Litchfield enquirer., 1877-10-25
OFFICE SEEKERS.


 be attributed?- Fraser's MdgGziste. s. , IssT OFFICE SEEKERS. iasss aas' ., The Diary of John Quincy Adams is at last completed, and il is a very impor- tant and interesting contribution to our history. It may be read by every Easy Chair that disdains politics, not only for instruction. but for reproof and warning. Such Easy Chair will open with a strange feeling in the second century of our na tional existence book which is now first published, and whose author saw the bat tie of Bunker Hill. It will turn the pages with eager curiosity as it feels the heat of extinct party fires. It will contemplate with admiration the record of so sturdy and valiant public spirit. For more than half century MT. Adams was in the public service, and his integrity, ability, and training will always remain conspicu- ons in that service. After his entrance upon public life. which was, of course, due to the fact that he was his fathers son, he made his way by the force of his character and his capacity. He was not the creature of clique, and he was not made by machine. The ideal of pop. ular representative system suggests the spontaneous choice by community of its Attest citizen: This was true of that part of MT. Adams career which was due to election. He ''laid no pipes" and pulled no '"wires. He made no pledges to his con- stitueney other than the free expression of his opinions. He neither bribed nor bullied, and he had no office holding reti- nue. His return as a Representative in Congress was one of the fine illustrations of merit and the possibilities of fortunate conditions in popular government.
 This freedom from personal abasement in politics is especially worthy the consid- eration of young men. It is one of the current and immoral fallacies of the time that men must seek great office, and not be sought by it. It is constantly said that if man does not want an office, he need not fear that it will be thrust upon him. And this is said by mean men of other men who disdain self seeking, and who would think any position too costly that could be reached only by servllity and fattery of any kind or degree, The real secret of the remark is the consciousness of the mean men who utter it that they can not hope for any selfish profit from helping one who does not ask their aid, and who feels and professes no anxiety for ofice The inevitable result of this spirit is bargain and intrigue; and in the case of Mir. Adams it is remarkable that the very men who were especially hucksters and traders in politics raised against him the cry of bargain and corruption in making Mir. Clay his Secretary of State.
 This intrepid independence of MT. Adams and his scorn of personal solicita- tion are strongly contrasted with conduct that is now regarded not only as venial, but necessary. A party newspaper recent ly said of Mr. Adams that he was a fool for not securing by his patronage his own nomination to the Presidency, or the cleo tion of his Secretary of State, Mir. Clay. It was but plain expression of general feeling. The reasoning is that if man does not help himself, he must not expect others to help him. The result is that men whom others wish to respect are so- phisticated to do what no honorable man ought to tolerate. There IS picture of Haydon's which represents the English candidate entering the laborer's cottage and obsequiously lowing before him as he solicits the honor of his vote. It was a powerful argument for despotism; for self asserting divine right is more lofty and respectable than cringing servility. An American, perhaps, wonders at the English picture. But the Easy Chair could show him other living pictures which should fill him with more than wonder: candidates for the most dignifed offices hanging around the outskirts of nomina- ting bodies restless, anxious. watchful; drawing one man into acOrner, whispering furtively to another; calculating the chances, promising. appealing-pitiable figures showing at full length their com
 I.A k-AeE ExuT. they aspire Compare this with the con- duct of the tough old John Quincy Adams and say winch is manly, honorable, Amer ican.
 There are plenty of pictures of the same kind. There is one in the Easy Chairs portfolio, of two rivals for high nomina- tion who were actively managing their own canvass upon the spot, as the phrase is. Ono of them met friend in the cor rido;rof a hotel, ;and after a warm greeting recalled previous political request made by the friend, and assured him that it should be granted. The candidates eyes wandered constantly to see who passed and what occurred in the hall, and seeing an open door near by, his voice sank to 8, whisper, and he said. drawing his friend away, that one could not be too careful at such times. The friend afteFward, as he told the Easy Chair, .ascertained that the, door was that of the chamber-maids slop closet, and he shouted with laughter as he described the perturbed concern of this seeker of a great office lest somebody hidden in slops closet should oVerhearf his intrigues He said that he could not help asking the candidate, whom he knew well, whether he did not feel humiliated by such conduct; and the poor candidate, replied that. .''it was, not pleasant, but it was necessary" Let the young American trv to imagine Washington, John Jay, John Marshall, John. Quincy Adams, stealing away from tbe half-open door of a slop closet lest some Paul Pry should derange their plans to secure romina- ton sattlAAa s2i kaasf'17.1 '%t''-4 '7'.' | Here is another picture The Easy Chairs friend had been asked by the rival to come to his room upon business entire
 ly foreign to the nomination. and he push. ed on, laughing, from the skeptic of slop closets; and knocked at the rivals door. The Easy Chairs friend vas q parsonage whom it was very desirable for any cand-
 date to count upon his side, and the mo ment the door was opened he saw the sit- 4 s.Fg EF sA Aa