The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-03-08
For the EransYille Journal.
RocKpoRT,..INDIANA, March 5, 185


Dear Sir:-With much diffidence under
take the performance Of what justice to myself
prompts; the more SO, as feel that mans
political sentiments, being his own private
concerns an exposition of them must prove
uninteresting to the majority of the readers of
q public jgrrnal. But when an individual sees
fit to change his political attire, respect for the
opinions Of those BY whose side he has labored,
fotrnssttre apofogy for stating openly the eau
SEES which impel him to the change.
Those who were trained up under the nur-
ture and admonition Of the old JefferSonian
school of democracy; whose political edHca-
ton has been characterized, by those high-to-
ned elements thatwere the glory -four fathers,
the present CONDITION of the democratic party
mdst present stspectacle melancholy and re-
+volting. For the past twelve years have
watched the tendency ef our+toliticai current
+and have seen the pure principles of old de-
mocracy give place to corruption ard degener-
ating innovation. In early days, the preserva-
| tten~of strictly utilitarian government, and
IT'S Fir administration for the good Of The mass
es, Were the objects of our, national AID COM
monwealth legislation, ahGa prescription from
office for mere opinions sake, was a thing I'M
heardaof.
With Mr.. Jefferson, official and personal
misconduct, negligence, ino$racity and inhe
rent vice in the appointment and partizan cleo
tioneering, beyond the fair exercise of the cleo
tive franchise, and whers the heads of some
branches of the service were particularly oppo-
sed to his administration, constituted the law
of removals; and in his correspondence with
Mr.. Monroe Gov. Giles, Eldrige Gerry and
Mr. Lincoln, his Attorney General, he speaks
of the great caution and discrimination that
should be used in making such removals.
To Mr.. Monroe, he said in letter: "Some
removals l know must be made. They must
be few as possible, and bottomed on some mall
versation, or inherent disqualification" To
Mr.. Jerry he said: THE instances ought to
beffew; and governed by strict rule, and not by
party passion" And afterwards, so closely
did president Jackson follow the rule laid
downiby Mr.. Jefferson, that after all his reno
walls there still remained majority IN Office
politically opposed to hirn-esen in the Exec
utive Department at Washington city.
Come now down to the present administra-
ton. What are its characteristics? Follow
it's minions over the country and observe the
) rule which governs their operations, and ap-
1peal to the honest convictions of any inYesti-
eating mind, to say whether principles have
fnot been sacrificed to partizan spirit-whether
individual Interests have net been made para
mount toAthe 'pjHbhJ" wedl. Can any one point
out in the whole country from Maine to Geor-
gia, one dozen officials of executive appoint
ment who entertairRa opinions adversely to the
present administration. Even the most insig-
nficaat stations have been visited with this Ill
ira prescription, and utter disqualification sub
:, Istituted fer persons Of tried and known capac-
lily and integrity. merely for opinions sake
| have alluded more particularly to this sub
: ject from having had my attention called to it
so frequently during the present administra-
ton, and on account of two glaring' instances:
one in Memphis, Tennessee, and one in Fv-
ansville, Indi&na; (your pension agent) in both
of which INwas-wen acquainted with both the
old and new ineah1sshts.
Ag&in--thepart in power is for the time
being, the trustee of onr national honor and
political integrity. National honor and politi-
cal integrity!!! Where are they now? Yes,
we have a nationgl honor-it was vindicated
at Graytown. But political integrity has
become as paradoxical as an honest theft
The democratic party claims homage; but
is child who has violated with impunity every
rule of good faith and honor, entitled to re-
spect on account of the peerage of its ances-
ktor? Another cause of complaint Ehave against
1.-THE democratic party is, that it acts in deadly
hostility towards those legislative enactments
which exert in a slight degree restraining in
fluence over those appetites of men which de-
stroy their reason, and worse than brutalize
them; and-then boasts that it secures to indi-
viduals the dear privilege of damning their
own souls and running their families.
And still another and last objection 1 shall
mention is, that it seems to be fixed policy
ITO select from its ranks the most incompetent
EindividCels. fill the most important Offices
and so firmly is this fact fixed by precedents
that the most illiterate clown now sets up his
claims for some high representative position
with pretty fair assurance that his claimswill
be- entertained, and he probably receive the
nomination, which in many portions of this
State isepuivalenf to anvefeotion.
II thpvefare sabis,re, all connection with tI,e