Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

COMMUNICATION

The Aurora of Saturday presented to the public under the name of an Executive Mirror, a partial statement of the distribution of certain Public Offices, with a professed view of exciting a belief that an undue preference is given to citizens of the New-England States. This mirror is nothing more than an ordinary Jacobin Magnifying Glass, presented to the eyes of ignorance and credulity, that the measures of government may appear exaggerated and distorted and though the daily libels contained in that paper are scarcely worthy of a comment or reply, yet the idea having been suggested, it is a matter of amusement to examine its foundation- This will be seen in the two following statements. The first being an exhibit of the officers who have filled the most important places since the adoption of the constitution ; and the second having reference to those who are now in office.

No. I.

Names of Offices Total No. since adoption of Constitution,
Presidents
Vice Presidents
Secretaries of State
Do. of Treasury
Do. at War
Chief Justices:.
Attorney generals
Foreign Ministers

It may be said that Messrs. Pickering and King are natives of Massachusetts. But the first of those gentlemen has resided longer in Pennsylvania than Mr. Secretary Dallas, and the latter, married and resides a New-York, where also his estate lies, and of which State he was a Senator when elected.

No. II.

At present it is true that the President is from N. England, and the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chief Justice, (neither of whom were appointed by President Adams are from that quarter of the Union ; but against these may be placed the following list of officers who are from the states south of New-England.

The Vice-President
Secretary of State
Attorney-General
Four Judges (out of five)
Five Ministers to foreign courts (out of 7)
The Comptroller,
Auditor,
of the Treasury
Treasurer, &
Register,
The Commissioner of the Revenue
Purveyor of Public Supplies
Three Commissioners (out of four) under the British treaty
The Director and Treasurer of the Mint-
and a full proportion of all other officers, both civil and military—There is another officer also who may be added to these, and whom it is not possible that Benny should so forget-I mean the Postmaster-General.

After all is said. the true question is, are the principal offices well filled ? In that case it is immaterial from what part of our common country the incumbents are elected. Fortunately, at present they are well filled, but they are also, for the most part, indifferently paid. The faction have indulged their illiberal and malignant disposition, by preventing an allowance of adequate salaries, expecting, no doubt, to starve out all the honest men, and render the offices of government a prey to needy and hungry expectants.