Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-09-07
Our Ne1y President.

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Gle is in some respects remarkable one, and If we
mistake not will attract general attention. From
many of the political sentiments avowed, it is evil
dent that the writer is not a Wing weinfer that
he has not been rigid party man, but his SYM
fathfes are certainly Democratic. He sets out
with renlafking upon the favorable auspices under
which Gen. PIERCE came into office, and the dis
appointment which his career up TO this time has
excited. Thus far, he says, we find in his admin
istration ''no evidences of large, magnahmous,
and true. hearted craftsmanship. On the contrary,
we do find the most unmistakable signs OF mar
row, petty, superficial and ntolerant partisanshp,
alike wanting in Judgment and dignity, and Utter
ly unworthy of this people, both in the ability and
tone with which affairs have been conducted"
The writer then refers to the inaugural as 'well
enough in its way" nothing being expected Of
that farmalty but commonplace congratulations
and vague generalities. He says of the Cabinet
that it "formed together compound that instant
ly suggested to the newspapers the famous de-
scription by BURKE of the speckled and checkered
cabinet of Lord CHALHAM,-'a piece of diversi-
fled mosaic, tessalated pavement without &C.
mert; nerea bit of black stone, there bit of
white :; patriots and courtiers, kings friends and
republicans"
A large portion of the article is devoted to the
subject of removals from office. After referring to
the discraceful scramble for the spoils, at Wash
ington, the writer says:
1t was supposed when Mr. Pierce came into
power, under such circumstances as we have re-
ferred to in the outset of this essay. that there
would be an end put to this nefarious and whole
sale barter1ng of office As he was comparatively
Young man, with few friendships to crafty, and
few enmities to punish as the leading political
parties had dropped much of their political acerbi-
ty; closed for a time the Temple of Janus; as he
had himself never shown an extraordinary avldlty
for office; and on two occasions had voluntarily
relinuuished it, the country found 1t difficult to
imarine any motives for him 10 indulge in VIM
dictiye and party rancor A certain number OF re-
movals from office is always expected, IS indeed
necessary to give unity to an administration. a
chance in the heads of departments, in the lead
ing coilectorships, in the diplomatic corps, takes
place under nearly all governments where there is
a chanre of policy but an almost universal sweep
inu out of snoordnates is peculiar TO the late his
tory of this nation and is as dsgraceful to the par
ties who are the instruments of it, as it is dager
Gus to morals and political virtue. 1t is mean,
binoted. malignant and cruel practice, utterly I'M
worthy of a party that has the remotest claim to
the title of great, and only fit for the adoption of
those Eastern despots who delight to surround
themselves with fawning satraps, and trembling
slaves. The same prescription, IN any other walk
of employment, would bring upon the perpetrators
of it the indignation and scon of the whole neigh
borhood to which it might become known. How,
the other day when the president OF an insurance
company was removed, not for his opinions, but,
as it was supposed for cause; how the bare sus-
picion that there was no cause aroused the lndlg-
nant rebuke of the whole mercantile community
Yet. every day in politics, men are made penn-
less for daring to express their sentiments as Tree
men. by the successful parties TO which they may
he opposed! Do we not remember, too, that JET
ferson. during one of the most violent political con-
troyersies that ever shook the nation, and when
all the offices of the government were filled by
men who had been appointed under influences that
he deemed most hostile to the true policy OF the
republic, linAuences, indeed, that he suspected OF
a strong monarchical tendency, and therefore bit
terly opposed to him, and to the character which
he wished to impress on all his measures,-dld not
venture upon single subordinate removal, until
he had fully declared the motives of it; in an elab-
crate and iudcious letter saying how painful Inc
duty was. and that he should con6ne the number
of disbursements to the unworthy and the danger
ms The rule of selection, also, he announced
to be. sis he capable? is he honest! ~ while tor
the einht wears of his ncumbency, full of tumult,
exacerbation, and trouble as they were, only thr-
tv.nine persons were dslOdged Tor all causes put
together 1t would be no startling thing. in these
latter DAYS, to see as many thousand removed.
Gen. PIERCE made no attempt to arrest this
flagitous practice, Notwithstanding his famous
speech of 1912, in which she denounced it with
the seeming Indignation of an honest man." "li
State-necessity, says the writer, "cannot justify
political prescription, how much less, 0 President
PIERCE, can mere party necessity, or, rather,mere
party clamor"
The article next reviews the character of the
Presidents foreign appointments, and then pro-
ceeds as follows:
Again in respect to thedomestic appointments,
we saw that the policy of the distribution has been
governed bv an absurd, because an impossible
Scheme for healing the divisions of party by the
salve of patronage A radical, inveterate, and
lono standing opposition exists, as every body
knows between certain factions of the so called
democrats. especially in New York. 1t is an OPP
nneition that has grown out of fundamental differ
ences of principle. and decided divergence N po-
litical conviction and sympathy. Years of ardent
contest have uursed it into bitter animosity. It's
hatreds partake Of the viruence of the odtum The
oJopicun 1t cannot be compromised, nor brldged
over. nor reconcled. Time can only widen the
breach and whatever temporary arrangements may
he made. the issue must show that they were no
more than temporary. Now, In such state OF
opinion. to undertake by the bestowal OF few Oh
fees TO the leaders of the hostile camps, to remove
the grounds of enmity, betrays superfclallly OF
iudqment. want of insight, an ignorance OF hui
man nature, and depravity OF principle, that we
are sorry to see in any position OF influence Inc
attempt is one of those errors, which, as Talley-
rand said. was worse than crimc,-a mistake or
rather it Is. both mistake and a crime,-a mis-
take because. from the nature of things, it must
proye failure and crime, because 1t is an aban-
doument Of the high objects Of government for the
sphere of low partisan tactics. 1t is not the busl-
ness of the chief magistrate of great nation, 10
, try to dance upon two cross wires; to come down
from his lofty seat to adjust the braws OF street.
fiphters or to contrve plaus for the artistic man
aGement of local ealousies and ambitions. lie
should leave all that to the qudnuncs of the Pew
ter Mug, or the Shades. His business is the de-
fence and the furtherance of the broad interests oil
the whole nation. according to just and compre-
beusive PRINCIPLES, and in the most impartial splr-
il. The moment he steps into ofice,h is 10 long
er the chief of clique the head olgarch, the cap
tain of bandtti, joint worker with FACTIONS OF
parties; but he becomes in some sort the Rather
of the People. charged with universal response
blity and forever removed from one sided, or sim