The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-06-27
low N FEELS TO sE souscsp.
Nathaniel Hswthsrss's Rsasetssus on
being Removed Frsra oaes.

Being Removed Frsn OGes.
Removals from ONCE are % much
the order OF the day at present
thst the record Of q distinguished
mans experience ~ o victim of
rotation" must be interesting. The
msn was Nathaniel Hawthorne,
and the Office was the surveyor.
ship Of customs at Salem, Mass.
Mr.. Hawthorne was appointed
by President Polk and re-
moved by President Taylor four
years later. He treats Of the matter
| Ia the introduction to the "Scariet
Letter." as follows:
A remarkable event Of the third
year Of my surveyOrship was the
election Of Gen. Taylor TO the presi-
deney. IL IL essential, In order to .
complete estimate Of the advantages
OF Official life, TO view the ineum-
bent nj the incoming OF hostile adj
ministrstiOn. His position II one Of
the most singularly irksome, and,
In every contingency, disagreeable.
that q wretelIed mortal can possibly
occupy; With seldom an alternative
| for good, on either hand, although
what presents itself TO him a. the
worst event may very probably be
the best. But Il is strange expe-
rience to q man Of pride and sensl-
bility, TO know that his interests are
within the control OF individuals
who neither love nor understand
him, and by whom, since one or
| the other must needs happen, he
would rather be injured than
| Obliged. Strange, too. for one who
II A.
| the contest, to observe the blood
thirstlness that IL developed ln the
hour Of triumph, and to be conscious
that he IL himself among Its objects!
There are felT uglier traits Of human
nature than this tendeney-which
now witnessed In men no worse
than their neighbOrs-to grow cruel,
merely because they possessed the
power OF inflicting harm. IL the
guillOtine, as applied to office
holders, were 4 literal fact instead
Of one Of the most apt OF metaphors,
Il IL my sincere belief that the active
members Of the victorious party
were sufficiently excited to have
chopped OF all our heads, aud have
thanked heaven for the opportunity |!
| IL appears to me-who has been q
calm aud curious observer. ~ we'll
| In victory rs defeat that this fierce
aud bitter spirit OF malice aud
revenge has never distinguished the
many triumphs of my own party as
it now did that Of the Wings. The
Democrats take the offices, ~ q gem
eral rule, because they need them,
aud because the practice Of many
years has made 10 the law OF pOlit-
| Teal warfare, which, unless q differ
| ent system be proclaimed, IL were
weakness aud cOwArdice to murmur
at Il. But the long habit Of victory
has made them generous. They
know how to spare, when they see
occasion; aud when they strike, the
AK may be sharp, indeed, but it,
edge Is seldom poisoned with ILL.,
will: nor IL IL their custom igno-
miniously to kick the head which
they have just cut of.
la short, unpleasant a. was my
predicament, at best, I saw much
reason TO congratulate myself that
was on the losing side. rather than
the triumphant one. II, heretofore,
| had been none Of the warmest
Of partisaus, I began now, AT this
season Of peril ard adversely, TO bs.
| pretty acutely sensible with which
party my predictions lay: nor was
IL without something like regret and
shame, that, according to n reasOn-
able calculation of chances, | saw
my own prospect Of retaining Office
to Ice better than those 81 my Demo-
cratic brethren. But who can see
an inch into futuriiy beyond his
nose NV own head WAS the first
that Tell! -,
The M llnent when q mans head
drops OH II seldom or never, am
inclined to think, precisely the most
agreeable oil h;s lille. Nevertheless,
IKE the greater part OF MS mis-
fortunes, even 80 serious coniin-
genry brings l% remedy anu conSo-
Iatlon WIN u, u the sufferer Will
but make the best, rather than the
worst, OF tue accident which has
oeIa'Ieh MN. IN my particular
case tne conservatory topics were
close ~ manu- SUI indeed nau sug-
gesleu theIhHeINes 10 my mediia-
llohs conSlutIapIe tlhle before u
was req ulslte To use Them. In view
al my previous WEAKNESS OF Office,
anu vague thoughts OF resignation,
my fortune somewhat reseinbled
that OF q person who should enter
tain an ldea oI committing suicide,
and, although beyond his hopes,
meet WIN the good nap TO he muir
dered. In the custom house, a. he
Tore In the oId Mause, i had
spent three years; term long
enough !" rest = weary brain; long
enough 10 break OIL Old intellectual
hablts anu make room Tor new ones;
long enough anu 100 long TO have
lived IN an unnatural state, doing
what was really OF no advantage nor
delight 10 any human being, and
withholding myself from toll that
Woulu' NJ least slilleu an unquiet
I'M pulse IN me. Ihen, moreover, as
regarded his nneeremonious eject
nis,, an seyo' was not
100 w ,,' wSI' W oe Iecoe-
t;,a III" , n al ehsny
az. ~. ,a.,sIaS =" Poa,
s is, = i,s, t h 10 roam, a.
whara iii n'.0Eind na. , qu..' . uelo
,han con sna h;nsalI ~ hn-s ,. aeI
,,a1hs Srhara hra,hra,' ~ a. M
,ousshnIJ mn, 5,va s aunt
aDothar"h.d so,.,a,i,s i,oIh a one
amos,'nn.iia Iii, ~ h,, h sue
i,N '.a', 'h MS oIo'ner Dehlo-
S ~. h Ienu;
,os,. H. ',hm u 'i, Ie c'1Mh OF
= h.:I 49, ILL, F WIN no longer
a,Ish, ~ $3.50 onJ' Ihe I3ln'
EIn.II, I;,'Ia Sa.oI uPon rs seIl'ea:
a. ,a,rn In liz JoS.,,I.Ii - AZ, 49,,
will yrhI.I, H.. L.J 49,,