Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-07-14

ficers," passed in the final hours of the first session of the Sixteenth Congress, and which he thought must have received the "mid- night signature" of President Monroe:
 "Ths is a sample of the effects we may ex. pect from the late mischievous law vacating every four years nearly all the executive offices of the government. It saps the constitutional and salutarv functions of the President and introduces principle of intrigue and corrup- tion which will soon leaven the mass, not only of Senators, but of citizens. It is more bane- full than the attempt which failed in the be- ginning of the government to make all officers iremovabe but with the consent of the Senate. This places, every four years, all appointments under their power, and even obliges them to act on every one nomination. It will keep in constant excitement all the hungry cormorants for office, render them, as well as those in lace, sycophants to their Senators, engage these ill eternal intrigue to turn out one and put in another, in cabas to swap work, and make of them what all executive directories become, mere sinks of corruption and faction. This must have been one of the midnight sigma lures of the President, when he had not time 10 consider or even to read the law, and the more fatal as being irrepealable but with the consent of the Senate, which will never be obtained.''
 So much for the historical nature of this question. As to its uniform application as an inhexible rule which some contend for we cannot see how any refectiug mind, and espe- cally democrat, can conscentiously advocate 1t. In making selections for office it is demo- cratic to have the whole country as field from which to choose, embracing all in and all out of office. And while we freely admit that no one should be allowed to remain in simply be- cause he is inf his place can be filled by one more honest and capable--we shall ever con- tend that no man should be removed for the purpose of supplying place for another less deserving less honest, or less capable. To say that this latter species of ostracsm should pre- Vail, Is to contend for system in direct contra venton to democracy, good sense and sound goverrment-a system, to say the best of it, that would be absurd and peruicious in the ex- treme To illustrate which let Us suppose that at every general election held in Arkansas the rule is adhered to that no man shall be re elect ed merely because he has held an office during one or more terms. There are several thou sand offices to be filled, consequently a like number of ireemen, under the rule, would be denied the privilege of holding office--a privi- lege which IS freely and fully guaranteed to every citizen under the constitution. Again,
 how monstrons the principle appears when we consider that many of the incumbents have proven to be honest, faithful and capable off cerS, and are preferred for re election. Not O. ly this, but the voters-thc free and inde- pendent masses-woud be, in many instances. denied the privilege of voting for their prefer ence. Away with such doctrine we say. and every Lhing that bears semblauce to it. This is free and independent government in all its operations. No people in the civilized world pride themselves more upon their rights and privileges than do American citizens, and it is one of the glories of our free country that the people have the right to vote for whom they please, whether the man of their preference be in or out of office.
 But this much vaunted policy of rotation as- sumes still greater importance when we con- slder its pernicous influence on both public and private virtue. Enforce the rule of turning oH out of office at stated periods, and it will soon be found that not only principles and measures will be swept away, but the trusts of govern- ment and responsibilities of power will become the spoil and sport of ravenous adventures for office. Party organization and discipline would cease to exist, and there would be DO contest for principles, but a continual strife of perso. nal nature would ensue. The moral bearing of the question on the political integrity of party must prove to every sensible man that it is fraught with the most pernicious evils. But our sentiments accord so fully with ;he sub- joined reflections of a democratic cotemporarv on this feature of the question that we cannot forego the pleasure of placing them before the reader as conclusion to this article:
 Suppose this policy of rotation in office to prevail to the extent against which we protest: and, When once adopted, we cannot assign limit to its operation. In the first place, all dis tinction of principle will be ignored and for gotten; the contests for power will have no re- ference to the public good, but will be reduced to personal scramble for office and money, and the government will be administered by those in possession with the single aim of accu- mulatlng competency before the memorable wheel plunges them to the bottom of the abvss
 Thus corruption will eat into the vitals of our system; but the disease will not be confined to the class of politicians. It will spread with the virulence of contagon, until the whole na- ton becomes as spotted leper' First, politi- cal integrity will be poisoned at the fountain of political opinion and power; and then the pri- vae virtues of the country will sicken. droop | and disappear under the light an all pervadng plague. If any one Is so wanting in sagacitv that he cannot foresee the ruin that will then come upon the country, let him consult the in- | structive page of Roman history He will | there read the story of corrupt ambition and of Unsuitable rapacity, followed out in progressive | development through the decay of all the pub | lie virtues and the disappearance of personal truth and honor, to the loss of the liberties of thesRepublic and the final catastrophe of chaos and night. Neither in the annals of Tacitus l nor in the indignant invective of Juvenal is | there any picture of moral de.ravity and na- tional decline comparable with that which we are to realize in our own experience when once | principle is abjured and parties contend only | for the prize and place and patronage. The | passion for office will penetrate to the lowest | and remotest class of society; the public trea- | sury will become the prey of the audacious ad- | venturer. who will rally party by the pro- | mise of the spells; the nation will be divided | into the personal retainers of ambitious indi. l