The Daily Herald

Claimants for Office Petitioning.—The number of meritorious individuals in this republic is very great. The chief misfortune attending this fact is that there are not places of honor and emolument sufficient to reward the deserts of the aforesaid.

It is an old saying, that republics are ungrateful. Perhaps one cause of this accusation may be that republics more than other Governments are blessed with so many distinguished men, that the exchequer of Croesus would be insufficient to pay even twenty per cent. on the claims of such. "Patriotism is an excellent quality—but rather costly. Men who love their country as themselves, are generally so unbounded in their affection that patriotism with them runs to seed, whereof comes a prolific brood of other desires which the country can hardly satisfy."

It would be a curious matter to ascertain how many patriotic gentlemen there are in the country to each of whom, individually and solely, Gen. Harrison is indebted for his election. With regard to subordinate merit, some classification of claims might be made after the fashion of the following sketch, which is from a paper called the Spectator, of which our readers have probably heard, published in England some hundred or more years ago, under the editorial direction of Messrs. Addison and Steele:

I have before me a bundle of memorials presented by several cavaliers upon the restoration of King Charles II. which may serve as so many instances to our present purpose. Among several persons and pretensions recorded by my author, he mentions one of a very great estate, who, for having roasted an ox whole, and distributed a hog's head upon King Charles' birth-day, desired to be provided for as his majesty in his great wisdom should think fit.

Another put in to be Prince Henry's governor, for having dared to drink his health in the worst of times.

A third petitioned for a colonel's commission, for having cursed Oliver Cromwell, the day before his death, on a public bowling-green.

There is, likewise, the petition of one who, having let his beard grow from the martyrdom of King Charles the first, until the restoration of King Charles the second, desired in consideration thereupon to be made a privy councillor.

I must not omit a memorial setting forth that the memorialist had, with great despatch carried a letter from a certain lord to a certain lord, wherein, as it afterwards appeared, measures were concerted for the restoration, and without which he verily believes that happy revolution had never been effected; who thereupon humbly prays to be made postmaster-general.

A certain gentleman, who seems to write with a great deal of spirit, and uses the words gallantry and gentleman-like very often in his petition, begs that he (in consideration of his having worn his hat for ten years past in the royal cavalier cock, to his great danger and detriment) be made a captain of the guards.