Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/200

 The second, occurring at the same juncture, is thus presented in a brief article prepared by the writer for the daily press as these pages of Houston's Congressional career, prepared by him, are being revised for publication:

"CIVIL SERVICE REFORM BEFORE JACKSON'S ADMINISTRATION.

"The discussion of this question of the age calls for two demands from impartial judges: first, that the voice of the past be heard; second, that partisan bias be silenced in listening to that voice. It is a common impression that Jackson originated, and that Marcy first formulated, the doctrine as to American civil service, that ' to the victors belong the spoils.' Facts, however, attest that Jackson's course was but a reaction against previous abuses, as the two following testimonies show.

"Under the genial administrations of Mr. Monroe, ' the era of good feeling,' the Post-Office, as well as other departments, had taken on those corrupt practices which Amos Kendall, P. M. General under Jackson, was so efficient in correcting. The accession of Adams, by attempted changes in the West and South, little known to the President, only aggravated these evils. Sam Houston, then a young Representative from Tennessee, so won popular esteem by his effort to correct improper appointments that after two terms in Congress, from 1823 to 1827, as to aid largely in his election as Governor. In one case, as Houston stated, a postmaster was appointed whom all the people whom he was to serve disapproved, and the appointment was made with the concurrence of only one of eleven members of the Senate and House from Tennessee. On the 8th February, 1826, the following resolution was introduced into the Senate by Hon. Nathaniel Macon, of North Carolina, who nad been in Congress from the opening of the second session in 1791:

"The election to the Presidency of J. Q. Adams by the Houses of Congress led to such a popular demand that a 'grand committee' of both Houses was appointed to recommend an amendment to the Constitution which should hereafter prevent such an occurrence. On the date mentioned Senator Macon moved the following:

"'Resolved, That the committee to whom has been referred the several resolutions to amend the Constitution of the United States be instructed to inquire into the expediency of diminishing or regulating the patronage of the Executive of the United States, with leave to report by bill or otherwise.'

"The resolution was referred as proposed. On the 28th May following, the 'grand committee' reported through their chairman, Mr. McDuffie: that they found it impossible to agree on any common plan for obviating an evil generally admitted; and that because of the conflicting interests involved, both between the larger and smaller States, and between Federal and State rivalries. That Marcy in his oft-quoted statement had a spice of humor is manifest from his well-known character, and from the following incident: On the evening after his appointment as Secretary of State under Gen. Pierce, in a company who called for social courtesy, a committee of political aspirants were ushered into the Secretary's parlor. In pressing their claim, which sought removals of tried men of the former administration, Marcy 's famed expression was quoted to him;