The weekly American banner. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1855-18??, 1856-05-02

there. And really we mutt confess that S30,-
5000 OF official patronage under the control,
of sordid and unscrupulous politician, who
uses his office to prolong his power, are fearful
odds against the sense and virtue of the pres
ent age.
We have lived in venal times, and have be-
held with disgust, the avarice of power: but
never, until now, have we formed an idea of the
extent and magnitude of that fatal vice. We
now see the whole army of officials quartered
in the citadels of power, soaring the timid, sub
DUNG the feeble, and corrupting the venal, to
continue the ds nasty of common man, whom
nothing but accident placed in the lead. If any
Democrat shall venture to assert sentiments
which initiate against the continuance Of pow
er in the present Executive, means are taken to
revile him, 10 drive him if possible, out of the
party, or to stihe his independence in better
way.
i In an able article published in the January
number Of the Democratic Review here, the
reviewer quoted the sentiments and opinions OF
great statesmanin favor of single Plesiden-
tial term, and which we venture to repeat on
, account of the wisdom which adorns them.
Intrigue and corruption are the natural de-
fects of elective government; but when the
head of the State can be reelected, these evils
rise to great height and compromise the very
/
didate seeks to rise by intrigue, his maneuvers
must necessarily be limited to narrow sphere;
t but when the Chief Magistrate enters thelists
q he borrows the strength of the Government foI
his own selfish purposes. In the former case
: the feeble resources of an individual are in &C
ton; in the latter case, the Stateitself with al
its immense influence is buried in the work o
s corruption and cabal. The private citizen whC
: employs the most immoral practices to acquire
= power, can only act in manner indirectly pre-
y judicial to the public prosperity; but il the rep
. resentative of the Executive descends into tht
ri lists, the cares of government dwindle into sec
e ondary Importance, and the success of his elec
y ton is his first concern. All laws and nego
tiations a.e nothing more to him than election
eerng schemes: places become the reward o
u services rendered. not to the nation, but to it
= !, chief 1t is impossible to consider the ordinar
n course of affairs in the United States withou
: presuming that the desire OF being reelected
le 1.-THE chic: aim of the President; that his Who'll
t. Administration, and even his most indifferer
At measures, tend to this object: and that, as th
u crisis approaches his personal interest takes tn
y place ofhis interest in the public good.e' .
: The reviewer, having endorsed this powerfl
reasoning, applied II to the present times,
= stating that the truth of these observations
es confirmed by the experience of every hou
!. and it must be admitted that the statesma
: and the reviewer painted picture to the vel
life. st
10 Yet the head Or power bore dowi, tlse review "
RI and pitched his doctrines into the canal, W he
o. they stagnsted for season, but rose to IL
n surface, and again appear in the. March nuI
nd Der of the RevieVfge a.
ct Iet Behold the q dIss,e Union. a publ
ur press reared AMI PeA 4Iy the Democrat