Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-08-26
The Policy of the Administration

these attacks are avowedly grounded upon just no.
thing. and are made wholly in advance OF any ON
cial communication to Congress-the only proper
bodv to receive such communications. Would it not
he nearly AS we'll to await such official announce
ment and know something, at least of what Is to be
rather than to be building up of straw for the
mere purpose of knocking them with the great
err facility? The tone of the Inaugural Address was
approved by almost everybody, and gave certainly
as much satisfaction as any similar effort had given,
while the policy it indicated, so far as it went or,
indeed as it was proper to go upon such OCCASION
was in accordance with the feelings of the American
mind Since that time the heads of Departments have
been actively engaged in their efforts to give efficiency
to the different branches of the public service over
which they preside, in accordance with existing
laws, and, no doubt. in perfecting recommendations
for removing abuses supplying deficiencies which
NAV present themselves. So far, then, as public
policy is concerned 1t is hard to what more could
have been done expected. President Pierce is a
man who keeps his own counsel, and gives. in ad
vance the guarantee of his known principles and
practice without committing the secrets of his fu-
ture action to every enquirng newspaper correspon-
dent and in so doing, he acts properly and in &C
cordance with the dignity of the position to which
the people have called him. So far, we think, all
denunciations are premature and uncalled for. The
Executive, in the recess of Congress, is charged
simply with the efficient execution of the laws and
the conduct of the foreign relations of the country
This it has done During the session of Congress;
rs a coordinate branch of the Federal Government,
the President is required to make such recommended
tions to that body as may seem to him right and
proper and for the advantage of the public service
This department of his duty he will no doubt dis
charge faithfully and prudently. Nothing certainly
has transpired calculated to shake the confidence
with which the nation honored him, and which car
ried him so triumphanty into the Presidential chair
Let him speak for himself at the proper time and
place as he will, assuredly. When he has done So,
and his recommendations fairly before the coun-
try then, and not before, will be the proper time
for criticism or animadversion. Would it not be
quite as we'll to wait Praise or blame alike
premature
Unfortunately, the Executive is clothed with a
large amount of patronage, or, speaking more prop
erly, with the appointment and removal of great
many persons engaged in the public employment
From the disposal of this patronage or the appoint
men of persons to fill the various Offices, arises all
the clamor that we hear, and will always hear a.
tangible of complaint than the failure of the
comp lainng parties TO attain the positions to which
they aspired. We are not now going into a discus
sion of the propriety or improperly of general
change taking place the advent of an op-
posing party to power 1t is sufficient for the pres
ent, to remark that such as the system with both
parties and so firmly established, that even General
Taylors administration, with all its /" noproscrip-
tom pledges during the canvass, fell naturally into
the current, and actually outdid all its predecessors
in the work of decapitation. In the of General
Pierce nobody deceived, and we will venture to
say that Office holder under the preceding admin
stratOn expected thought of retaining office, and
80 far as we know of, none complained of removal
which they anticipated From that party, therefore
no complaint could legitimatey come, on its own
account and its presses have been forced to content
themselves with endeavoring to foment and intensi
fy the dissatisfaction natural among of the
disappointed members of the Democratic party, who
affect to find much fault with the course of the pow
ers that be- the MAN, and perhaps the sole, real anC
substantial reason being, that they think the pro
gramme imperfect because they have not place in
1t. It would be nonsense to assert, that in every
case the best possible appointments have been made
to make such assertion, would be to claim infal
ibiiy for men who, as men, must be fallible Tha
good appointments have been made in most cases
and sought to be made in ALL is all that any reason
able opponent of the administration could require
at its hands, any judcious friend claim for it, TIL
chief, and, indeed, the only onslaught made agains
the appointments is founded upon the fact that Gen
Pierce chooses to regard the compromise measure
as fnaty not simply in the settlement of the sec
tional difficulties that convulsed the Union in 1851
but of the political divisions and splits to whc
those difficulties gave rise-not going behind the IT
cord, but taking an acquiescence in and mainter
ance of these measures as the only sine qua non
the appointment of Democrats sound on other point
We think his course is that of prudence, both
national and party point of view.
For our own part, we must confess that we desil
respite from party politics, especially as the
is actually and truly no tangible subject of discu
sion and the querulOus whining about office, real
interests the public at large not groat.
THE COMET.-We have seen no notice of IL
Comet which has been visible for some nights a sho
distance above the horizon. We saw it last Mond;
night, about eight o'clock, little North of We
and perhaps an hour high Although not partic
lary large or brilliant, it is quite visible to Il
naked eye. AS its motion is rapid, it will soon pa
out of our sphere of vision. In the words of tt
auctioneer, it is gOing-g oing-and will soon
GONE It's tail is not long, but sufficiently defn
to leave no doubt of it's character.
BROKE JAIL.-A free muatto called Bowles ali
Johnson broke out of the Jail of this county last Tu
day night. He was confined on the charge of raj
committed some two months since upon young VIII