Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1853-03-24
TnE rIpsr FOR OryicE.-Washing-

"hVu eetu pWee VIC u"ys W s"S Nc'"'
luton. We have been among Them
Ourselves and, having escaped the per.
lis Of 'hc invaded capiial, and come
awny perfectly sound, we are a, Liberty
10 speculate upon tae odd Sights we
have sten. Neither the Goths AT Rome,
the Turks Al Consthniinol le, nor The
allied powers AT Paris, had more com
pleto possession oi the capital than has
The army OF dsnteresicd odice-hunters
At Washington. They crowd Penn
sylvana avenue, tlry swarm around
the National Hotol and Willar.s, they
overrun the Departments, and they keep
close guard around the White Honse. =
They are billeted nIl over town in hotels.
boarding-houscs, bar.rooms, aud bow
ling alleys. They are II sleepless, anx-
ious army, and you met them at The
most unreasonable hours, in The most
unreasonable PAGES, pondering over
their individual chances, and ready 10
wCylay every passing pedestrian with
an order to stand and deliver either
his influence or his opinions. A mans
life is scarcely saic in Washington just
now. AS for his Liberty, that is surren'
dercd the moment he puts foot upon the
pavement Of The avenue.
There is an average Of twenty apPli-
canis for every Office in The govern
menl's gilt, now in Washington. The
twenty are spies upon each other. Each
one pulls II dozen or more wires and
each wire is made to operate gnnvani-
cally upon dozen or more influential
personages. BY the time the President
has observed all the operations he must
be SO completely bewildered that, II he
has any wits left, they must be totally
atal-ss TO discover who is The man for
the particular Office in question. Among
some thousands Of Offices in his git,
there will be such dire confusion that il
would require a thousand clear heads
10 settle man Tor one Lltlcc or
an Office for man. All the time that
the rival candidates are watching one
another, they are As b!ans AS zephyrs
in their intercourse. Such an sxses. OF
amiabllity and courtesy we have never
Witnessed. II extends not merely to
those who have been old associates in
business or sosiety, but it brings high
and low to the one delightful level that
smooths away all differences OF rank
and fortune This patriotic hunt Tor
offices is in fact the most demscrnilc le-
weller that has been discovered since
the Declaration pronounced all men free
and equal the only one indeed that puts
in prac tice ,ha, sublime theory.
In the canvass for the government
gifts you will sec ex- Governors arm-in-
arm with ex.corporals in the Mexican
war ex Generals taking wine with ex-
messengers oia bureau ex-Amha 81
doris sleeping with aspiring exporters
o, Il department. ex-Congressmen en-
br.,cing ex-pos'masters Of western
towns ex-Charg S and ex-clcrks ex-
changing promises Of assistance to one
uuothrr-in n word, general recipro-
city system is adopted, with Certain
degree OF condcscension on all SIDES
Th. princi lie seems be settled that
he former possession OF any office. is
81 a.. A, A hat
Accordingly, old Postmnsters want to
be collectors of customs, old collectors
want to be foreign censuls, and old
Charges want TO be full ministers, though
cont, Mt, il necessary, to pu, up With
their OLD Derths.
The papers ofeach applicant for an
Office are inspected by every applicant
for every other office, and by the Tins
each one signs tor his friends, most
formidable array OF signatures is pres
cu,ed. Each map nauers himself TINT
the President cannot resist such an over
ppwering appeal as he can present
One is fortified by the enforcement o'
the lavorite son OF some great State,
and thinks that such an endorsement
will be irresistible when presented .a the
intellectual head OF the Post Office De-
pnrtment. Another Is Il member OF an
influential church, and can get mp s'o-
ry Of religious persecution, which must
tell upon pious administration. Shl!
another relics upon the joint promises oi
a Law rite son ~ head of Il Depart
ment. aud is little surprised when he
finds that the same 'soI' and toe same
'heaG have given stronger rtcommct-
daiions to sorne wholly unexpected IL
val. The letters of ex-Ptcsidents, cx.
Governors and in-Gsvcsnors. Senators
, and Secretaries, have been so proiuse-
" delivered, that nearly every applicant
can present nearly the same Ist OF sur
portris.
, or course, when all these are over
\ hauled for the final action of Cabinet
\ Council, there are some funny dlsclo
sures, and some odd looks exchanged
between the President aud his consllu-
ionul advisers. In the bewildcrmcnt
resulting from all this, it is not 10 be
wondered at that .smc Of the Cabiaei oi-
n Scers. driven To a lair frenzy. rush TO a