Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-08-14
From tire Richmond Enqnirer.l
TO OFFICE,

OF all the duties that devolve upon the Govern
ment of the Confederate States, the one of filling
the Offices is the most delicate the NEST ungrateful
and the most to be dreaded The opaiea expressed
by Henry Clay, some ssrty years SINCE to the effect
that President of the United States co1ld make
himself popular through the power and patronage
of his office, was erroneous, as subsequent expe-
rience abundanty demonstrated to the satisfaction
of that great statesman himself Distinguished men
of both the original parties expressed the
timent early in the career of the Federal Govern
ment but it may be safely assumed that most if
not all of them lived long enough to be convinced of
their mistake. They must have found cut that tile
patronage which is justly regarded as -source of
strength to an absolute or a moaarcbcal govern
ment, is source Of weakness ia Republic upon
the model" of the one of 1887 Certaia it is that
under that system the ofice-hoders in constant
danger of being superseded by the oficeseekers-
In country theoretically free, there will always
be numbers of applicants for every place to be filled
Dean Swift said: "If I have an Office to bestow,
make one ungrateful friend, and an enemy of every
disappointed applicant" His remark f1sds an apt
illustration in the history of the politics and poti-
clans of the late United States. Impartial history
tells US that when men failed to obtain the posts to
which they aspired, under that government, they
next sought them through attempts 10 expel its ad-
ministrators from power.
vi inc ScVc1A uOtteSI dHu pdtTISltC fTeSluentS OF
the United States, it is not believed that one
strengthened his popularity in the least, by the ex-
ercise Of the appointing power. On the contrary,
there is every reason to believe that they all found
it great source Of annoyance, embarrassment, and
injury to themselves and to their respective ad-
ministrations.
Gen. Washington is said to have expressed the
opinion that he had lost many friends, including
some Of deserved influence, in consequence of his
inability to provide for them according to their
Wishes and his own sense of their actual merits
Jefferson in several Of his letters, speaks of the
facility with which professcd friends of his were
changed into open foes by the official announcement
that Others had been chosen for positions upon
which they had set their hearts jackson made
more removals from Office, and of course conferred
appointments upon larger number of friends than
any Of his predecessors had done. And yet it is
clearly demonstrate, that jackson lost more than
he gained by the use Of the appointing power. This
will be manifest to the reader when he sees from the
record, that in the election of 1892 jackson lost
seriously upon his vote of 1923, in New York city,
Philadelphia, and all other places Vhere he had
made the most appointments notwithstanding the
overwhelming increase Of his vote in all the rural
districts of the United States. Of the Presidents
after Jackson the most Of them in the dispensation
of patronage acted on the principle ITO the vctors
belong the spoils;' and yet, not one of them was
able to secure his reelection, and but one of them
was honored. with denomination at the hands of
his party.
President Davis and his Cabinet viii. we have
no doubt give heed to Che lesson Of history from
the chapter here quoted. 1t proves that tie power
of appointment is source of weakness rather than
of strengthen danger rather than of safety to an
administration founded upon the popular will It
admonishes them OF the inexpedency of attempting
to fortfy their official position by rewardng friends
and furnishing foes ~ any system Of personal par
tlzansbip and avoritism. We are happy to believe,
however that President Davis and his advisers need
no such monitor to impel them to the discharge of
patriotic duty. We believe all the ends they aim
at are their conntrysthat they look to the veal Of
the Confederate States as their guide and the good
of those States as their end With these objects
steadily in vew they will be sustained, as were the
administrations of Washington, Jefferson, Madison
and disadvantages the desertion and dcnuncia-
ton Of disappointed aspirants
The Confederate administration occupy pecu-
iary favorable position for the Inauguration Of the
true future policy Of our country. They are in
power through the united action of the seeded
States and not through any party in these States
They are. therefore, called upon to rise above all
personal and partizan considerations, in the ap-
pointment Of the men whom they call to their assis.
lance in putting the new government into motion.
The old JeRersonian rule of appointment is, we
think, enc upos which they can make no improve
ment We knew not vhat better tests can be re-
quired than honesty, capacity and fidelity -hones.
ty in public and private le-capacity to understand
and to discharge the duNes assumed-and fidelity
to the country to which their allegiance is due; q.
deity to the Government and to the institutions Of
the Confederate States. The man who will come
fully up TO these fequireqepts sbosid be regarded
Is eligible to- place under our Government
ne nasp anita