New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-28
THE NATIONAL GANGRENE.

We presume few readers will dissent in the
abstract from the views presented in the fol-
lowing essay All observing patriots perceive
and lament that our current Politics are
shamefully corrupt, and that the faint is rapid
ly, steadily difiusing itself We do not believe
that, so long ago as 1920, there was one Office
seeker in the Union for every twenty persons
qualified TO discharge creditably official duties
and now he must be bold man who will assert
that there are not more seekers of places
than persons qualified to fill them. Formerly,
lawyers devoid of industry, steadness, and
practice, stood almost alone as Otlice-seekers;
but the vice has gradually worked its way up
among the better classes, until now respecta-
bic clam.peddlers and men who might cut
brush or dig bitches, (ifthey only thought SOY
are eager for waiterships, and fighting
each other for Mail Agencies and the pri-
vilege of keeping Light Houses. And if the
cleaning of our City Sewers were made an Of
fee, there would be hundreds struggling for
that also
The deluge of hungry rufianism that rolled
into power with Andrew Jackson is mainly re-
sponsible for this general corupton-but how
TO stem it is the question. Hearken to our
correspondent, and consider what Improvement
may be made on his suggestions
EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS AND REMOVALS
TOas EdtOr Of ThsN Y. Tribune.
SIR: The usage, which has now received the
sanction OF both the great political parties, of
making all offices filled by Executive appoint
ment the rewards of partisan service, is one full
of danger TO the private and public morals of the
nation That which has been tacit practice of
successive Administrations has now for the
first time found distinct official ayOwal, in the
first State paper of the new President. Though
the profits of all kinds of business and the
compensation of labor were never higher than
now, yet the rush of applicants for the great
and little salaries, which the Executive assumes
20 control, was never so pressing as it is at the
Inauguration OF the new Administration. What
was once a doubtful prerogatiye, and after
wards rarely exercised discretion, completely
under the will of the President has become
one of the fundamental laws of party success
sion, that cannot be dispensed with, but at the
expense of character, good faith and popular sup
port. Gen. Pierce is as helpless in the hands
of the crowd Of partisans that dog his steps as
are the employees OF the expired Administra-
ton, that only wait his convenience 70 be be-
headed As the country increases In wealth,
population and territory, the patronage OF the
President, through this assumed irresponsible
control OF all the Executive Offices mas in
creased in proportion, until his power TO coerce
Opinion and control Legislation has become q
dangerous element In the State.
The custom does much 20 embsrrass the
freedom Of discussion and thought, and TO dis
turb and corrupt the decisions of political
questions by popular elections Men that con-
front US in the arena of oral or written discus
sion with sOphistical arguments, prove after
ward TO have been either hirelings Of the Ad-
nnistration in power, or disguised expectants
of the pay Of the Administration that is TO sup
plant il and thus TO be precluded, by their in
terested position, from giving even an honest
opinion of the subjects they pretend 70 argue
The consequence il, that no question gets ar
gued upon its merits, and the whole sci
ence of Politician itself the noblest that
can employ the faculties of man,-degenerates
into better's calculation, as 10 which party can
carry the largest vote Individually, the Gus
tom undermines integrity, suppresses personal
independence, and eIcites feverish interest in
the mere chances Of politics, as debasing as the
passion of the gambler.
But no single person is 20 much the victim of