The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-01-02
Buchanan u DictatOrl

no act of despotism and tyranny, which, in
our judgment, equals that Of the removal Of
MIR. McKEoN, Of New York, from the Office
Of United States District Of Attorney forthe
eastern district of that State.
1t appears. that the Democratic portion Of
the New York delegation in Cong ress wait
ed upon Mr.. BUCHANAN and majori ty Of them
urged upon him the impolcy Of such step.
The facts of the interview are reported by
letter to the New York Herald by the Hon.
WIN. McMURRAY, a member OF the delegation
who was present, but opposed to Mr.. Nc
Knows retention.
The language of Mr.. BUCHANAN, address
ed to the New York delegation, on that &C.
casion, might be tolerated in an absolute
Dictator or in the Gar of all the Russas +;
but in a President of the United States, it is
beyond endurance. We knew Mr.. BUcHAN-
AN of old, and knew him to be at heart q
desp@, but we scarcely expected even to see
language such as issued from him on the sub
ject of McKEoN's removal, fall from the lips
of President of the United States De-
cency, at least, should have restrained the
utterance of his tyrannical thoughts!
Not that in the drifting of our govern
ment continually downward from the high
mark of revolutionary political morals, down
t" the Kansas outrages and the populations
of President PIERCE, it is anything unusual
for Democratic Presidents practically to act
upon the principle, that the free exercise of
the electric franchise, was good ground for the
removal Of federal officers, however faithful
in the performance Of their duties such off,
GERS might be !; but little did we expect, even
in this corrupt age wheneections are carried
by perjury, and Governors receive their GER
tificates through the forgery of election re-
turns, to be compelled to recoi d the fact.
that President if the United States had so
little shame as to declare 1t to be part of his
s'corn official duty as President, to remove a
faithful public officer, simply because he saw
proper to cote as lis conscience dictated: vet
such is the case
Read Mr.. BUcHANAN's own language as
quoted and commended in the New York
Herald of the 18th inst
"a municipal contest (sad President B J
in the great commercial metropolis of this
country, cannot be confounded with the bick-
rrings Of village or hamlet 1t was a DO
litical contest, an! will permit no officer of
NINE, to set an example of DISCRIMINATION,
and vi'lati'n ofparty rules"
"IIe (McKeon) knew Very we'll had writ
ten a letter expressive Of my views on the
subject. but because, I suppose, it was ad-
dressed to Richard Schell. he saw fit to act
contrary to my wishes. Sir, am alone re-
sponsible for the removal and appointment OF
my officials. l do not shrink from that re-
-ponsibility, nor do I desire to share will,
any one the duty which my Office and the
oath have taken imposes upon me. have
decided on removing Mr.. McKeon, and
shall not hesitate removing any officer of the
Government who, in my judgment, is guilty
of insubordinatiOn -
Is this not rather the language of an abso-
lutte despot-clothed with absolute power
himself the GOrernment-than of the Presi-
dent of the United States ? Alas, our coun-
try! Was it for principles like these our
Revolutionary fathers shed their blood, and
encountered the storms and experienced the
sacrifices of eight years Of warfare? What
does MIR. BUCHANAN really mean Is he
merely drunk with power, and is this merely
tie railing of an inebriate, or are such senti-
ments thrown out as .fseler to test the
strength Of the Peoples nerve, and if he dare
take another step towards absolute power ?
That the Democratic party are rapidly drift
ing to that point, we have long witnessed
with serious apprehension but we were u,-
prepared for an announcement such as that
contained in the article quoted above.
To the federal officers, not as officers OF
the govcrnment-not as officers Of the Unit
cd States-but as 'MINE" and "my odicials,' -
is Mr.. BUCHANAN's arrogant claim. He is
the government, and as absolute as ever
Nicholas was!
But does the national Constitution con-
template such state of things Does it
contemplate the President OF the United
States as mere party leader, clothed with
his high powers, not to execute the laws, but
for partizan purposes to enable him to en-
force efficiency in his "subordinates ?" Does
that instrument contemplate the removal o.!
federal officers for merely voting as their
conscience prompts and their Judgment ap-
proves? Does it contemplate it as ore OF
the swo,m duties of the President, to super
in terd the party organization, and t. re.
move all officers who vote for men differing
from him in their political creed-as acts Of
Decentralization?
This seems to be the construction the
President places upon that instrument
Great Heavens What are we coming
20? At home and abroad, "rule and ruin
is the motto of the Democratic party. Here
in Minnesota, they resort to frauds and torgfr-
les, that pirates would blush at, and at Wal h.
ington. the President assumes the tone of an
absolute misunderstanding out political ukazt
after ukaze-disobedienc to which is visit
ed with political and official death
Are there no meane Of checking this head
long race to ruin There is-we feel assur.
ed there is-if the People-the Souereign
People will stop long enough to IT feet.
Latest from China - Preparations to
Capture Canton.
The news is up to Oct. 10Th. The Chinese
Emperor had refused to receive the Russian
Envoy, or the representative of any "barba-
rian powe.." Lord Elgin, the British Envoy
won1d NOT thoreforo r,sL encunt. r. pp tb.