The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TFIURSDAY -EVENING; 'AUGUST, 26,- 1869.

policy or tuo _mum tiovernment. At last, it says,
Ireland is being governed not for the benefit of
a section, but for the benefit of the whole Irish
people:—
"All sections stand now on terms of equality Lefoie the
law. We would prof "ourselves fit to enjoy the equal
rights of freemen in our common country. Let us forgive
and forget the past, audaet out ou the brighter destiny
now opening for our dear old native land ana for all her
children, with feelings of brotherly consideration for one
another—rivals only in the strength of our energy and
zeal and earnest desire to raise Ireland to the proud-and
prosperous position for which a generous Providence gifted
her."

ii FORMOSA."

The discussion on the modern stage in general, and
on the merits or demerits of the drama by Mr.
Boucicault now being played at Drury Lane, still
rages. Yesterday we published a letter from Mr.
Chatterton, the manager of that theatre, defending
" Formosa," on the ground that he was not respon-
sible for the public taste, and that multitudes came to
see his " immoral " play, whilst Shakspere is acted
to empty benches. But one visitor %% ho details his
experience disputes these facts altogether. lle went
to Drury-lane Theatre-last Monday, and found nut
fewer than nine private boxes empty. Mr. Chatterton
said there was "an overwhelming majority " of
ladies present. 'This critic says that the number did
not exceed twenty per cent. The tone of the
drama is unmistakeable ; but that it proves such an
attraction as is represented, this visitor altogether
denies. It is too coarse for family people ; and its
treatment is too refined for the dissipated and the
vicious.

FOREIGN NOTES.
SPAIN.

The Carlist-movement is nearly defeated, but from time
to time small bands appear in various directions, and it i 3
difficult to understand the policy of Don Carlos, because,
sooner or later, they must be defeated or forced to sur-
render at discretion. His agents have fatally misinformed
him with respect to the feeling of the Spanish people, for,
with the exception of the clergy, but few persons
of position have joined his standard. It is snid
that the French Ambassador at Madrid has had
a long conference with General Prim, and protested
most strongly against the attacks which the Spanish press
have been making on the Emperor. Napoleon for Lis sup-
posed tolerance towards the Carlists. Notwithstanding
this avowal, great discontent prevailed in Spain with
respect to the French policy, and the constant appearance
of Carlists on the French frontier tend to keep up the
feeling of irritation. Among the bands of conspirators
discovered was one in the province of Cuenca, at the head
of which appeared a sergeant of the civil guard.

sented the same characteristici to the Chinese four--
teen hundred years ago as to the Spaniards four
hundred years ago. There is, moreover, a remark-
able resemblance between the religion of the Aztecs
and the Buddhism of the Chinese, as well as be
tween the manners and customs of the Aztecs and,
those of the people of China. There is also a
great similarity between the features of the In-
dian tribes of Middle and South America and
those of the Chinese, and, as Hanley states, be-
tween the accent and most of the monosyl-
lables of the Chinese and Indian languages. In-
deed this writer gives a list of words which point
to a close relationship ; and infers therefrom that
there must have been emigration from China to the
American Continent at a most early period indeed,
as the official accounts of Buddhist priests notice
these things as existing already. Perhai s now old
records may be recovered in China which may fur-
nish full particulars of this question. It is at any
rate remarkable and confirmative of the id:a of
emigration from China to America at some remote
period that at the time of the discovery of America
by the Spaniards the Indian tribes on the coast of
the Pacific, opposite to China, for the most part
em.joycd a state of culture of ancient growth, while
the inhabitants of the Atlantic shore were found by
Europeans in a state of original barbarism: If the
idea of America having been discovered before the
time of Columbus be correct, it only goes to prove
that there is " nothing new under the sun." So says
Mr. Wells; and it is really surprising to find a
Senator advocating the re-peopling of those very
countries disorganized and brought to grief and
shame under the Spanish rule by the very race by
whom it is probable they were first settled. Asiatic
civilization, settled, thriving, and prosperous in
Mexico and Central America, after being ru•lely
disturbed and grossly misruled by Spanish barbar-
ism, may be regenerated by the old race, the influx
being contemporaneous with the sullen retirement
back to Spain from the last foothold of Spain on
the American soil. _ Thus we go see-sawing, the
swing first being from East to West, then from West
to East; and now apparently again from East to
West ; Europe retiring from all pplitical connection
with America, and Asia re-opening au immigration
after the history of its decay had been lost in the
lad se of ages.

