The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-08-08


been possible.
HOW THINGS ARE DONE HERE.
Since the ocofocos introduced the spoiIs"
system into the Government, il has been growing
more and more the custom fnr the heads of De-
partments to "reward their friends and punish
their enemies" by bestowing offices and clerk
ships contracts and jobs upon the former, without
reference to the qualification Of the individual Sc
lected for the duties of the place bestowed upon
him. A, b, @, ID, Z, II and G-Tom, Dick, Harry,
Jack, Bob, Jim and Jake, have been active, noisy,
blathering Observation-Disclosures, Of course they
I" went in for the ticket and " the platform"
Four out of the seven edited each little six by
eight papers, through the columns of which they
bepraised their own party and candidates ad nau-
seam, and abused their opponents ad Hbstnm the
| others spent their money and breath freely III
g the cause" and of course all "muet be provided
for" l|ut the question is, not what positions they
can fill usefully to their country and honorably to
| themselves, but what pay each one ought to have;
not what offices they are capable of dischargng
the duties of but what will pay them, quant'1a
merueruat, for the services they have rendered
the party, and for the influence they WELDED each
| in his own neighborhood'
| As this has now become the settled practice OF
the Federal Government, it follows that upon ev-
cry change of an administration, that is, every
four years, there come rushing TO Washington
hordes of hungry patriots to claim the "spoils"
for which they have been fighting during the Pres
| idential campaign; and it is Notifying truth,
that for three or four months scarcely any other
business can be transacted with the new President
or the heads of Departments than that of turning
out those in place to make room for and stop the
clamors of noisy, exacting, ignorant, arrogant, un-
scrupulous partisans. The King of rowdes, the
most notorious of rioters and leaders of mobs ia
that modern Babylon, New York, the plotter and
executor of all political mscality, the stuer and
snasher of ballot boxes, appears prominent in the
crowd of clamorOus claimants and, distinguished
| as he has become-pre- eminent as he has made
himself in political viany and venality, must be
at once attended TO, and his demands satisfied.
He modesty asks the appointment OF maEshal of
the Southern district of New York-an Office here
tofore, considering its greatiportance, conferred
| upon gentlemen of character, intelligence and
| good manners,--and walks home with his commits
sion in his pocket Others are rewarded, some
with clerkships in the Departments here, Of the
duties Of which they are totally ignorant us well
| as incompetent to perform-some with places in
custom houses, where they may have opportunities
| to take brbes as well as to control the votes OF
the masses, and some with foreign missions,
| though unable to speak or understand word OF
| any language save their mother tongue, and even
hat N oh how
utter, or attempt to write single sentences
We know and can point out men in the Depart
ments receiving the highest salaries, who are
wholly incapable OF performing the duties belong
ing to the desks they occupy, and which duties are
palmsd upon others receiving probably not more
than two.t thirds the salary they do. There are
many of these dronee in Office they were zap
pointed as they themselves unbushingy affirm,
not to work. but to get pay for the political ser.
vices they have rendered the party, and some OF
these have even declared that they would be id
if they would work! And yet all this is known
to their superiors aye, and these superors retain
the porkers, only because they cannot be spared,
for without them the public business could not be
carried on.
General WASHINGTON was simple enough to sup.
pose it TO be his duty to select persons for public
stations with reference their ability perform
the duties of the Office to be filed, and of course
to consult the public good in the performance Of
every official act. But Heads Of Departments in
these days, or at least member Of the Presi.
dents cabinet, does not feel himself bound 10 act
with any such view nor does he even blush when
he avows his determination to administer his de-
partment with view TO promote the interests OF
his party This very upright able, liberal-ninded
statesman and public officer can see nothing dis
honest in taking his eight thousand dollars gear
from the public treasury-the treasury of the
whole people of the United States and at the
same time avow his determination to look to the
interests only of one portion of them, while he en-
deavors to injure the other, consisting chiefly OF
the intelligent business and taxpayers Of the
country, who supply that treasury from which he
draws his monthly $G66,66. Such are the politi-
cal morals of those who now hold the reins Of
power, by the help Of money and foreigners, and
who are TO give character TO our country at home
and abroad for the four years to come; and such,
briefly pointed out is the way things are now done
by those in whose hands are, for the time being,
the destpies of "this great model republic" about
which we make 40 many vain and silly boasts
a republic or nation where there is more tyranny
and oppression, and less security for persons and
property shan In almost any monsrchicsl country
In Europel God save the Rtpublic, for the peo-
pie viii not, and He alone can.
/
JUDGE MASON.
We seriously regret the retirement of this able