Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-06-11
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SO TO frame institutions under which peo-
pie shall be governed, yet free--such is the
problem TO which our age and country have
earnestly addressed themselves, bnt which
they have not yet thoroughly mastered.
And one Of its chef difficulties is the fela-
tion which should subsst between those
who are paid for directing md working the
complicated machinery of administration
and the people of whom these tax.consutn-
ers are nomically the servauts.bnt Of whom
they 100 often aspire TO be masters.
Thirty six years ago last March, Gen.
Andrew jackson, late the candidate of a
powerful Opposition, having triumphed
over the preceding Administration. was
formally indicted into the Presidential
chair, On taking possession, he issued an
IdaDguraI Address, Whereof one paragraph
reads thus:
"The recent demonstration Of public sesi-
timcnt inscrihes on the list Of Executive du-
ties, in characters too legible TO be- over
looked, the task of reform; which will re.
.quire particularly the correc ion of these
abuses that have brought, the patronage Of
the Government into conflict with the free
dom of elections, and the connteraction of
those causes which have disturbed the
rrghiful course of appointment, and have
placed or continued power iu Incompetent
or unfathful hands"
Whatever the rancor Of contendihg par
Ilsans may for he time have dictated, il is
probable that most intelligent ciliz ms
would now unite in the conclusions-l. |.
That the language above quoted was used
in enti; e good faith, with sincere Intent TO
ef ct the reform therein pronounced SO
necessary; and, Q. That this intent ives
never carried into effect, bnt that he re-
fom' which Gen. jackson deemed so me-
cessary when he entered the White House
had become far more necessary soon after
ward, aud has scarcely been less SO ever
since.
On this point, rad cally opposite Systems
prevail 10 the two great Enropean countries
which lie nearest ns, and which have exer
c sed by far the g. eatest Influence over the
characler and genius Of our institutions. =
La Great Britain, public fuuctionaries--
place holders-are restrained by public sen.
timent more than by positive law from ta.
kirg any active, coaspicu ,us part in the
electioneering contests. The office-holder
who should violate the Established role in
this respect would be deemed guilty of a
gross ihdecorumA-a manifest impropriety-
and would thereby damage the cause Of his
marty and candidate Far more than his To-
hueuce aud efforts could possibly counter
vail. Hence, though British Office holders
are Of like passions with Others. and bough
some OF them doubtless subscibe their mon-
ey and quietly exert their influence 10 be
half of their party's candidates. such inter
ference is tmid, caprleious, fur i've, aud Of
little avail And in Britain the great body
of funclionaries-tid walters, excisemeu,
postrnasters, eic.-are practically irrempy.
able holding Office through life time even
under quickly alternating Wing aud Tory
Ministers The Office holders are not mere.
ly forbidden TO become heated, Efficient par
tisans; they are divested of the selfish mo-
tire that quite commonly impels Others to
do so.
In France, on the other band, every Office
holder is expected to do, his Utmost for the
candidates of the Governmeut,' with
which be stands or falls. Nay, the Pre-
ieets of The several departments publicly
advertise certain persons as The Govern
ment candidates, whom oil well.affected cit
izeus are desired and expected to support,
to the exclusion OF others; aud be who dis
obeys The parental requirement is thence
forth regarded as little better than one OF
the wicked
Our system is a compromise between
these two-more shame-faced than the lat
l,er. and less frank and honest, bat obeying
like impulse and tending to like ends :
An American functionary who should open
" require bis sobordinates to support cer'
tain ticket or candidate, or forfeit his place,
would certainly incur ceDsure, and might
possibly be himself removed from Office, bat
this rather as maladroil than culpahle
Were good proportion Of bis eppointee:
openly 10 oppose the ticket or c4ndidat,
favorable to The Administration, they would
/ far more certainly lose their places; and b,
would at most be barely able to hold hi
own. Aud, consistently with this, whel
Que Administration is supplanted by lie ad
yer saries. the great mass of the holders o
] subordinate aud purely ministerial places