MR. PARTON ON LEGISLATIVE CORRUPTION.
There is an interesting article in the Atlantic
Monthly for August on "Strikers' of the Washington
Lobby," written by Mr. Parton to prove that the
Senate is not corrupt and on General Butler's
behalf. It opens with a description of the well-
known lawyer, General, and Congressman; a pretty,
.though fanciful sketch, but it is the "Strikers," in
whom we are interested. Mr. Parton shows that it
is not the members of Congress who are corrupt,
but the " Strikers," a curious proposition by the
way, for if Congress were immacalate, the occupa-
tion of the lobby being gone, there would be no
lobby ; the existence of the lobby being itself the
best proof that there is corruption in Congress.
Mr. Parton goes on to show what the lobby achieved
iu the acquittal of Andrew Johnson, which he as-
serts to have been wholly its work. It was the
lobby that snatched him branded from the burning,
the least credulous of those who knew the circum-
stanc .s being hardly able to resist the impression
that three Republican votes were paid for, cash
down, joist before the votes were cast. Some of the
best iufortned in Washington " think they know
who received twenty-five thousand dollars for a
vote, who fifty thousand, who Indian contracts,
and who railroad influences more valuable than
both those sums united. They think they know at
what house, at what time of night, and by what
members of the lobby the money was lost at cards
to a Senator who voted next day for acquittal. All
of which may be true. Much of the valuable testimony
gathered by the select committee of the managers
seems to confirm these conjectures. We know that
Ora Johnson lobby, utterly devoid of principle and
dedency, had the money in their hands with which
to buy the criminal off. We know that money was
raised in custom-houses, and subscribed by distil-
lers, and that a million of dollars could have been
procured from those two sources alone, if it had
teen necessary. We know that the corruptibili'y
of Senators was a topic of conversation at the Pre-
tident's table, and that one of his confidants cor-
rect:y predicted, five weeks before the test vote was
taken, which seven Republican Senators would vote
for acquittal. We know that two of those Sena-
tors, to within a day or two of the voting, continued
to declare their intention to vote for conviction, and
then suddenly changed their intention without any
visible cause. We know that the lobby was in the
fullest activity about Washington, rushing to and
fro between New York and the capital, and tele-
graphing in cipher. I know that the strikers of
the lobby were not idle, but rose to the occasion,
and offered to sell to the managers votes enough to
convict for a hundred-and ten thousand dollars—
but the managers were up to the game. We know
that the heads of the Johnson lobby were as sure of
an acquittal before the vote was taken as they were
after ; and that they acted upon their knowledge
in the Gold-room and elsewhere." One would sup-
pose that Mr. Parton had in making these statements
convinced himself at least that three votes were
bought, and, considering that there was another lobby
" the strikers" of the other side, which Mr. Par-
ton has chosen to overlook if they had been bought,
in it are the men who certainly would have dis-
covered the fact. There was a lobby more eagerly
pushing to get Wade in and Johnson out than
those who held the post to keep Johnson in and Wade
out, and were the baits held out in the pro-
posed 'distribution of office; we are all familiar with
the use they made of terrorism and the whip. The
lives of the " recreants" became a burden to them.
From every side was held over their devoted heads
those threatening vials of wrath which party in
America know so well how to use, and all we can
say is that if the three were paid, they earned the
money. But were there not seven ? and what
about the balance ; herein Mr. Parton is com-
pelled to admit that there were Republicans who
conscientiously voted for Andrew Johnson's ac-
quittal. But Mr. Parton's argument leads to a
conclusion almost as extraordinary as that of Gcn.
Butler, who persisted in considering the seven as
guilty, because he had hunted through Washington
like a sluice hound on the scent of their guilt, and
failed to discover any. If, argued the able advo-
cate, they had been been wholly innocent they
would surely have left some traces of guilt, and
the fact that not a particle can be found shows that
they must have been actively and cunningly em-
ployed in annihilating every trace. Here is Mr.
Parton's conclusion, which is scarcely less contra-
dictory, and as he has lately visited General But-
ler he has arrived at a wonderful similarity in his
manner of argument. "Now the simplest expla-
nation of all this is, that the three or four votes
supposed to have been given against the convictions
of the Senators who gave them were bought with
money, and yet the probability is that they were
not." But the truth is that Mr. Parton in his ar-
ticle had two objects which so little harmonised that
they landed him in this contradiction. He wanted
to prove that the Senate was not corrupt, and that
the Legislatures of the United States were unjustly
aspersed, but he wanted also to let the public
know how Andrew Johnson escaped, by showing
that three Senators had been bribed to vote against
their convictions, which is the strongest proof he
could have given against his original proposition.
At the same time we fully believe that the legisla-
tures of the United States are nothing like as cor-
rupt as the press represents. It is the habit of the
intelligent editor to account for others acing
against the opinions he conscientiously holds to be
true and self-evident, by saying that they are
bribed. Half believing this himself, ho has little
hesitation in announcing it as a fact when puzzled
to account for the motives of his adversary, and
this evil practice of so frequently attributing bri-
bery leads to the very corruption he is always de-
nouncing. If the people believe that all are bribed
to whom bribery is attributed, they must think
those whose outward life induces others to regard
as the best men in the United States, are in truth
corrupt, and that it is not a bad thing after all to
be corrupt—a long step on the road to dishonesty.
The force of the charge is lost in the general false-

