St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-07-25
From the New York Tri
PARTIES AND OFFICE.

pest TO Keep the KcpubllcanS out OF
power, now clamor against the use of
that power to fill subordinate Offices
with men who have aided to achieve
their triumph. Their argument runs
. that, because the country is involved
Yin perilous civil war, wherein all
parties checrfully and heartily unite
to maintain the Union and the Consti-
tuition, therefore the Democrats who
hold Office under Mr.. Buchanan's ap-
pointment ought to be continued in
place.
But this rule is only allowed to work
one way. When Gen. Jackson sum-
moned the Nation around him to re.
sist and put down the Nulliicrs' re-
bcllion, Wings We'd with Democrats
in the unanimity and heartincss of
their response ; but nobody suggest
ed that Gen. Jackson should thercup-
on divide the civil Offices between the
two parties, and he never thought of
doing anything Of the sort. Why
should the rule that served then be re-
pudiatcd now?
A few months ago the Democrats
carried the Municipal Election in st.
Louis, previously Republican. Did
they leave the Republicans in Office !?
Not they! They pitched them ont
neck and heels at the first opportuni-
ty. So in other cities where popular
disgust at the apparent hesitation to
reinforce Fort Sumpter threw us tenn
porarily into a minority. Nobody
supposes or imagines it would be 9TH
crwise in Philadelphia, in Rochester,
in Chicago, if the Republican ascend
ency should in like manner be subver-
ted there. Yet Democrats and Repub-
licans in those cities heartily unite IN
upholding the Union. Why should
that fact constrain Republicans to
keep Democrats in Office and yet leave
Democrats perfectly free to turn out
Republicans
There is confusion of ideas in
the assumption we are combating
Supporting the Union is one thing {;
supporting the Administration quite
another Many will fight for the one
and directly vote against the other,
as they have perfect right to do. 1t
is by no means the special duty or the
special interest of Republicans to
maintain the Union. The States we
thus save to it, will doubtless vote to
turn us out of power on the first op-
portunity. On the other hand, our
Democratic unionists are fighting not
only to preserve the Union but to cx-
tend and consolidate their own power
With the present Slave States in the
Union, they can probably rule it three
terms out of four let Secession be-
come a fixed fact, and their chances
of future ascendancy will be material
y lessened. AS patriots, we are
grateful Cor their enthusiastic devotion
to the Union; as Republicans, we feel
that in sustaining the Union we are
working for them quite as much as
they are for us.
Whenever the Democrats shall be
willing to divide the merely minister
al and subordinate places under the
Government fairly between the two
parties, fix their salaries permanently
on moderate scale, and say, Hence
forth, no man shall be removed from
any place which pays less than $4,000
year except for proved incapacity or
malfcasance," we are ready to unite
with them in q firm, irrevocable com
pact to live up to that rule. But so
long as they turn out nearly every
opponent whom the fortunes of poll
tics bring within their reach, we can
not do otherwise than follow their
example. They began this game
wantonly and without excuse. When
ever they shall be willing to make an
end of it, an authentic intimation of
that change of heart will be prompt
ly responded to. Meantime we pro-
test against the retention in custom.
houses, post-oflices, &C., of Democrat.
ic clerks, inspectors, &C., who got in
by prescription, and kept in by giving
money and effort to help defeat the
Republicans. If you say the incum-
bents are needy. we answer there are
Republicans equally needy and more
"" o. Wv '"Ne'A
bents are for the Union, we say there
are Republicans at least equally so,
and who are certain to remain Union.
lists whether in or out Of office. If
you say you are opposed to proscrip,
tion, we respond that we seek to re-
buke and punish prescription, and il
possible to convince our antagonists
that it is not only wrong but unproiit.
able. Thus only can we hope to es-
tablish .juster and more beneficent
system. Finally. we urge that naked
justice, to say nothing of gratitude
demands that the places held by Dem
ocrats under our Republican Admins
tration--by Democrats who were APP
pointed because of their presumed ef
ficiency as partizans should be given
to Republicans, many of whom were
removed and all prescribed by the last
two Administrations. We call upor