Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-11
MORNING, DECEMBER IL, 1851.


in the mere personal qualities of President to
from recurrence of these thingss Ts vau TO look 70
it, The system Of rewards and punishments, as It
termed is the Inherent part and natural consequence
Of our system Of electirg Presidents. They must for
ever exist together the and the consequence th
one and the other Whenever al! the Offices Of coun
try are left liable to be attained by party heat and strife
they are certain to generate all the heat and strife
sary to obtain them. They become literally the thing con
tended for; and whoever may be the instrument used
for attaining them be will be made to know and feel the
full forcs and efficacy OF the implied obligation in favor
of his party. They who do the work must and will be
paid for IT, Il is said they allowed Gen. Jackson to ap
point only two members Of bis own frat cabinet
and that Of the whole first batch Of foreign ministers
only one Of his selection.
The character Of the appointments thus forced upon
him we're such, as materially to lower the dignity and
Importance Of the offices themselves If they did not in
some instances actually degrade them. Such the
gross disparity between the Offices that it stripped all
sembaDce Of disguise from the motives for the appoint
mens, and they stood bare-faced before the nation,
the price actually paid for partisan services rendered
Thus far every party president must be the tool Of bis
party he must pay bis troops he mus! reward well his
higher officers and they in turn be allowed to dribbe
out to the rank and file and inferior subalterns -
Bnt when tbs is done, when this side Of the
account IA closed, il he be man OF energy, he
makes DseTvient minions of those officers, who
by that Nmple principle Of cohesion selfnteres were
able to dictate TO him pay DEATH and he in his turn
dictates obedience DEATH By the rewards he has de-
ributed at their dctaon by those in expectancy which
which in view, and for which they roach for
ward with an evereager clutch he receives an absolute
obedience.
Where now Is your admirable system of checks
and balances that elaborated perfection of human
doms All swallowed mp In the vortex OF partyisn.-
Where now your proud Senator's the dgned repre-
sentatves of the sovereign S;aess Where your IL
dependsn representatives of the people, those pure
l. L. i
watchu the natural aud appointed guardians OF all their
rights and interests? II to be found anywhere they
be found in the ranks OF the opposition aud only
there; because being OF tho opposition, they are free
to detect and denource abuse OF power II you look 10
fud such Senators and Representatives among the dom
nant party, you upon an idle search. They might
have been fonnd there's according to the theory Of
the cousii uton they always 10 be found there;
but the constitution does not work according to that
theory they are no longer there. Where, then, are
they' They have 1ecoms political party; they have
enlisted under party leader for the war; Their duties
obey his commands sustain his usurpatons,
wink at bis abuses OF power, advocate everything he
proposes denounce everything he disapproves mslign
bis enemies traduce and punish deserters. There
may be few voluntary deserters; but only many
as there may be found of Senators and Representatives
Of sufficient mness and integrity to encounter the peril
vf amos; inevitable political DEATH There are but few
SUCH. Thuthey are so few need not be wondered az,
when il is recoected that but the we'll drilled party
meu ever become Senator'S Representatives in high
party times and consequently, that they little apt to
evil in anything but what is pTeudcia to the party
and If they did il would be than oounterbsanced
by the supposed necessity for preserving the dominance
OF tho party There IS therefore little disposition TO
DESERT But II such disposition should exist and few
members were to desert, far from being applauded
and sustaihed by their constituents, they would be the
very instrument OF their punishment and political dega
dstion. The head Of the party and their fellow mem.
Il. A. e. ,t,ns. .,l..
tion but the people would hate and detest them. Wit
meas the remorseess and summary political death
suffered by all those who ventured singy to leave the
ranks of Gen Jackson II may be asked the great
body Of the people also corrupted Not so. They are
ouly sui sieny imbued with the spirit paryism. They
are merely blinded by party zeal When deserter
comes before them hs comee with the priDd des tain.
that all parties for selfish ends haye agreed to at
tach to deserters His very of designation is
Of infamy and reproach. He comes before the people
with the brand of suspected witness in bis own cause
He will be met by tens and wenties Of other Reprena
" enjoying public confidence, who will either wholly de-
ny alleged facts or labor TO prove that they constitute
no abuse, o. at most, q venal one.
To put to rest all doubts OF the power Of the head Of
the party TO crush at WILL any single member Of IL. let
Us examine the case of Mr.. Calhoun man OF pre-emi
nent ability of mental endowments fit to adorn any sta
ton In any country who in twenty years distsn
guished public service had successfully passed through
all the regular graduation Of political preiermen lot
merely with uublsmished public and private character,
but with increasing reputation, until at last by
an almost unanimous VOTE he had attained the second
Office in the gift Of the people. he had not only
widely disseminated personal popularity but many dis
tnguished men from various sections his warm de-
voted personal friends. He had not only supposed
powerful influence bis party but was admitted on
all lands to behe most probable successor to the Pres
dency, after the then incumbent Thus bearing "hi5
bushing honors thick upon him." well might he think
"full surely his fortunes arpening" Bat from
greater cause than personal quarrel with General
Jackson about matter OF no public moment, and OF
but little Importance any way there suddenly came
'kilng frosn that wied and blghted all these hopes
and honors in single day. To descend from poetry to
slang, from the moment Gen Jackson struck him that
blow he was dead cock in the pit-dead a. il the ccf
fin had closed over his bones. All men saw ii. Sum-
m.r friends slunk away from about him as doomed man.
His influence and power with the party gone the
Instant Like proud spirit he resisted and ,nted =
That eealed his doom rrevocaby. But yesterday Tho
rose aud expectancy Of the fair state the observed OF
all observers y 10 day. nons so poor to do him reve
renee" Sitting in bis high place. mournful emblem
of tho instability Of human greatness he but served
exung rivals with aver,ed thumb to point..a bitter
eibe, reminding him of the barren, Notwithstanding
scepre. The ranking Of that celebrated sarcasm, II
ranking there were was the consciousness the fallen
great one that he himself mainly instrumental in
elevat1g Gen. jackson 10 the Presidency For it's but
sober truth that without hr Canoune aid IN, jack
son never could or would have been made President
Nothing is more undoubtedly known than this among
all the Initiated among those who knew and understood
the various party operations and combinations by which
alone General Jackson xas elevated to the chair. How
srikngly illustrative Of the sheming power OF the
head OF dominant party il it that he who had the pow
er to place him there had Dot tho power 10 selpreser
vation to ward of single death dealing blow from
the hand he himself had armed with power.
IL IA not intended to deny but that the dominant party
in Congress has the power to curb and control party
President if il be brought to combine unanimously,
aud risk the continuance Of the party domination
among the people Far fromi. 0a the contrary drm'
ly believed that In the pamiest diys of Gen. JIcksoi
at the very height of hs supposed arbitrary power, If
such combination could have bseu brought to bear a.
ganst him, if the party scafoldng which his power
was raised and sustained bad boen knocked from under
him. hi. political death would have been sudden
avoidablc and irrevocable that which he himself
bad inflicted on Mr.. Calhoun. The House Of Represen-
tatiyes ever it be brought to act with unanmity
on any subj set will prove itself 10 be- il always shoul
be- the s,rong OF the government. 1t neaily
represents popular senm Mt than any other dspment
and popular sentiment Is nearly the whole power Of TIE
a