The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-07-11
LOCO-FOCO FABRICATIONS.
swARTwouT.


LOCO-FOCO FABRICATIONS.
swARTwouT.
Some of the Federal Loco-foco journals are re-
yiving the stale and exploded falsehood, first put
forth by the mendacous Globe, that Swartwout
was not friend of the Administration. Mr. Bid
die, of Penn, in his powerful speech on the
Sub-treasury Bill, noticed this wretched shift Of
an Administration that has VIGOROUSLY kept
in office detected defaullers, and has repeated
ly exercised the powers and influences of Go
vernment to shield them from punishment. As
settler to the fabrication Of Blair Kendall &
Co. now 50 industriously propagated, we present
a brief sketch of that part Of Mr.. Biddle's
speech.
| He called attention to the manner in which SMART
wouT had earned the coectorship of New York and
had been thus enabled to cheat the people out of
| MILLION AND QUARTER OF DOLLARS. He read from
Niles Register the letter Of General Jackson to Swart
won't in 1925, beginning /" Ny dear Sir" in which
the General pours forth his upon the head of
Henry Clay, and vaunts of his own claims upon the
country. Swartwout published this letter with pre-
| face made up of such nlsome aduation that the
grossest appetite, would think ought TO have re-
VOTED from it. Brightest ornament in war, far
above General Washington, strongest advocate in
peace &c, &c. This letter will be read with the
deepest interest by the American People. 1t breathes
the language of the puREsT patriotism of the MOST
PERFECT devotion to the rights the interests and the
republican institutions of our country 1t is manly
temperate, but convincing vindcaon of the character
| and public services of of the GREATEST men and
| PUREsr patriots that OTHER country has
EVER produced" &C.
Mr.. b. thought it easy in this preface, to
trace the indications of that viany which after
wards broke out in a manner fragrant they might
be detected, by close observer in that prouse employ
ment of the slang common in the mouths of politi
cal swinders about the :" dear People"
So it with Price. This man would declaim at
Tammany Hall by the hour about the virtue Of the
people, democracy economy, and the money power
He would then retire to laugh the farcical display
amidst his boon companions of the night banquet in
the deep drawn recesses of intense luxury, where
art exhausted its stimulate the appettes of
aded scnsualsts 1t is said that the messenger from
the steam vessel to inform Price that her steam
up found him haranguing at Tammany Hall
| Mr.. Cambreleng, Chairman of the Committee of
Ways and Means, in the anxiety to clear his own
the House, that he had demonstrated against the APP
pointment of Swartwout and predicted exactly what
took place How does this add to the imprcssvcness
of the warning Here we see fixed eager, uncon-
trollabe determination to reward grovelling syco-
plant; to place the public treasure at the mercy of
one whose sole recommendation was that he had mi
nisered with activity to the vengeance and vanity of
his fellow man Swartwout, in pcnning that preface,
knew and calculated its effect and its reward he saw
in the prospective; the opportunity for plumber, and
laughed in his sleeve at the very gullbility which
he was practising.
Some one near Mr., Biddle asked whether Swart-
won't had not become Wing Mr. b. said he was
not prepared to give to the question, nor
did it merit Very possibly, In the agonics of re-
morse this had turned from his corrupt and villa
nous associaons-from the ungody ways of the spoil
ler-from the school of Marcy to better and purer
faith, in the hope of consolation and atoncment Was
that matter of rcproach to us As well might you
contend that the Bible is dishonored when a thief
der the gallows clasps it to his bosom What was
Swartwout when he stole the money! That is the
period at which to draw party lines His populations
began Immediately on his appointment, and the pre-
face shows his creed and character These persons
our side has heretofore contended that merely profess
sing to be Wing was, of ITSELF sufficient to insure
his honesty. Yet this sort of cry seems to involve
such notion the part of our advcrsaries They
not surprised that spoiler should be dishonest
It's his voca,ion-but they thunderstruck if even
the vest renegade from their own ranks does not in
stantly become purified by his new associations.
1t is very shallow view of the subject, how
ever, to suppose that the great moral of this case
can be- lost or obscured in any such petty issue
The lesson to be impressed upon the people is
one of wide, indeed universal, application to all
men and all parties, at time when it is pro-
posed to break down even the existing guards
upon the Treasury. 1t looks to the frightful ia
cility with which the Executive can be success
fully approached by artful demagogues and
needy adventures and the public money pill
laged, Such was the scandalous Impotence
to let in this man Swartwout, that his bonds, it
appears, were so executed as not TO be worth
one straw, and bill is now actually pending to
compromise with his sureties for the trine they
are willing to pay
The EXTRA GLOBE is made up of the principal edi-