Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-07-03

TO One Who subscribes Himself ga
jackson Democrat"
STR Your csd{in.the last vindicator,. ad.
dressed 70 me. has. been carefully read, and am
Satisfied, after cSlm deliberltion, that should
MOI let Il 60 unanswered. There may be 9th
els who, like yourself: do not understand the
principles which Have governed me with regard
/ TO appointments TO Office and to whom irallk
and fearless Explanation might perchance,
| prove Satisfactory"
Whether am responsible directly to the pub.
lie for the mode in which have Discharged tho
duties Of offices conferred BY t-e Executive NAV
be aqueslon, but Il shall not raise it. The
manner, too, OF your card, Is FIR from tnobec.
tionabls; it smacks SO much of conformation
as TO create an impression tina, j, could no, be
| SO answered as 10 meet your approval The
right 10 inquire into the conduct OIL. public f,lnc
tionares, ii should be borne in mind, carries
with It no absolution from the rules OF courtesy.
You say, however, that You "suppor,ed me in
my elevation 10 the Legislature" seize read.
ny upon this evidence Of your pas. friendly
dispositions, and find in it reason why should
1iew with forhearance III. style You have adop.
ted.
| AsT shall find nvdificnl,y in responding to,
what may term, the objections which YOU ofIr,
TO my course, thu undertaking is no, likely to
engendef any excitement. vet yon compel
me, in order the better 10 tApose the nature Of
yorr obecilcno, to yefef--howcver dis,asiel,,i
she egolism may be-~sc 80 mtck OF IN, conduct
as has no, faslen nntser JON eenssre. You do
not complain. then, because have awayef WI
der all circumstances, been zexocs. il Not ri,
abe champion Of tie p,iinsipaes Of our .ssnraon
party. Ton do not complains, because have
never suffered canvass 10 pass. since my resi-
dence in the county, in which the policy of the
Democratic party has been involved, in which
have not labored TO Indicate that policy before
! the people Of Augusta. You DO hci complain,
because in these efforts have spared neither
time, trouble, nor expense. You do not COM
plain ina. have ever failed to support the nom.
office. You do not complain Of all this nor
can II be denied that such have been my seryi-
ces. ''for these things have not been done in
corner" 1t would appear then thai my fitle-
~ to Che principles and polieyof my party " hen
tried by ,hece: the only genuine tests, is unques.
iionable
will now tara ;c CONSIDER lie ssansAsgy
which you have erected for my trial. You DE-
sire to know how it is that have baen "induc.
ed to.vote for Wigs for every civil office over
which | have any control with one o, two es.
cep,ions 2" i will rever, to this question again
for the purpose OF correcting The erroneous i'm.
pressions which il is calculated to create 5,i
in The outset most empha,ically deny The
right OF any one, to make my Conduct with re-
ference TO any OF every picaynne ciyi! office,
The test Of my Democracy. am at a loss to
know whence such test is derived. seek in
vain in the platforms Of my party for an enun-
citation Of the doctrine that it is undelnocratic
in Democrat TO support, under any ci.cnm.
stances, for any civil Office, however insignih
cant. man who differs with him in political
opinion. look 10 the speeches and acts Of the
greatest ard best men of nv party, and cano,
find support for il in Them ] therefore repndi-
ate this proposed test as unsusaned by reason,
and unsanciioned by authority. Where is 10 be
the limit, under such n system, to nay partizin
feelings Shall |, Notwithstanding the great
ness AMI power of my party, refuse, like Ila-
man OF Old, TO be comtorled 80 long as some
poor Mordecai continues sitting in the kings
gate? Shall refuse to associate with any but
! bemocFa.s! Shall | be at liberty TO deal with
| none bat Democrats The answer is, that pol
tics should have no concern with a nnaHs social
OF business relations. Mus, decline then.
| Under all circumstances, To salppG.t s, iaan IL.
civil Office, who chances to be opraseds TO- roe ia
politics The question involves. :ss oMn a,l-
swer. ytlie office be not po'edra, one 5 ac,isu
need NOT be political. and caalnot, whatever that
action Is, be segaitnate test of his fide-
Wy 10 The principles and policy Of his party
The doctrine of xilimaed proscrip.ipn-,he
making man'a political opinions test If hi.
htness Tor Offices which have no concern with
the policy Of :he soyetnmen,--I have always
believed TO be radieally wrong. That this has
been my optaloa sinee my first entrance into po-
htical HE, those III attest, who lave Known
me longest and kpswm me best. The reasons
apon which this opinion Is based are these:
believe that the chief iaterest which the
people bare in these Offices is that they shall be
well fIsd-.ha, is, by men who are homes. and
capable.
By Keeping these Offices ont 81 the arena Of
politics. there will be afforded to- each man a
be'telopPorlunity for impartial SELECTION By
introducing them into that arena, they will
loo often be filed by men VIII ,se PARTY
zsal will be their only Distinguishing char.
aceris,ic. 8
BY making mans continuance in office 10
depend upon the ascendancy Of his party, rather
than upon The zeal and fidelity, with which he
has discharged his duties, is to take from him
u powerful incentive TO correct conduct, and
will lead many man, while the oppor,,i-
NIFTY is his, to feather his own neal. rather
than keep an honest eye 10 the phblc in.
terests f1 .l - -
ny tne viclssitouea OF party warfare, under
such a. system, the people would often lose
the experience Of good servant, without gain
ing any compensa,ing advantage
The effect Of such policy would be TO E,l the
ranks of the dominant party " iit time. serv,ca
ofHce.seekers, who would Join its standard
from lust Of place. rather than love Of prin-
ciple. ts.s a5ffs hg
Its operation wouldtend to corrupt no, only
politicians, but even the people themselves, ma
ny OF " om would be induced-as is often
seen 10 be the case in the distribution Of federal
paironage-to abandon honest and industrious
callings, in the hope Of baitsning, on the public
treasury. 81 ni7n'f.n 81 ~ "a
Lastly, when we Of the South may be called
upon, we know not how soon, to bury the re-
collection Of past differences, and stand shoulder
to shoulder ia defence Of our sovereignty an,
our institutions; at this day, when the Wing
party Of the South are trembling on the brink
Of d dissolution from their associates of the
North, and are left by the supremacy Of Demo.
cratic policy with bu! few points OF difference
between them and US, deem il uuwise to Take
any step, unnecessarily, which might render
their union with US more difficult. SHOULD a day
OF trial come. Hence j. is that have derteca,
ted the Introduction By either pdrty 7of fesleral
politics into elecfioGs with which federal politics
have nothing to do lam aware that ittkis