hoixt of the -accusation—just as -the value of good
stock is lost by extensive watering. On the one
hand the habit removes obstacles in the way of
temptation, and on the other it shows in an en-
viable light the prosperity and security of the
wicked. Senator Wilson, writing to the Boston
Journal, says that he has acted with over 200 Se-
nators, among whom there are scarcely any he
could even suspect of a corrupt motive. While
far from wishing to cloak dishonesty, we believe
that such articles as Mr. Parton's would have a
good tendency had he not allowed himself to attri-
bute the very sin he desired to prove seldom in-
vaded-the precincts of the Senate Chamber, to Se-
nators against whom not a particle of proof coul'J
be discovered even by the minutest investigation.

AMERICAN BENEVOLENCE AND SELF-

DENIAL.

The Nation, in returning to the subject discussed
in its article on the wages in the public service,
illustrates a fact now but seldom noticed—public
attention being almost invariably directed to the
dishonesty of the United States officials, not to the
numerous instances of self-denial and patriotism,
as it is to American crime, not to a charity which
exceeds that of any other nation, England not ex-
cepted. The Comptroller of the Treasury has a
large family with at most but moderate means, and
being able to do better outside the public service
he has earnestly wished to resign, though holding
On under the promises and persuasions of commit-
tees and Congressmen. Lately his salary had been
raised from $3,500 to $5,000, but not till a long
period had elapsed on the former inadequate sti-
pend. When the test cases under " the 20 per
cent. resolution" were about to be decided, a per-
son suggested to the Comptroller that in case
of a. favourable decision he should countersign
the warrants for the numerous claims lying behind,
amounting to $600,000, whereon this person would"-
buy:them up, and give half the profits to any one
the Comptroller named, which he could have re=
ceived without any scandal resulting, fur be had
opposed the claim, and would, in case of the favour-
able decision by the proper tribunal, merely appear
as carrying out its decree against his own opinion.
Such influences officials have to withstand, by which
money may be made out of an office in a'way that re-
quires but littlesophistry to sooth the conscience as not
irregular, and far from dishonest. Though there can
be no doubt that the name of those who do resist and
get but little credit for their pains is Legion, yet such
instances show the advisability of paying a sufficient
salary to withdraw the temptation of pressing need.
The case of Mr. Jackson, who was discharged from
an appointment given him by Mr. AP C ulloch , under
very peculiar circumstances, is adverted to. fie
abandoned a well-established legal business to fight
in the Union cause on the outbreak of the war, and
four years of unusual hardships broke down an iron
constitution, and sent him delirious into hospital,
with his physical health impaired, and his nervous
system shattered. When discharged from hospital
he was unfit to resume his law business, or any
other active pursuit, and the physici ins reco.n•
mended that he should be employed in the less re-
sponsible and onerous work of a clerk in the public
service. This post Secretary M'Culloch gave him,
and from it Secretary Boutwell discharged bim in
compliance with what the Nation asserts to be the
vile system now in operation in the United States.
When the case was known, it immediately stirred
into action some eminent gentlemen in New York,
as well as Mr. George Stuart, of Philadelphia,
" whose name is a guarantee of what is honest and
good." Clergymen were called out of the pulpit,
and judges away from the Bench, to run about
among the different members of the Cabinet, and the
cruel wrong was righted after much precious pub-
lic time had been wasted over this little second-class
clerkship. We quote this instance, as it shows how
many are the individuals, and how earnest they are
to prevent an injustice. The moment the ca.) was
known, persons of influence hurried to Washington
to rectify what was regarded as a cruel wrong, and
never ceased till the object was accomplished, and
this may be relied on to be done whenever what ap-
pears to be unfair becomes public. Paradoxical as it
may appear, no small share of the. corruption, and
