Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-03-13
IMPROPER observation-disclosures.

parties have the control OF this Governments, ana
when they marshal themselves in favor OF poilt-
zeal measure, the Executive Of the nation, the re
D. esentative of the great controlling party, seeks
| to accomplish national purpose. We know,
without investigation, that the power and patrons
| age of this Government are brought TO bear TO
effect that object, not, perhaps, in direct and OF
| fensve manner but the recognized doctrine that
TO the vctors belong the spols' is carried out IN
| practice and an Administration prefers none bui
| its friends Who does not understand thsy Was
it ever otherwise in the history of political pan ties
| since the lays of Jefferson?
Mr.. GIDDINGS. With the permission Of my
| colleague, will tell him of one instance. ] once
heard my old friend, John Quincy Adam charged
with having perverted his patronage to the sup
port of his party. lie rose here, in the presence
| of this body and declared that he had never ad-
| yised the appointment Of any man in any Depart
| ment OF this Government save one, and that was
| when his honor, Judge Mclean, was Postmaster
General of the United States. An old friend OF
Mr.. Adams, and friend Of his father, called on
him, aud he wrote note to Mr.. Mclean, saying
that he should be very much gratided to have this
friend appointed deputy postmaster. MIR. Nc
Lean returned, for answer, that the man was unit
for the position and refused to appoint him and
that was the end oft
"Mr. NICHOLS. Mr.. Speaker know there
are solitary exceptions. My colleagues recollec-
ton goes further back than mine, but ! can give
him Fl esher instance than the one he has referred
to-an instance where dominant majority of this
House retained in Office political opponent But
such instances like springs of water 10 the
desert, to which the traveller resorts when thirst
impes him TO seek relief; the general rule is the
other way.
Mr.. GIDDINGS. So much the worse.
Mr.. NICHOLS. Who expects otherwise? !
do not, for one, certainly. When my colleague
says so much the worse, respond heartily to it.
say, Mr.. Speaker, so much the worse. 1t is
this principle this disposition to reward the VIC
tors with the spoils, which is ding more to cor
rupt this Government than anything else which
| effects its interests. have no quarrel with my
friend about that. But the point l make in this
case is this is there sufficient in the charge itself
to warrant this House, grave, deliberativc body,
in ordering an investigation based upon a news
paper paragraph, even though my colleague Mr.
Burns desires it? | say, for one, that will act
| upon nothing Of the kind.
Mr.. Nichols seems to think that because the
doctrine that :" to the victors belong the spoils
of Office" has been acted on as far back as his
memory can go, it was always the practice, at
least since the days of Jefferson and lie asks
in tone that implies that he expected mega
tive answer, "was it ever otherwise in the
history of political parties since the days of
| Jefferson ~
We can answer this question; and we do
answer, YES; twas atpays otherwise until
Jackson came in in 1929. Neither Mr.. Madi-
son, Mr.. Monroe, nor Mr.. Adams ever made a
single. removal from Office on political grounds,
or to enable them TO REGARD, or appoint po-
itical friend. They would have scorncd to do
it and they would have scorned the man who
should have asked them to do It. Neither did
Mr.. Jefferson do it; he made very few reno
walls from office, though he did not re-appoint
some Of his political opponents when their
term Of Office expired, and some he did reap
point.
In those days our Presidents supposed that
they were elected by the people to take charge
ton, and not to "reDard or Hpunish any
one for exercising tho right of an American
citizen to vote according to the dictates Of his
best judgment. The question with them was,
ais he honest, is he capable, and is he faithful
to the Constitution ?" not ais he Democrat [?
did he advo ate mig nomination? did he vote
for me' is he true party man2 and will
his appointment strengthen the Democratic
party"
The latter is the present Democratic test In
modern times party has been substituted for
country; the good Of the party, not the good
Of the country, is now the great object; and
instead of the interests Of the country, we hear
members in the two halls Of Congress con-
stantly speak of the interests of the Demo
cratic party. What is the consequence of
this placing party above the country One of
consequences is, that Democratic Platforms"
IA thing Of which our fathers were profoundly
ignqrant--now override, and are looked upon
as more binding upon individuals than the
the Administration think proper to adopt must
be sustained, right or wrong, by every member
of the party, or he is mathematical and OK
communicated and if an office. holder, kehead-
ed sans ceremonie. No man holding an office
under the General Government, must now dare
to have an opinion Of public measures, or in
regard to what is right or conducive to the
public interests, different from that entertained
by the President
Such state of things the trainers of the
Constitution never dreamed could exist under
that instrument. II was proposed in the con-
vention which formed it, to restrict the Presi-
dent from making removals from Office, on the
ground that he might abuse the power, just as
it now is abused but Mr.. Madison opposed
the proposition, and said that If President
should remove men from Office without good
and sufficient cause, such as incompeteney, bad
character, &C., he soould be liable to be I'M
peac6ed aud that this would eifectually pre-
vent such removals. But we have seen that he
mijudgcd Congress and the people. Who
ever should talk now Of impeaching the Presi
dent for making removals from Office for politi-
cal causes only. without regard to the public
interests, would be laughed at Mr. Nichols
seems to think that even il the char, @ were
true, that a member Of CONGRESSES vote were
influenced by the Executive by promising
such member an appointment II he would vote
as the President desired, he, Mr.. ~, would
not consider il sufficient TO warrant an invest
H O. ,,,1o