The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-04-13
whipping our Delegation I'm Congress
over the Rack of the presideut.

Whipping our Delegation I'm Congress
over the Back OF the President.
FOR some days pr ST, the neutral journal at Bur
lington has bee condemning the President, for
the Observance of a rule, in making Executive
appointments, VIII CHI was ad pted by Gen Jack
son, and has been faithfully carried out by MIR.
Van Buren, and President Polk The rule is, to
receive The recommendations of the sevt raj state
delegations in Congress, and allow them to gov
ern the appointments in their respective states.
This policy, the Telegraph has denounced for
some days, which is now being echoed by its
faithful ally, the mongrelin this City. We can
discover no valid objections to the policy. In
deed it seems to be the only safe and pract
bic course for the President to pursue.
bors Of the Executive department have
so complicated and arduous Of late yeaf9
it is absolutely impossible for the Pre- 70
examine infinitely the credentials, lefl6n nd pc:
iions of the thousands aud tens Of thousands
of officers to be appointed There must be some
power to divide this duty with, and Gen. Jack
son very wisely selected the officers of the stat
directly connected with the Legislative depart
ment of the government, as that power. Presi
dent Van Buren, and Polk followed in his foot
steps and President Pierce is now following in
theirs. The power may at times, be innucently
or wiliiuly abused but it is no more apt to be
when exercised by the delegation, than when
exercised by the President.
To assume that the rule is bad one, is to as.
sail the integrity of those who represent Tho
state in Congress and to favor the exercise o
this power, by such as know less of the wants
of the people, than those taken from their midst
But it is said that Members of Congress disre'
gard the petitions of the people and appoin
their particular favorltes. This charge, involve
doubt of their integrity, total want of goot
sense on their part and contradiction of man
nature Self interest is perhaps the stronges
passion, which tends to control mans actions
No man is so much an enemy of his own inter
est--and especially that man who is dependen
upon popular favor for his support,-as to pur
sue course, which would irretrievably dam
him. Members of Congress have no motive t
abuse the public confidence, but every induce
ment to consult it; and that man, who woul
} recommend his fayorite, simply upon the ground
of personal iavofitism, without regard to III
popular wish, is not only knave, but ma
man. Members of Congress, like all other mer
5 may at times be deceived, but they certainly ar
, no; as apt to be imposed upon, as those remov
ed from the pressure Of popular judgment.
they exercise this power with an eye single t
the public interest, their reward is the generou
approval If their constituency If otherwise
their punishment is the visitation of popular in
dignation. AS rational men then, they have bu
one course to pursue and this course IN nine
teen cases out of twenty, they do pursue.
The rule is good one and we trust il may b
continued, the neutral journals TO the contrar
Notwithstanding.