Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-05-28
COMMUNICATION.
ron THE NATIONAL IsrrLIIoEscKR.


SIM Is generally correct in his statement of facts and
when in advance of what is publicly known he opines
rs 10 the views Of the President and his Cabinet he
to speak z cakedra This gives than ordinary i'm
porance to the letters of Ion and especially to the of
the 18th instant, in which he says:
The decision of the Secretary of the Interior the
subject of the distribution OK subordinate offices IN this
city will ne doubt be adopted by the Government and
become the practice of all the Executive Departments IN
der this rule demanded by members of Congress, the
clerkshps are be distributed among the States in the
proportion of their Federal representation
All officers are in fact at the disposition Of members
Of and they retain the control of them
so well by general scramble as by fair distribution.
They have insisted upon the establishment OF the rule
that the cershps shall be distributed among the States
in proportion their federal n0mbers Thus they say
the eight hundred clekhips q the Executive offices VIII
allow three or four clerks for each Congressional district
Congress wishes have heS three four appointments
as sort of electioneeriag capital Each member can
promise these Offices 70 their more active political
friends.
SAL efforts to obtain new appointments for the District
of Columbia have bees met by the objection that there
hundred and twenty District clerks already and
it is further stated applicants that the number OF DIS
re appon must be reduced In order TO meet the
terms OF the new rule of equalization The District Of
Columbia, with number OF inhabitants less than the
representative ratio will not be entitled under this strn
gent rule TO than one or two clerks out OF the whole
number Of eight hundred
-s-av-~ = LrAs that this rule viii not be insisted
upon as TO this District pru-pvv>Saly 1t would be
unjust to apply the rule to this District though it would
be very proper in regard the States The peofs of
this District and particularly of Washington were brought
here Byheir connexioR with the Federal Government
and bav been excluded from such privileges Of citizen
ship belong inhabitants of the States for the
purpose Of enabling the Government to exercise her
elusive jurisdiction. The inhabitants of Washington,
therefore give up vital privileges for the benefit OF the
Government, andre entitled for that reason, to receive
from the Government extraordinary share OF omcia
employment in this city"
With all due Difference to the intelligence and devotion
of the Secretary Of the Interior to the public interest
which We readily concede him, but think that
that theory of reform which be purposes to introduce into
the Executive departments of the Government great
error faught with alarming evils and will in practice
work more fatally for the interests of Government than
any scheme of the mutudes that the spirit of reform
has at different times engendered 1t fails by every test
Of sound reasoning and safe experience; and in
more than by that sae sound and sagacous rule that
governs men in their private business
To equalze the distribution Of clerkshps in proportion
federal numbers would necessarily exclude from office
very large proportion of the most experienced, well
trained faithful and efficient clerks in the public service
and their places would be supplied by recruits from
the various Congressional districts of the Union. Il
1t could be otherwise than unfortunate for the pub
lie interest to have many inexperienced and unframed
men, though selected with the best care, introduced ST.
mutaneousy into Office. Unprepared they would neces
sary require deal of tuition qualify them for
their duties and this would devolve unavoidably upon
the few experienced old clerks who might be spared by
the operation of the rule.
When the public business is measured out to the full
extent Of the ability of corps competent clerks what
time have they divert any portion aside from their own
required duties to play sehoolmasters to the initiates
Pc Il nhorad hat this schoonu a
week. or month"; or year. but it extends to the period
Of qualification and that regulated by the aptitude and
industry Of those under tuition Who in the meantime
is the work that belongs to the desks Of the teach
They do the full measure Of their task and
carry on the labor Of teaching at the same time
II follows them that upon the score Of economy the
theory is false And upon the of safety IT is not
less e1ceptonable. The of inexperienced
and total lack Of qualifications being brought into requ-
ston upon every branch of business from the
plex and important TO the most simple and ordinary,
would render their work for long time unsafe, unrei
able and subverye Of every sound principle for the due
observance of correct and prompt dispatch of public
business There could be assurance of the faithful
execution Of the laws there could be reliance upon
the accuracy Of clerical statements and the public ea
sury would be without that safe protection which is ex.
peced Of wise legislation and faithful administration.
this REFORM is termed it could be otherwise than
bad very bad But when all these Offices are at the dlpo
aior ofmenbrs Of Congress- and each member promise
these offices their detiVe political friends what
perversion Of great and sacred principle of Gov
eminent is proclaimed What o stupendous engine Of
subornation and moral corruption does it countenance
1t is declare that these Offices not created in
ference the necessary and faithful administration Of the
Government, but made TO subserve political cleo
toseerng ends in the hands of members Of Congress and
for their especial benefit.
II this great outrage to be perpetrated because they
1.-THE members Of Congress have insisted upon the estab
shmsnt Of the rule that the clerksbips shall be dstri
buted among the States in proportion to their federal
number" why not let them make il imperative by an act
Of Congress- that it may have the sanction of law and
carry with il the tremendous responsibility for such
Government give this dangerous boon to satisfy the ca
and scramble Of the members Of Congress? 1t is
offered apparennyto propitiae the importunnte knock
ings at the doors Of the Departments
There is in the declaration Of the exponent Of this prn
cple much that j. shocking the moral sense and
the purity and safety Of Government that we can but
hope it will be abandoned by those who conceived the
scheme but who could surely never have traced its con-
sequences to the baleful and inevitable results
NOTE BY THE EDITORS
IN oyivino nlaca IN the above from a uouroa