The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-03-09
THE NEW YORK LEC-sUB-TREAsU
RERs, PRICE AND swARTwOUT.

The following is an extract Of letter to
one Of the members Of the defalcation inves-
iigating committee, from an old Democrat Of
New York, who was an original supporter Of
General Jackson and Mr.. Van Buren,. Mr..
Price, as we have before shown, was the pet
Of Mr.. VAN buren,! It is owing to such
appointments, that the people are plundered.
aNEw YoRx. February 10, 1889.
"May ask my dear sir, to have copy of your
report, when printed Having intimately known,
for more than twenty years, the two prominent men
destined TO figure in that report, and achieve i'm
mortality through the nfamy il will doubtless dis
close, l am DESTROYS of possessing the document
The career of these men has been precisely snch as
close scrutiny Of their characters would have led
a sensible man 10 predict. AT the periods Of their
respective appointment TO Office, both were in en-
barrassed pecuniary Icumslances-bothproveIbi bal
ly incompent 10 save or have the custody of money
-boih, Price particularly fond of gambling, and ne
notorious debauchee-and neither of them possess
ing unquestioned credit for even suit Of clothes.
Swartwout, always fond Of advenluring in doubtful
specuIalions possessing more imagination than
Judgment was Just the man TO borrow from the funds
in his keeping for the purpose of indIgng his Wis
ionary fancies in regard to stocks, mines, drowned
meadows, and the like chimeras; always in the
hope, however, of great returns OF profits with
which to make good his accounts-wbe Price, de-
liberalely base and utterly unprincipled, would not
hesitate al any lime of his lle in squandcling the
funds Of others regardless of the consequences TO
them and totally indifferent to payment, even il he
had the means in his pocket. Such are not The men
to fill offices of high moneyed trusts, nor such as
would be selected by individuals employing conf
Dental agents.
| CAS- a general rule, il is always unsafe TO appoint
| 10 the custody Of money, men who have proved
themselves incompetent to manage their private
aifairs--ihere are exceptions doubtless, but they
rare, and in the application Of this rule, would pro-
nounce the present collector Of this port bad APP
pon,ment; and for the same cause, Also large
proportion Of his subordinatcs ought never 10 have
been called into the service of the Government.
Time was, when things were differently ordered
but melancholy change has come over us: decep-
lion fraud, rottenness, and infamy, are become as
dust in the balance in the eyes Of power and party
expediency. Every thing for these-noihing for our
country or its character Look at the recent con-
spiracy in our Stale Senate. Does language furnish
terms sufficiently damnng to characterize the act Of
press or for the individual members themselves, to
attempt TO pallale or disguise The black enormiy Of
their offence Deep guilt, involving all the dire re-
sponsibeness of deliberate moral perjury rests
upon their souls, and all the waters Of the earth
no, wash on, the stain! No sophistry that ingenuity
can conjure up-no self-deusion that the members
may attempt, can ever justify their act either 10 their
own consciences, or to an insuted and outraged
~ II iptar af nd far
that alone they have broken through the restraints
of solemn oah sworn upon the gospels, and con-
cnded by the awful appeal So help me GodF'
Beyond this party discipline can never drive its
slaves the last step in personal and political degra-
daion, has been taken by these 10 Senators, and If
they are not hereafter doomed, even in this world to
feel the weight Of their infamy, shall almost doubt
the retribuve justice Of Gods Providence.