same the eSpira-
ton Of that administration
| We recapitulate his detailed statement az fol-
| lows.
| In Office March 4, 1919. Jan l. 1850.
Democrats. Wings. Dem. whgs.
State Department p 3........... H.. is
| Navy ........... a.. 15.........4. 25. D.. ~
| War ............ 2l.... 26........... 49, &c.. 80
Interior .......... 81. 34........... So. 50
| Treasury. .259. 76............ POP. l32