The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-13

case; the late Post office rob1erles; The revolt aud
desperate assault on the captain on board the sop
Defiance; important decision on the Mechanics
Lien Lew Ia ,hs Court o! Common Pleas; Interesting
opinion and decision relative TO the City Faxes, &c.
The Great Spells Principle Tr umphant 10
Congress The Spots! The sPolis:
ITO the vctors belong the spoils.' 1t i
now little over twenty years ago that tins
great dcmoralizing doctrine was first enunoiat-
ed Nv Gov. Marcy in the United States Senate.
The common practice in balbarous warfare, OF
turning over a conquered city to pillage aid de
bauchery, was thus boldly proclaimed as the
proper reward to the successful party in our
| political elections. 1t was shocking COMES
| sion of unblusbing corruption; II was de-
| nounced as such ell over the country and the
| contempt and disgust of Mr.. Calhoun concern
ing 5" the cohesive power OF the public pan
| der was but the expression of public opinion
upon this abomnalle maxim Of the spoils.
Nevertheless from the day that il was first
enunciated on the floor Of the Senate down to
this hour the spoils and the spol:m have
held the balance Of power in Congress aad IN
the Cabinet in the ratio Of the amount Of plan
der in the Treasury.
The spells the spoils. What a splendid
illustration Of the fall development Of this
spoil- doctrine we Lad in the administration Of
Van Buren, The public expenditures, from
thirteen millions year under John Quincy
Adams, were swelled up to forty millions live
millions were appropriated by the spoilsmen,
in princely defalcatious thirty millions from the
Treasury were squaudered among the States
the State banks were, inflated to explosion-the
whole land was deluged with shinplastcrs- the
country was corrupted with swindling specula-
tions and the universal Generalization, distress
and bankruptcy which followed found fitting
solution in a general bankrupt law.
The great spoils principle was thus carried
out the experiment was complete--the rcac-
ton was tremendous; but the temptation for
another carnival Of the spells has been graiu
ally reyiying, until now it is distinctly fore
shodowcd in such magnificent proportions as
totally TO eclipse the paltry revulsion of 1887.
The spols the spells Tyler could d.
with the Mexican war but under the
Cabinet policy of Gen. Taylor the great
maxim Of Marcy was again developed in Gal
phin swindles AID Gardner claims, and jobbing
chcmes Of general and special legislation
These cases, however. were sporadic and acct.
dental rather than the result OF the old cpl
demic in the atmosphere. 1t was reserved for
he present Congress and the present admins
tration to restore the pestilence in all its most
CHASTITY shapes and forms. Now, the contagion
hangs over the political horizon Of Washington
like a thick cloud; and like the fearful hand
writing upon the wall, We may see shining
through the sickening vapor, the call to the
vultures. Of :" The spoils the spells !" The
warcry Of Marcy rings out again that " to The
victors belong the spoils and the spolsm n
arc gathering in; and Congress and the Cabl-
net are leagued with the outside coalition. In
the year 1862 we had great triumph Of prin-
ciples; in the year 1858 we have the spols the
spoils Come one. come ALTO the victors
belong the spoils."
We have already given an estimate of the
gross value OF the spoils at the disposal of Con-
gress, in public lands, railroads, patents
french CHAINS steamships anu contracts OF
various kinds, amounting to the splendid ag-
gregate Of five hundred millions Of dollars oil
Of which will come before this Congress 70
adjustment and distribution. With such sup
plies at its command. ii is simply impossible
that the administration can fail in carrying ont
all its projects and all its nominations, espe-
cillly with such a Congress, and such medley
ofspoils seeking cliques and parties as are now
assembled at Washington. The Cabinet is a
unlt-Congrcss is unit, and the lobby OF the
sIoil'nen is a uuit for tnc spciis The c,ec-
ton O Forncy, with bis moral and polite u