Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness

The words of Thomas Jefferson, philosopher of liberty and drafter of a nation’s charter, strike with the weight of timeless warning: “Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct.” In this saying, he unmasks the corruption that comes not only from power itself, but from the desire for power. For when ambition becomes hunger, virtue decays; when one covets office for its own sake, service is forgotten, and selfishness begins to rot the soul.

The ancients spoke often of this truth. Plato declared that the best rulers are those who do not wish to rule, for ambition distorts judgment, while reluctance preserves virtue. Cincinnatus, the Roman farmer called to lead, accepted command only to return swiftly to his plow, preferring duty over glory. Such men serve the state with purity, for they do not “cast a longing eye” upon office, but bear it as a burden. Jefferson’s wisdom echoes these voices, warning that those who crave authority most fiercely are often least fit to wield it.

His words grew from the soil of young America, where the revolutionaries had fought not to enthrone new kings but to secure republican virtue. Jefferson saw the danger of politicians whose ambition made them court power rather than the common good. To him, the office was not a prize, but a trust, and to lust after it was already to betray its sacred purpose. For when power is sought for self, the rot begins, and it spreads into bribery, flattery, manipulation, and tyranny.

Consider the story of Julius Caesar, whose ambition to rule Rome destroyed the Republic. While others, like Cato and Cicero, valued principle above office, Caesar longed for the crown in all but name. That “longing eye” poisoned his conduct, turning him from general into usurper, and his rise marked the death of liberty in Rome. Jefferson, steeped in the histories of Greece and Rome, surely recalled such lessons when he penned his warning.

Let the generations remember: the true measure of a leader is not in how eagerly he seeks office, but in how faithfully he serves when called. Rottenness begins in the heart when ambition eclipses duty, and no nation can endure when its leaders see power as prize rather than trust. Jefferson’s words are not only caution but command: to guard against those who thirst for authority, and to honor those who accept it with humility. For in the republic, the greatest danger lies not in enemies abroad, but in the corruption born from ambition within.