The Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1852-1855, 1853-10-28
1uoEsoN's LETTER 10 sECUETARN
81 TItffIF.
lOfioioi Co1csponfmee)
Nv lnRA. Oct. u. lsiA


Sra Thu pressure OF official business
spd confinement to a alcb room, have pre-
vented an earlier answer 20 your lcttor Of
the 80 INST
You FIRST slate, 30 suhstapcc. that ! have
been uuicf a pledge, which has uot been
redeemed, ts ~di-tnhrto me Offices Zoo my
pn among different sections Of the dem.
ocmtic purity, aud thcu prescribe thccourse
Won expect me 20 pursue IN future. You
do no, complain that my appointecs are not
proper pCfsons. for the places they occupy,
or that they arc not sound democrats, SIN
ccrriy attached 10 the principles of the par
". and firm supporters of the national adj
minfs,atian. But You think ! have not
properly regarded al s%cctious Of the party.
When Mr. Dickinson declined the Cot
lcciotsh4p of ,lds port. IN hpul last, | was
a-kcd by several friends whether | would
allow my nlme g. b. mentioned TO the
President for the place, and answered in
the negative. ] thought no more of the
matter until two days afterwards, when |
saw IN the public prints a tclcgraphfc Dis
patch announcing my appointment. ! Ind
two years before resigned my place as
Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals, with
the intention Of never again accepting a
public Office and grateful as ! wac for this
now mark Of confidence, ! should have de-
clincd the appointment but for the high
opinion | entertained Of the President and
his principles. and the assurance Of friends
that he earnestly desired my "ccopianr" of
the trust.
When | accepted the place, | had never
seen or had any communication with the
nrg.4l-,s ..l - ,,rr gh,r, ur.r. "a,
pledges between rs, save such ~ may be
implied between honorable mon holding
like relation Ia e-ch other. lie had % ught
TO expect ! would diligently and faithfully
discharge the duties of the office, and main
tain, in all proper ways, the principles
which restored the democratic party to
power and, so long as performed that
implied obligation, | had a right to expect
that his confidence in mo would not be
withdrawn. ! have never complained that
the Prcsiden, has not discharged has part
Of the obligation, and Om not conscious Of
having omitted to discharge my own.
You tell me that the President and his
constitutional advisers stand pledged before
the world TO the principles and policy laid
down in the Baltimore platform and inaug-
ural address, sand had reason TO believe
that all gentlemen who consented 10 &C
ccpt office under the administration, stood
pledged 10 the same principles md policy"
! agree To that and, though II Is but an
implied pledge, | admit It's full force. But
n proves nothing Ia tho proseI,i purpose :
for there Is not one word either In the Bal
Iirnorc platform or in the inaugural address
about distributing offices among different
sections Of the party. If the President or
his appointccs are pledged to any such dis
tribution, you must look to some other doc
ument to find evidence of the obligation
some document which | have never seen.
II may be inferred from the acts of the
President. that he regards Ms eligible to Of
fee all Democrats who cordially united on
the Baltimore platform in 1852, and are
sincerely attached 10 the principles of the
party, although at somc former period they
may have been out Of the way. That Is a
proper rule. II il one on which ! have
acted in making appointments to Office
not because ] was under any obligation To
DO 80, but because | thought the rule lust
IN itself. But. your letter proceeds upon
the ground that should 20 beyond the in
CURRY whether applicants for office are good
Democrats now, and ascertain 10 what sec
AFFH iiNF ibTlIfElN bFiNlVfn : ana Iltn
make such n distribution of Offices between
the different sections, that no one Of them
will have Just causc Of complaint. It is
not only impossible 10 administer such a
rule rs that with success, but the consc-
quence Of adopting IT must be that we shall
never have one democratic party, united
upon n broad basis Of principle, but a mere
combination Of different factions, held to-
gcthcr by no better bond than the love Of
office aud ready TO fall TO pieces the mo-
mcnt one section thinks itself nggneycd in
the distribution.
Notwithstanding what has been said. |
think It would he found, on n proper scru-
tiny, that the section which hun 80 loudly
and bitterly complained Of injustice, has
received its iull share Of the offices which
! have bestowed. II is undoubtedly true
tina, more appointments have been made
from one section Of the party than from the
other and a single reason will be sufficient
10 show why II was proper 10 pursue that
course. Most Ui the Custom House ap-
polniments for this port have always been
made from the counties u Nov York and
kings, IN which are the three large cities
which form a part Of the port. In 1-ir tn
80 NNlA = NfE tNFhN NNNNE lA NANNHH
counties bore the relation u more than four
for the former 10 one Of the latter. From
the Free Soil vote should be deducted tho
wing abolition vote, which went IN the
same direction. Amer making the proper
allowance ON that account, I think II rafe
10 conclude thst not moro than ONE ont Of
seven Of the Democrats in those counties
voted the Free Soil ticket in ISi-. Inthis
wow Of thc matter, | think il win be- found
tiisi the Free S0il section is for from h4y-
my just cause ftr complaint. Iha,o acted
~ thus liberal m1nncr-unt brcgusa was
under any pledge. bot because / wished 10
% Whist J roas.nshly could 90 pruui1ir the
harmony end continued aars ndancy of the
party.
II is possible thsi ! ma mistaken IN SUD
posing that the Free SOIL section br- g,i
its fuil share q the plscra for. 40 i~i-trhui.
ing the little Offices IN my e1fi, vhicH have
llf uif niosi part gon" sn1ng and rank aud
mo Of mo party, ! have nelher bad the
nuls nor the inclination 70 o. much BIZ vay
oi infcsii2ntng The gntecedeu's u men
who we're supposed 90 BE- ~ nghi now.
N reference 30 your rcmsrE Upon tha re-
cent rupture @ ihe party NJ Syracuse. hist
"the division c1uld md ought % haye been
prevented, n b. enough iof us 10 -sy thsi
not only had 10 agency in bringing about
i1hi DIVISION, but ! tired 30 prevent M,
counsel was gwen 90 favor Of d o. united
erlou ~ me CONVENTION. and / rnrrrrly
hoped thsi harmony would prevail. Ifam
government officers src charr..hie uitb
what iook plsec ~ Svucuse, the burden
niasi ret on tir~c Eh1 uerr there 49, o.
MMFTU HHHHr HrIHg o.. 49,.