, 1859-01-24
.TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
moNpAY MORNING, JANUARY "a, 1859


moNpAY MORNING, JANUARY "a, 1859 !:
towards Retrenchment.
ne are loo much IN the habit OF taking
pattern after tho governments Of the old
world. In the latter..a multitude OF ottccs
exist .Hhich were originally created only to
Increase. The patronage and power OF Tue
Sovereign. All the legitimate purposes Of |
government would he effected quite as well,
and in some instances better, without than
with them. To promote the general good WIS
less the object Of their creation than to cen
tralise power at the expense Of the masses.
AZ class, the Offices Of Ambassadors, Minis
ters, Charges, ETC., with their long rctinue OF
attaches and bearers Of dispatches, come
perhaps more fully within this category than
suY other. It's not denied but that instan.
cea may occur In every government, when it
becomes necessary to dispatch duly aected-
tied agent to settle niEunderstaud-
ings With some other power; but
that there is any good or su'h-
or sufficient reason for any one government
keeping an agent with little army OF At
taches permanently at every foreign court
with which 1t holds friendly relations, is u'-
terly absurd and gross outrage upon those
who in the end pay tue expenses Of the sys-
ten. Especially is it the extreme Of folly foE
pain, simple, republican government like
our OWL, recognizing the people ns the source
Of all political power, and Presidents and
Cabinets rs created merely for the purpose Of
executing the popular will, to initiate this
feature Of monarclical government. In the
latter, if mau Of influence and ability is re-
gardcd with suspicion by the ruling power
If he is thought to fall short in the measure
Of Loyalty which all potentates e1act-n lis
ambition c1alts Itself until it becomes ofen-
siyc to royal eyes-ir his abilities orcrshado~
those who are his Eupcriors in statlon-in all
these cases, to get rid Of the presence Of
dangerous MAI, as we'll as 10 secure frlerd.
it is very convenient to hare class Of on-
ces in other governments to one Of which be
.may be transferred, and where he will be in
position to give no further uneasincs. to
his sovereign Ut homc. But in our govern
ment the people are sovereign, and no man
is strong enough or great enough to excite
either their fear or their Jealousy, and there
is no occasion for sending any one abroad
merely to get him out Of the way.
We believe our people arc gradually be-
coming aware tuat this whole system is q
natural etIshoot Of absolutisn, and that it
should he severed from our republican form
Of government: It answers ne good end in
itself while it is ttendcd with enormous cz-
panse, and confers upon the President IN
amount Of patronage which It were better to
take ont Of his hands. The recent action in
the popular branch Of Congress, on this
subject, is significant Of the sentiment Of the
people. On Wednesday last, the Consular
and Diplomatic bill being under considera-
tion, Mr. Lovcjoy morld TO strike cut all
appropriations for salaries to ministers anu
commissioners, cxccp. tue Minister to Spain,
and this motion T2s defeated BY only trfire
majority. 4 little more information among
tle people on The Euhject, aEd little more
presaure from that quarter upon ambitious
members Of Congress, many Of whom a1c
looking fursarl TO tue incumbency of these
posts Of honor abroad, aud the majority will
he The other way. Subsequently, the oppro>
priations for The Minister to Persia, the Min.
lister to Rome and .,c Minister to Switzerland
were sevcraly stricken from tue bill. Mr..
Lovtjoy il entitled to the thanks of tic
country for his bolL stand against system
that is 1raught with corruption, that is for
eiEu 10 the genius Of free institutions, and
the whole tendency Q: which is 10 centralizc
power in the national Executive.
We trust this subject nil! not bc permitted
to die out Of the public mind with the action
Of last "Wednesday. The whole system Of
costly and useless 6Icial residents at
foreign courts should be cut up by the roofs.
It acccnp!i-les no good, il does vast deal
Of mischief ut home, aud. by tue improper
conduct Of llr,sc whom We send abroad
in apiug the lnaancrs aud lhe aristccratic ex-
clu>ivcne.s Of The courts at which they reside,
they bring disgrace both upon our people
and our Institutions. Ne uccd no resident
agent at any Court in Europe. lf1nisunder-
Standings arise With other governments, ii
any question whatever occurs that Cannot he
settled through our Stale Department, tleu
twill be time enough to send an agent spc-
cially qualified fur the particular duty, whose
official character uEd salary will terminate
with the discharge Of the spcciul work i'll
trusted to him. In ports in which our con-
mcrce is considerable there is somc necessity
for maintaining resident Con<uls. provided
NC could get men appointed to these posts in
consideration Of their fitness instead Of their
partisan services. Further than th!s, the sys-
tem is a fungus upon orr republican institu-
tions, to which tic pc pic will in due time al-
ply the knife. Let Mr.. Loyejoy try again.