The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-10-07
ROTATION.

whom either the President OF any member OF the
cabinet may happen to harbor grudge, or desire
TO get rid Of. Its flimsy veil, however, and al
together too thin and transparent to hide the mo-
i've from the eye of the victim or the public ~
has been truthfuly said that there may be as much
injustice and tyranny in executing or not execu-
ting law as in anything else. II is, for instance,
tyranny and oppression TO hunt up and arbitra-
rily enforce the severe penalties OF an DID, obso-
lete, forgotten statute; such laws are traps that
tyrants sometimes make use Of the catch any one
they wish TO wreak their vengeance upon, and yet
seem at the same time to be enforcing the laws.
1t is tyranny and oppression also for those
placed in power to enforce in the spirit Of perse-
cution, the law against one, and at the same time
to wink at its breach by another. Whatever is
partial IN the official acts Of any one in power, is
unjust aud injustice is the very gist Of tyranny.
Mankind have keen sense of justice, and from
urinfancy even we rebel against injustice. Boys
have keen perception Of the injustice of parents
and teachers; and il rule is enforced against
one and relaxed for another, the wrong done is
both seen and felt, and not untrequently remem-
bered lifetime. En.
Mr.. Buchanan pretends to adopt the rule of 'ro-
tation in Office, and is enforcing it; or rather
making it a pietcnce for removing some OF the
most valuable officers of the Treasury Department,
but how it happens that this rule removes from
Office certain men who have enjoyed their easy
chairs for comparatively short time, but permits
Office more than half the period allotted as the
life Of man, he can best explain.
We do not wonder that Mr.. Buchanan is in love
with the rotation rule, as it was practised upon
himself by his own consent, and desire for PEE
riod Of forty or fifty years. He rotated first from
private station into the Legislature of Pennsyl
vania he was then rotated into the House of
Representatives several times; he then rotated
from the Federal party TO the jackson party he
next rotated to Russia as foreign minister; then
he rotated again into the Senate of the United
States twice; next he rotated into the Office of
Secretary of State; his next rotation was to Eng
land, as Minister; and finally from that office he
rotated into the Presidential chair upon the plank
of sgatatter Sovereignty. After all this rotation,
always upwards, it would be strange indeed, If
Mr.. Buchanan had not become exceedingly attached
to the I" rotation ralle." But we are strongly in
clined to believe that he would not have been
quite so fond of rotation had his rotations been
downward instead of upward, and out of Office in
stead OF into Office. These little things often
times make very great difference in ones likes
and dislikes. ..- ...s..s .1r#.f .a..r .s& y.
If Mr.. Buchanan were to enforce the rule he
pretends 10 have adopted with rigid impartiality,
no individual to whom it might be applied would
have had reason to complain Of injustice, however
injurious to the public interests he might consider
its adoption; but when it is emily used to get rid
of certain marked individuals, the latter have rea-
son to brand the use of it as tyrannical and OPP
pressive. 1t is observed that in no case has the
rule been applied to men connected with the
press that is a "power" which Mr.. Buchanan
stands in awe of hence we see that though Gen.
Peaslee, late collector Of the port of Boston, has
had to march out under the operation of that rule
Col. Green, naval officer of the same port, and
editor and proprietor of the Boston Post, is un-
scathed by it, though one of "the solid men OF
Boston, while Gen. z. is comparatively poor
man. . .... -.-. .-a H-,
We had thought to say something on the sub
ject Of the practice Of this demoralizing rule Of
" rotation in office" but find our own ideas so for.
chilly expressed by Democratic contemporary,
that we adopt its language to express our own
views: a". d. H.. .r..s taa- ... Haf. T..
"No doubt one may find individuals who contend
that this sentiment is consistent with good morals
and sound policy, as there are individuals with |
whom principle and country are nothing In com |
patison with the delights OF comfortable Office
But the bulk of the people are honest, and indie
pendent OF Governors or President, and, in their
incorrupt judgment there is not a more vicious |
principle than is involved in the Inonstrous as |
sertion that the trusts of Government and the re-
sponsiblites Of oyer are to become the spoil of |
fortunate and To ebbrt Of raveaous adventurers |
Suppose this policy Of rotation in Office TO |
prevail TO the extent against which we protest : |
and when once adopted, we cannot assign a limit |
to its operation In the first place, all distinction
of principle will be ignored and forgotten; the |
contests for power will have no reference TO the |
public good, but will be reduced to a personal |
scramble for Office and money, and the Govern |
ment win be administered by those in possession |
with the single aim of accommodating competency |
before the memorable wheel plunges them to the |
bottom Of the abyss.
"Thus corruption will eat into the yitals of our
system but the disease will not be confined TO the
class of politicians II will spread with the yiru |
lence Of contagion, until the whole nation becomes |
as spoLVcu iepcr rlrst, polltcal integrity will
be poisoned at the fountain Of political opinion and
power; and then the private virtues of tile conn. |
try will ticken, droop, and disappear under the
blight Of m all-pervadibg plague. If any one Is |
70 wanting in sagacity that he cannot foresee the
ruin that viii then come upon the country. let /
him consult the instructive page Of Roman his.
tory. He will there read the story Of corrupt am
bdon and of Unsuitable rapacity, followed out In
progressive development through the decay Of all
the public virtues, and the disappearance of per.
sonal truth aud honor, to the loss Of the liberties
Of the Republic and of the final catastrophe Of
chaos and night. Neither in the aRnals OF Tacitus
nor in the indignant invective ofJuvenal is there
any picture OF moral depravity and national de-
cline comparable to that which we arc TO realize
in our own experience, when once principle Is alb
ured and parties contend only for the prize Of
place ana patronage. The passion for Office viii
penetrate 70 the lowest and rcmotest class Of So
ciety; the public treasury will become the prev
Of the audacious adventurer who will rally tarty
by the promise of the spoils; the nation win be
divided into the personal retaners of ambitious in
tividaas, and ultimately some successful asprant
will fasten the yoke upon the neck of servie and
degraded populace. aa HG7
The integrity Of the people II the foundation
II republic When that falls, the edifce must
a., floe d..