The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1826-10-31


will be safe. - s,sa ew
Who sigh and groan
"For public good, but serve their own"
THE GREEK FRIGATES.
In the early part of the year 1895, nego-
citation was entered into between gentleman
acting under the authority Of the Greek dep
uties residing in London, and two mercantile
houses in New York-Le Roy, Bayard, B
Co. and G. G. & S. HOwland.-for the con-
struction Of two Frigates, to be employed in
the service of the Greeks !; and funds to the
amount of $75O,OO0 were forwarded to this
country to meet the expenses of building and
equipping the same. The sympathies Of the
American people in favour Of the suffering
Greeks had been warmly expressed, and it
was reasonable to expect that money devoted
to the sacred cause Of Liberty, would in this
country be prudently and discteetly mama
ged; but to the everlasting disgrace Of certain
important characters in Newly ork, it has been
so far otherwise, that the most unheard Of
prodigality-the most unblushing iniquity.--
has attended the expending of this treasure
bought with blood. It would be futile to
speak in milder terms Of this foul transaction
las well might we call bowling tempest
mild weather, or burning fery furnace
cool atmosphere, as to speak of the building
and fitting UP of these frigates as an honoura-
BILE, honest concern. The U. S. frisate Bran
dywine, built Of lire oak and completely
equipped, cost but. S273 900 but these two
figates, Of inferior rate, and built Of arhite oak,
cost SO much more thanthe $3.50, 600 actual
ly paid, that one Of them was sold under the
hammer to pay the extra expenses, before the
other could sail to the assistance Of suffering
humanity. 1t has been said Of one of the prin-
cipal agents in this criminal Observation-Disclosures
Platt,-that he has done all in his power to
ruin one country and disgrace another; and
every feature Of this transaction justiles the
charge. The agents in the business who have
so we'll lined their pockets at the expense Of
the unfortunate Greeks, have publickly re-
quested their fellow citizens to suspend
judgment upon the case until every particular
is made known. This IS notsa new method
Of escaping from that expression ofpublic in
dignation. which ought ever fill upon high
handed swindlers. A certain important char
acter in this state, when the feeiingsof COM
mnnity were most sorely wounded by his in
iquity, earnestly requested the hundreds and
thousands whom he had impoverished, to he
calm and quiet. and he would shortly convince
them that his skirts were free from any Grim
inal stain in the transaction. Ifthe principal
actors in the fitting up Of the Greek frigates
can say any thing in exclamation Of their con-
duct, now is the time to say it. 1t will be in
vain for them to pretend that cxpositiops can
hereafter be made which shall completely ex-
honorate them from blame, but that the time
has not yet arrived for making them public.
How can they convince the citizens Of this
country that common rated (rigate, built Of
schtte oak, necessarily cost the enormous sum
Of S750, 900, when first rate frigate can be
built OF lice oak, and completely equipped, with
six months provisions on board, for Se7 1000
How can they convince the public that the
casual attendance Of naval oiIiccr--a mere
sinecure at best, and his services but Of NOM
inal, value,-at the ship yard. was worth Sll.-
500 What new mode Of reasoning will the
arbitrator adopt to convince the world that
the mercantile houses had right to ten per
cent commission on advances made by them
for the construction OF the ffigates, thus Civ
ing them forty thousand dollars mare than
they first claimed, that the services Of the
banker, who had never before been known to
have rendered any services, was worth S..
8sO,-that Captain Chauncey's time, over and
above an allowance of Sil,50O. was worth
ten dollars per day.--and to cap this climax
Of high-handed tyrannical swindling,-that
their time--a few days--in making up this un-
accountable award, was worth 81, 500 apiece
This last act, of charging $4,000 as arbitrator's
fees, charged by the arbitratofs themselves,
teith interest tilypaid, forms the nucleus ofthe
whole transactions. 1t was that this before
unheard Of charge might be allowed in 81
lence. that such gilded pills were given to the
other parties concerned. Let it be told 70
the honour of Judge Platt and his associates.
that for few days services for the oppressed
Greeks, he has been paid out of their treasures
fifteen hundred dolidrs! and may he enjoy the
lucre with what appetite he can Whether
the other arbitrators have had the hardiho0d
to receive the like sum each does not yet ap-
pear. II may appear strange how these men
could so .contrOul the funds Of the Greeks
as to collect such charges; but this is explain
ed in the fact that by agreement the figates
were conveyed in trust to them TO abide the
n - ~ a. a. a.