Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-08-03
For The Enquirer.
TIE "AMERICAN' PLATEORM-[NO. 81

For the Enquirer.
THE AMERICAN" PLATFORM-[NO 81
Messrs. Editors THE seventh article of the creed
OF this Immediately purc nfallibly wise and dsin-
teresiedly patriotic BODY, tho Philadelphia ConSen'
tioii, reads thus:
the leaders of party have hitherto forced upon our
rulers and our political creeds.
"lmplacable enmity against the prevalent demoral-
izing system Of rewards for political subseryency
and ot punshncnis for political independence.
disgust for the wild hunt after office which char
actrrzes the nge.
"Thcse on the one hand On the other
"Imtation of ;he practice Of the purcr days Of the
Republic, and admiration Of the maxim that 'nfice
should seek the man end not man the office and of
the rule that the Just mode Of ascertaining the hit
for office ia the c8pability, the athfulness, aud
the honesty Of the incumbent or candidate
OF all the miserable humbuggery which has dis
graced the annals of political partylsm in this couD-
try, this is the greatest and fmsest and comes with
lad grace from party, composed ms this party Is,
Of ederasts, uboli:innsts wings, religious bignts,
and the refuse of ihe Democratic party, who have
tried almost every sort of means to thrust themselves
into power. What ruler is it that has been forced
upon us by corruption! Was 10 it Jefferson =! Was
il Madison Was il Monroe! Was il Jackson =
Wasit Van Burenl Wasit Polk Or was it Pierce
And what were tho corrupt means by which they
were forced upon the country These are the men
TINT the Democracy forced upon the couutry-men
who were as pure and as incorruptible rs men could
be when elected and elected because tue peope ap-
proved them. WhS did this American party force
upon the country hen. by deusion, deception and
humbuggery, thetk6rrled the four presidential olec-
ons out Of the fifteen which have taken place since
the expiration Of Gen. Wnshnstons administrator
When fcIeraists, they elected John Adams. When
national republicans, John Q. Adams. When Wings
William Henry Harrison and Gen. Zach. Taylor nei-
her OF whom though honest, had the requisite qunl
fca;ion for this high and important office. with the ex.
ceptlon OF the first Adams. The means employed
by the Democratic party to cleo. their candidates,
were exactly the same employed by the other, and
in those means see no corruption. That, now and
then, bribery and corruption may have been en-
ployed tn procure the election Of particular indyid
uals to office, is very prObabe but these cases have
been very rarc--no, often ne might have been cx-
pcccd, considering that men, generally, arc ral md
dcprnved. If these Sulons ani Catos would devise
some means to purify the electors, they Will very
soon accomplish the purlncatnn OF The rulers II is
easy to talk OF corruption, bur, somewhat difficult 10
prove that any OF our ruIers" obtained office by
corruption. THIS is q very grave charge upon the
integrity of our rulers. and the intelligence aud ylr
tue ot our peop.call intended in great charity tor
the Democratic party-that Mordecal that sits Mt the
cute Of the government, through which this Aneri
party ardently desires To enter into power. In
the aggregate, repe this imputa;on upon the vir.
tue, the Intelligence md the patriotism of both the
Democratic and the late, now defunct Wing party
The great body OF either party was honest and pl-
triotic aud the system OF nominating candidates to
concentrate the suiirages of tho electors upon cand-
dates maintaining particular opinions, was not only
fair, hut very wise and salutary, and has worked
well. This party, although uterng loud complaints,
are pursuing the same system, with the exception
that they act in secret concaves, and bind their
bera by pledges, oaths and signs, which the Demo-
cratic party abhors-a sys.em traught with infinitely
more liability To corruption than open nominating con-
ventions appointed by the people at open primary
meetings, and into which corruption will inevitably
| enter.
Til. party nrrogating to itself immncuucy and in
fallbty, proclaim "implacabe hostility against the
prevalent demoralizng system Of rewards for polti-
cal ,vbscrrjency, nnd OF punshments for political IN
drpcndenec and they illustrate the sincerity of this
proclamation, by the most relentless prescription
from Office of every man who is not OF the Order or
q sympalbizer with it. Wherever they have been
successful in clutching power they have turned out
every whose opinions were opposed 10 their sys-
tenn Appointment to office as reward for mere par
tisan service without regard TO other qualifications,
and removal from office for mere independence OF po-
litica opinion, is admit, al! wrong and should, as
ar as the evil exists he reneded but that this RENE
DIV should be placed in the hands of u party whose
very system is most relentessy and universally pro-
scrptve, not only for political, but religious opinion,
! would he hopeless indeed.
But this virtuous, enlightened and patriotic party,
like the fox which was dsgusted with the grapes he
could not reach, after having in other purity names
made every possible effort TO get into Office, have
been seized with "disgust for the mih hunt after
GTce uhich ehurdekcrizcs the age What pure and
what dsinterested patriots! after organizing nm as
association for the express purpose OF Selling upon
the Federal and State go. ernlnens, and uindag It's
members together by osth piled upon oath, aud niter
the mos; untring aud persetering efforts 70 get Of
ce this body issues this hollow, hypocritcn procIa
nation. No hunt for office was ever wilder than
theirs, and no means employed ever moro arful
and more unscrupulous. Look at the men composing
the convention aud see how many of them were wild
uice hunters and who, through the fundamentally
of this organization, hope to get into office.
This party is also, suddenly seized with holy and
pous reverence for the pucr days OF the Republic,
and the maxim, that "ofice should seek the mnn aud
not the man the ohice." All this is very well and
right prettily said, aui, If practicable in execution
would never have been uttered by this Convention
for it would have exagushed the aspirations of ts
every member. To aspire TO office and to seek 1t by
fair, open and proper means, Is praseworthy; ana
The result of our system proves this. That many
seek and obtain office by unworthy means cannot De
doubted; but this would be 40 under any system
for the evil lies not in the system, but in the people
Let the people be sound and, my life upon it, the re-
preventative will be sound II tho source "t power
be pure, the stream will be pure; and II II be impure,
the stream will be corrupt. That the true qualca
ton for Office should be capacity integrity and tide
IT, no one doubts; and it is to be rcgrotted that any
other should ever be appointed to ofhce. let' I'D
government like ours, il often does and VIII happen
that bad men, aud men without qualIhcali0n VIII get
into office; and no prec1utoh, however rlSid, can
prevent il. In all these requisites the Democratic
oice.hoders will compare most tavoraby with Fcde-
rnsm in any of lis guses. very much admire the
purity of the early days OF the Republic, and should
be happy to see il increase rather than deprecate, II
deprcciate it hns, which | very much doubt. Then,
as now the Republic was beset by restless ambition,
plots and counierplots conspracies, and oil sorts Of
ISM, and hum6ugs. We see moro of these workings
now than them because the people have greatly null
tpied and offices greatly Increased. Adopt any sys-
tenn and there will be rush for office, unless men
can be transformed into angels. JEFFEhSoN.