Constitutional Whig

From the Political Arena of May 19.

The last Richmond Enquirer says:

"We have uniformly thought that in no case except where the office was one of the highest grade, ought the President to interfere with the representatives of the people. But cui bono! General Jackson has not broken in upon this rule; all his appointments from either House of Congress are of that character. The moment he appoints members to ministerial offices, as Post masters, Collectors, Auditors, &c &c. it will then be time for the people to speak out."

Mr. Ritchie, you have spoken too fast--how could you have been so indiscreet? How could you have overlooked the fact that Gen. Chandler of the Senate and Mr. Owen of Alabama, of the lower house, have been appointed Collectors? How could you have forgotten that Mr. Jeromus Johnson, a member of Congress from New York, has been appointed not a collector it is true, but an appraiser in the city of New York, a ministerial office certainly, and within the contingency, when you think the people should speak out? We think the line of distinction which our friend Ritchie draws, is past ridiculous. The collectorship, the appraisership, or the Post Office of one of our large cities, may be as much an object with some men, as a Foreign Mission, or a seat in the Cabinet with others. One class of office may be bestowed with as much effect as the other, whether it be as the reward of partizan services, or as a refuge from indignant and betrayed constituents. If then the appointment of members of either house of Congress to office is wrong in principle, and subversive of the purity of our institutions--which we are not prepared to assert or deny--but which was certainly the opinion of Gen. Jackson in 1825, when he wrote his celebrated letter of resignation--is it not absurd to find in the magnitude and importance of the office, to which the member is appointed, a palliation of the departure from the principle? We should feel rather disposed to reverse Mr. Ritchie's rule, and most loudly condemn the appointment of members to offices of "the highest grade."--The temptation being greater is of course more dangerous. What effect will be produced upon our institutions by the appointment of ten members of Congress to lucrative and honorable stations, time will determine, sooner perhaps, than Gen. Jackson's inconsistency in appointing them, will be forgotten or forgiven.

As members have been appointed "collectors" and to other "ministerial" offices, we take it for granted that Mr. Ritchie, notorious as he is for consistency and adherence to principle, will at once "speak out." That he will follow suit whenever "the people speak out," is very certain.