Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-04-15
OUR RESPO NDENTS
WASHINGTON. ID. c. !
April y, 1860. !
The CONTEST FOR PLACE.

of Congress tomorrow, the army of
Office seekers who have been besieging
Washington since the Inauguration has
been unusually vigorous in its assaults
on the Executive during the present
week. With the departure of the SEN
ators and members will depart many |
an ambitious aspiration in the hearts of |
these iinportunate snppllants for Gov
eminent patronage. for in their hunt
for office. the honorable gentlemen rep
resenting their districts in Congress
are valuable auxiliaries. The chaplain
of the Senate. sympathetic soul. put
put up PRAYER for the Office seekers
on Tuesday last. He earnestly inn
plored 1.-THE many people now congre-
gated in Washington and whose hopes
would not be realized might not return
to tLcir homes with Disappointment cor
roding their hearts. but with the determ-
nation to do the part that became
them as good citizens. to promote the
veal and prosperity Of the country"
The office seekers should at once or
ganize meeting and pass resolution
Of thanks TO the elegant chaplain for
his thoughtful solicituic. Every year
seems To increase the number Of seek
ers for place. and the fact cannot be
indicative Of any thing but our gradual
national degeneracy. Time was when
the Office sought the man-the reverse
is true to-day. Imagine Alexander
Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and theirs
of their statemenlikc status, violently
assaulting the White House, with hinge
bundles of re commentator and back
cd by Congressional delegations in
their eager struggle for little brief
authority: Then. expedicncy had
little or nothing to do with appoint-
ments now it has everything and
no man need ask for favor unless
he can guarantee in return the friend
ship and good offices of quite a form
idahle number Of influential politicians.
If you will appoint this man" say VI.
\ CT shall consider il PERSONAL
favor and voH may depehd uppa me 10
/ recpr1c,tt' on all occpSipHs.' That
means a great deal : The applicant is
appointed and in private journal kept
by the donor of the Office is recorded
-" Made an appointment, for NJ. c.
personal favor-will reciprocatc-cau
depend upon" The value and object
Of this place will he comprehcnded
without explanation. 1t can be truth
I fully said however. that President
Grant has been. and is less governed
in his appointments by outside repre-
senta;ion than any other President the
Country has ever had.
For his sturdy independence in this
respect he has lost several Congression-
/ al friends who believe that their voices
/ should be potent in determining who
I should ill places of honor and profit.
Schurz of Missouri. for instance pos
sessing powerful influence with his
own countrymcn. the Germans, has al
most severed his official relations with
the President on account Of the failure
Of the latter 10 appoint the gentlemen
whom he had STRONGLY recommended.
Several other Senators and members
have become partially soured by what
looks very much like total disregard Of
their peculiar prcrogatives and the
omen is far from being a cheering
one. The administration may however
be the stronger and purer for the indie
pendent course il is pursuing in the all
important work OF selecting public SER
wants. Let Us hope that it may be.
The CCBAS FuaoRs.
On the advent of Senior Lemos the
envoy of Cespedes in Washington
apathy in regard to Cuban affairs
r ined uoreme. Since the coming Of
Sonora Villaverdo, daughter of the pris
oner Casayora, her affecting interview
with the President and the display
of the revolutionary colors, the apa-
thy referred to has changed into
downright sympathy for the OPP
pressed Clbsns. and the waking Of
considerable enthusiasm in their behalf
The Cuban Envoy comes prepared to
treat in one sense. and any profess
sional soldier who dc sires TO aid the
army of Cespedes with his sword, can
do SO ON the most liberal terms. II
must not be inferred however. that the
the Cuban Envoy himself holds out in
ducments, s2t inducements are held
by gentlemen very closely attached
to the person Of that gentleman. A
number Of ex-offcers Of the Union and
Confederate armies have gone to
Charleston, S. c., during the present
week.
They made no secret of their inten-
ton Of sailing the first favorable OPP
portunity TO join the revolutionary ar
my Of Cuba. and exhibited no apprehen-
sion as to the result Of their venture.
The President deeply sympathizes with