The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-04

AN OLD FASHIONED TEST Ought THE RULE TO
BIZ RELAXRDt
Ia deciding the question Of 6tness for Office Mr..
Jefferson thought il necessary TO know whether the
applicant was friend to the constitution Il has
occurred 10 us that ia the midst of refu hybrt-
politics there may be some doubt of the propriety Of
the test referred TO- Mr. Jefferson went further, and
asked if the proposed incumbent was honest and
capable. In the day Of his writing it is quite
ifest there were incapable and dishonest men, and
those too, who not friends Of the constitution.
Otherwise, why did he think il necessary that seec
tons should be made He was attached to the
Union. He foresaw its great mission. lie antci-
pated It's progress, its power and its glory, as the
Embodiment of free institutions. 1t was erected
not antagenistic system to those then existing
but an example which should prove to an incred-
uous world that man, by honesty and intelligence,
capable Of selfgovernment Mr.. Jefferson be-
iieyed that the American people had ordained nsti-
tutions adapted to the great ends Of such govern
ment and hence, in comforting Office, he should
TO il that the proposed incumbent should be friend
10 the constitution.
Under this system we have now had the expert
ence of three-quarters of century. The fruits of
that experience found in the unexampled sabil-
ity Of the government the unexampled prosperity of
the people who created and who have maintained
it in the unexampled diffusion of knowledge in
the nnexampled exhibition of genius and invention
in the unexampled increase of population, wealth,
and resources, and in the universal recognition of
the Federal Union one of the first powers of the
Christian world Under these simple facts, if it was
wise in Mr. Jefferson to exact in his day that appli-
cants for office should be friendly to the constitu-
ton, how much more now should they be required
to come up TO that high standard of political seuti-
msnt # officers in the days of our weakness, when
the political machine small and simple in detail
should be honest how much more now should the re-
QUESTION be imperous and compliance with it abso-
lutte and unconditional, when the government has
grown to be much the most elaborate complicated,
and important in the world Its empire is broad !;
and its internal interests, in connexion with its
lands, the management Of the Tribes, its extended
and necessarily costly mail service It's Patent and its
Revenue systems, its frontier and its endless frontier
defences, its coasts and its forhcaons external and
internal its territorial policy its political attitudes
and longitudes, far greater in importance and
great governments of Europe.
TO such degree of magnitude have our interests
grown, various, complicated, and difficult of man
agement are they. that il is much to be doubted
whether agents hereafter in assuming the direction
of public affairs will find it possible to achieve sue
cess at all proportoned to the labor patriotism and
intelligence which they may bring into the public
service. These difficulties, however, only render
it the more necessary that they should be honest,
capable, and friendly to the constitution The very
last letter written by Mr. Jefferson characterzes the
Declaration of Independence as 'an instrument
pregnant with our own and the fate of the world"
The federal constitution the achievement Of the
authors OF the Declaration, and if the latter was
pregnant with our own and the tate of the world"
how important to the human family is it that the
former should be preserved as the great instrument
tality of free government now and hereafter.
Natone, like individuals, must make char
acter. To have influence they must have sta
bility, integrity industry, and fair conduct. The
government of the Union has won a high distinction
1t has achieved in many Of the departments Of labor
unparalleled success II has been conducted for
shree-quarters of century under the same organic
system. Not line has been added TO or stricken
from its constitution, Its policy has been uniform,
its economy unchanging its fruits always the
same. It has exhibited more of unity and perfec
ton in its civil policy in the results of its industry
in the achievements of invention aud education, and
in all the interests effected by government than any
other system. Then to be ga friend of the constiu
ton" is to be friend to humanity to express obli-
cations for the blessings of freedom, to manifest
just and patriotic pride in the triumph of cause
which is pregnant with the fate of the world - We
have but just entered upon our career nation.
Our glory is in destiny 1t is to be oorked out by
our own hands Why, then, the American peo-
pie led away by designing men, who would make
them believe that the alliance of the States is an I'M
holy marriage of repeants and antagonisms? Why
is the North sought to be arrayed against the South
and the East against the West Even upon admin.
istraive measures, with seventyfve years of prac-
tical life before us, we find the representatives of
the people unable to rise above the merest parti-
san views and policy. All this is greatly to the dis
credit of the nation.