of the crime of the United States, has its source in
the charity and good nature of the people. Justice
is too much tinged with mercy, charity with good
nature. The unfortunate, who can best simu-
late distress, move men of weight to sign appli-
cations for place, and testimonials in favour of the
applicant, and the sort of trial is frequent which
the Pall-Mall Gazette terms trial by the Daily
Telegraph, that is, by charitable persons wbo can-
not be acquainted with the real facts of the case,
bringing their superficial knowledge to bear against '
the Minister in whose bands is the prerogative of
mercy to set asido a sentence rightfully awarded,
which when skilfully arid persistently done, is very
often successful. But this only proves that there
is nothing in the world perfect, not even charity and
an overflowing kindness of heart ; indeed no man
of experience ventures on charity without being '
aware that he is treading a path which brings him
into the ',tormentor's clutches, and the bidgraphies
of Mr. Peabody and Miss Burdett Coutts will
be curious hereafter in showing the fact. To do
Americans justice none more courageously, and,
we may add, more numerously take to this road.
The feeling had its influence too in bringing about
the Civil War, for it was the philantrophists who
first moved with that restless energy which distin-
guishes them for the abolition of slavery, and it
was their dreaded effect'on the nation which more
than anything else drove the Southerners into rebel-
lion. In New York city alone there are twenty-
two distinct charitable institutions under the care
of the Commissioners of PubliVharitiee—four city
hospitals, a penitentiary, a workhouse, nine hos-
pitals, an asylum for lunatics, an asylum for the
blind, an asylum for idiots, another for inebriates,
an almshouse, a nursery for the children of paupers,
and a reformatory school. In the year 1868,
92,272 persons were accommodated in these institu-
tions, and over $1,500,000 were expended in their
maintenance, and in new buildings and repairs.
The inmates were distributed as follows :—Penal
institutions, 48,936 ; workhouse, 16,946 ; alms-
house, 4,135 ; hospitals, 19,832 ; nurseries for
pauper children, 2,429 ; lunatic asylum, 1,580 ; ine-
briate asylum, 663 ; blind asylum, 132 ; idiot
asylum, 109 ; reformatory school, GO. Among the
institutions for the sick and diseased are a general
hospital at Bellevue, a charity hospital, an, infant
hospital, an hospital for incurables, a small-pox hos-
pital, a fever hospital, an epileptic hospital, and a
paralytic hospital. The average cost of each in-
mate, per annum, is—ln the penitentiary, $l6O 52 ;
workhouse, $llO 28 ; city prisons, $156 48 ; alms-
house, $64 78 ; blind asylum, $79 69 ; the various
hospitals, $llB 69 ; lunatic asylum, $lO9 70 ; Ran-
dall's Island nurseries, $ll9 84 ; Randall's Island
hospital, nursery, and idiot asylum, $l2O 51. The
average per capita for all the institutions is $ll2 74.
The Bureau of Medical and Surgical Relief for Out-
door Poor, which was organized by the board two
years ago, has already shown itself very successful.
It extended its benefits last year to 25,000 persons.
The city is divided into poor districts, 10 or 11 in
number, and the applicants arc visited by a district
visitor, who reports on the case to the Superinten-
dent of the Poor. The Commissioners have lately
appointed, or propose to appoint, a physician to
each district at a salary of $5OO a year. The am •
bulances for removing persons who may be injured
by accidents, or become sick in the streets, are kept
harnessed and ready, day and night, at Bellevue
Hospital. A ship of 1,200 ts
and burden
iis
being
fitted
has beentte
purchased by the Commissioners,
up for the purposes of educating poor
. boysfor sea-
men,v to accommodate at least 200. This is in a city
charity is more than in any other in America
choked ty corruption ; yet the pockets of its citizens
are a never-failing fountain, whence the poor draw
copious draughts. The Bostonian with means who
dies without leaving something to help an hospital,
a school, or some other establishment intended to
aid the poor, makes himself remarkable, and in no
two cities of the world in proportion to size has more
been done to spread Gospel truths than in Boston
and Philadelphia. Perhaps the " City of Brotherly
Love" has sent forth more missionaries than any
community not far exceeding its population, such