Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1867-04-05
From the New rork Ttlbuns-l
QUEST OF PLACE.


Some Of our readers will undoubtedly re-
member the menagerie- mnn's description Of
an amphibious animal-"Ho canl live In the
water and he dies on land;" and this Is pre-
cisely the purgatorial position of q great many
seekers for office in Washington. II the
President smiles upon them, the Senate
lrOwns; If they are distaslelul to the White
House, there can he no nomination; If they
please his Exccllency, there can be no con-
iirmation-And thus their money Is expend
ed and their patience exhausted, while the
rays OF hope vouchsafed to them are cold
and scanty. Under such distracting orcum-
stances, sensible men would pack their VA.
Uses, pay their tavern hllls II possible, and
return TO their sweet homes without delay
Half the time, and money, and ingenuity
often expended IN fishing aud fighting for
place Of small perquisites, and less honor,
would set these deluded gentlemen up in
business, and keep them probably going
afterwnrd. But there is n distemper which
men catch in lobbies and oaucus.rooms,
which, without being kind enough speedily
to kill, makes fools OF them and sends them
upon ieverlsh chase after wild-geese for the
rest OF their days. Ii anything could cure
them II would be the present deadlock In
Washington; but they are long past all
chance of recovery. The lesson which they
afford, we hope, will not be lost upon our
youthful and moro unsophisticated readers
A stern resolution ut twenty-0ne, never 10
seek for place but want for place to seek him,
will lie money In the pocket Of any young
man wise enough 10 make and firm enough
TO keep the wholesome vow.
The Government, we admit, must have
servants, and servants must be paid. We
have no fault to find with office holding, pro-
vided the incumbent he capable and honest.
Our quarrel Is with otilce-seeking adopted as
n trade or profession, followed often after la
mentable failure, fascinating Its victim TO
bcggary or 10 worse, filling his whole nature
with the POISON Of sycophancy, and gradual
ly reducing his manliness TO minimum.
All this wreck oil character and ruin OF for
tune wonld be avoided IL the wretched bual'
ness of soliciting place could be brought into
the disrepute which Il deserves We believe
that we could find in this city at least one
hundred gentlemen of tirst-rate talents and
the best commercial education, Of agreeable
manners, and OF unspotted character, from
whom a Collector of Customs might safely
he selected who would accept the trust, Blu
who would wait a very long while indeed
before asking for It, Such person woult
go into office honest, keep so while in, ant
surrender his place unbalanced and immacu
late. This would be one of the blessed re
suits OF forcing the Government 10 look up
llhH witch IL Whnteu MIN, anu " pun uihi ~
charge OF affairs unembarrassed by pledge
and promises, his personal dignity preserved
his noble soul unmortgaged, his integrity LEI
free to assert itself We beg pardon, IL
these times, for drawing an ideal picture
and for dreaming of disinterestedness ant
purity. We suppose that we must take tn
political world as We find it, and that tn
petitioning and palavering, the bribing ant
the hutton-holing, the sheer beggary, tn
knee-crooking, and the lobby-haunting mus
go on--an incurable disease and nationa
disgrace, Wherefore we beseech those VIII
are worth saving TO keep out of this slough
{ Let them go to Washington, il they must
J to see the President, the Secretary Of State
{ the marble Washington. and the othe
{ curiosites hut let them smlte, as the enc
Z my of theiI soul, the FIRST serpent in III
j shape OF friend who whispers to them
word of the delights and emoluments Of tn
/. national service. Good men should no
n cheaper themselves by suing for recognition
and with the very first genuilexlon, the goo
4 that is in man is either sensibly diminishe
|, or altogether disappears