Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1852-08-28
From our Washington Correspondent

lUll uul usilllStVh SVlieDPVhuo'
WASHINGTON, AUG. "a, 1852.
Dear SIR
Much has been said lately
relative to the propriety Of increasing
the salaries Of certain Clerks in the
Departments and the sublccthas been
handled and rchandIcl in all possible
shapes, aud by oil grades of society,
from the grave Senator down to the
stree,-sweepcr. 1t is Il we'll known
fact that there are many Clerks'in the
several Departments whose salaries
are entirely inadequate to their sup
port, aud in consequence of the in
creased expenditures Of living in
Washington, the subject has been
brought to the notice Of Congress-
Whether that body will act in accord
ancc with the wishes of the petitioners
remains to be seen. This branch Of
the Government, in my humble view,
calls loudly for an entire new rcmod-
cling. That the mode of appoint
ments, under the present system,
works unjustly to many nobody de.
mics. That many who are incompe-
tent are appointed with higher sala-
ries than those who are competent, is
equally trae; and so long as the ap-
poiAtments to Office ure left to the con-
tingency ofthe success ola party, this
crying evil will exist. Would it not
be better then, both for the Govern
ment and the appointee, that appoint
menls should be made for term Of
years, and that those who are compc.
tent should receive salaries that merit
and capacity entities them to receiver
How often is it found that heads of
Bureaus are forcedto seek informa-
tim of their Clerks. and to depend al
most entirely upon them for the exc
ton of the duties dcvolving upon him,
when they have been in Office the
same length of time, and have had the
same opportunity to learn. The rea-
son is that incompetent men are plac-
cd insuch stations upon party grounds
alone, while better and more able
ones are placed as subordinatcs. If
all incoming administrator desires to
appoint good Auditors, Commission
ers, &c, let it search the Departments
rather than fill the places with drones
or incompetent men, because they
have served the purity. Those who
work and really do the business of
the Departments, generally speaking,
are those who get the least pay. This
is notorious fact, and will not be de-
MED by any who know anything about
il.
The expression Of Pierce and
King man, said to have been made to
Wing the other day, tina, he "did
not like to see his party defeated, but
that it would be ali act of grcatingrat.
itude in the American people to re-
fuse to elect General Scott to the
Presidency" is a view taken of this
subject that all honest men of both
parties should ponder well over. In
gratitude is said Ia be next to the TN.
pardonablc sin. 1t is also said by
many, whose party predictions have
the better of their sense of gratitude,
that they desire Gen. Scott to contin.
ne in the station he now so honorubly
fills, as it would be impossible 10 fiji
his place. This mode of reasoning
would do well, provided it was nnan.
swcrable. But because Con. Scott
has filled with honor the many stations
he has been called to occupy, by both
Democratic and Wing Presidents, he
is not capable of filling higher posi-.
ton, is sayine that because man has
served term Of years at certain
branch of business, he is not capable
Of conducting that bushes ION his
own hook" But beg leave to diff.
fer with these lar-seoing and liberal.
minded gentlemen. Gen. Scott has
proven himself to be u boss 'Uorkman'
at every job he has ever undertaken,
which conclusively proves that he has
u capacity that few men can boast of.
And | have no doubt that when he
gets into tho White House he will
prove himself muster workman"
whom none Of his countrymen will be
ashamed Of, whether Wing or Demo-
crat.
The Island Of Cuba appears not to
have entirely recovered from tho eff.
fects oftho Lopez expedition. Great
excitement prevails there, aud many
arrests have been lately made in con-
sequence Of indications of a revolt
The last rumor is that her Ladyship,
the Queen Of Spain, has determined
that belors the Cfeohes or the United