Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-10-14


Guthrie's Letter.
We have frequently had occasion, in looking at
the transactions of the Administrations OF the
country, TO observe acts of the various officials
which were calculated to mortify the proper feel
ines oF an American citizen, and to inspire him
with dis,rust of the purity of the high officials OF
the government, and to show to him that high po-
si,on does not always carry disinteresed and ele-
waited patriotism, but we hesitate not to declare
tina, we have never yet met anything proceeding
from even a minimum government appointee' so
netty so disgusting, and so well calculated Lto Of
feud the sense OF propriety of every American cit
zen. and to convince them of the littleness and
degrading tendency of the miserable spirit of par
ty. which is now so rife in our land. One would
have thought that, however much such conduct
might disgrace human nature in the village appoin-
tees who from the mere fact that they had receiv-
ell their appointments from the Executive, mign
suppose themselves 'addiet jurdns in Usr6a Hagis-
tri,' and therefore would be governed by princi-
ples such as those manifested in this letter, yet
that in high government appoimtee, at the head
of the great Treasury Department of the Union,
such principles could hardly have been entertain
ed far less expressed. The letter of the Secreta-
~ of the Treasury is a sad commentary upon the
present, as compared with the better days OF the
Republic, and but shows that littleneSS and ABB
sence of elevated and disinteTested patriotism in
high officials, the want of which is SO sincereyt to
be lamented by all true patriots. The good old
test ais he honestiis he capable, is no longer or
thodox, and in its stead comes the late Treasury
Circular OF Mr. Secretary Guthrie. Speaking of the
fact that Judge Bronson's appointments had been
chiefly from the Democratic, rather than the Free
Soil wing of the party, and stating that the Presi-
dent and Cabinet, with entire unanimity, recog-
Mise that portion of the party:as Democrats" &c.
(relerring to the Free Soil wing,) tie Secretary
says, "Allow me to express the expectation that
you will so recognize them, in the only tcay that
will carry conviction with it;' thereby meaning
that the President and Cabinet recognise as DEM
ocrats entitled to Judge Bronson's appointmentin
his Department as Collector, the 'bulies and con-
uiets' of whom Judge Bronson so boldly speaks in
terms of denunciation in his late letter. Truly,
the wheels of government must roll lightly, to al
low these iliustrous Secretaries, and the PIeSi-
dent time sufficient to determine the important
question that ''bulles and cUnyicts' of New York
are Democrats, and entitled TO Office. What an
occupation for the President and Cabinet! What
would have been thought of so august conSulta-
ton in Washington's time Well, thus it is, and
we have every day more occasion to learn that de-
magogues in high stations demagogues still;
that "pigmies perched on Alps, are pgmies still,'
and that Mr.. Guthrie is larger now in feeling, in
patriotism and in elevated craftsmanship, than he
was before he left his native State.
We presume the next Treasury Circular will
contain the questions to be addressed by Judge
Bronson to the clerks, &C., under him, and may be
as follows Are you a Freesoiler7 Were you
Buffalo platform man in 1s4Sl Are you oppos
ed to the Fugitive Slave Law? Did you &C
quiesce in the Baltimore platform for spoils
sake? Were you member of the Syracuse Soft
Convention? Are you convict, or bully, or
both7 And lastly, Do you desire "to be receg-
nized in the only way that will carry conviction
with it," Under the spirit of the instructions of
the late circular, Affirmative answers will entitle
the applicant to office, and he will have to be
sworn in by Judge Bronson, the unwilling Minis
ter Mr.. Secretary Guthrie standing sponsor for his
orthodox Democracy. We never had much faith
in Sing Sing, as a reforming medium, but Mr. Guth-
Tie thinks its graduates superior in attanmentsand
character to the regular Democracy of New York
who have fought always side by side, and honestly
advocated their principles while the convicts were
earning ;ademic laurels in the classic shades of
Sing Sing, and the bullies being made perfect
by practice at the Five Points. We can hardly be-
leve that the President and Cabinet maintain the
position ascribed them by Mr.. Guthrie, and we are
glad to see that no Democratic paper has Gas far
as we have obseryed raised its voice in the defence
of this humiIiating and disgraceful circular.
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