The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-09-25
THE BOOK /!

~, s,rreptitiously published in New York, under
:. .,.oices of the notorious VIM. l.. Mackenzie
W. Law before our readers, this evening, an article
,.no If extracts from the "New York Morning
M.us and the "New York Evening Post" we
w.. rs.d some of the letters, which have been cop
:, into the Tribune" and the Express" shave
t..a over the remarks Of several of the papers
%, this curious correspondence We have read
sr.r few of the short notes, occupying not more
~. ,,vo pages, and cast ouS eye over the general
-..r,nce of the book, which was put into our
a. =, too late an hour this evening to appreciate
its contents
IN, impression.decidedly is, that it is one OF the
-, shameless and Infamous productions that has
omanated from the American press. why
y, ,r;v,te letters which have been published,
al .ome of,hem written twenty years ago, should
~. heen carried by Mr.. Hoyt to the custom
.,,.s--why they should have been kept there for
:, loog time after the chairman of the Polndexter
.o.m;,,ee had once laid his long and bony fingers
Il, the papers in the custom-house--wh
.i.;.,sd VIM. l.. Mackenzie in arranging them, con-
.;,a them with intermediate explanations, and
,,;,a the infamous work--are circumstances yet to
i, explained. Mr.. Hoyt has not, so far as we are
.dv;ssd explained these circumstances, as far as
:. he understands them; but, of course, he Will come
-, and clear his skirts of all participation in the
:.e,,,ous work We cannot believe that he who was
~, oolv raised by MIR. Martin Van Buren, in his
as.. m. fren, of Messrs. Butler and John Van
A.. fnr his If.
Gee as collector, was innocent of the act; but we
must believe that he will spare no effort to account
for the publication, and unmask the guilty Perpe-
traitor, 1t is suspected that w. L. Mackenzie
s,,na the letters in the custom-house, was guided
N their discovery by some more cunning scoundrel,
and employed hours when he should have been DIS
charging his duties as Inspector, in stealing copies
If rapers which, in strict honor, he ought never TO
have inspected. The whole plot is shameless and
wi,hering to the character of every man who was
ooncened in it. It Is founded on the most proAigate
abOse of private morals. 1t cuts up every spe-
cies of confidence between man and man, by the
roots Let no one who was concerned in the
transaction ever be trusted.
We have not read the pamphlet, we repeat; but
we have read the letters which some Of the wing
naDers in New York have published; and we con-
fess we do not perceive the corruption which is said
by the wings to run through them. We have Pc
r,sed with great care the letters Of Mr.. Martin Van
Buren,, which the last New York Express CLEANED
from the mass, as ono Gifts precious extracts; but
there is nothing in them of which an honorable man
H. ,,aI Va fisrfh 4l-
ysed by gentleman who has read the whole, and
was aware, several weeks before they appeared, Of
the channels through which they were to run, that
there is nothing in them calculated to affect IN any
serious manner, the moral character Of Mr.. Hoyt's
correspondents.
II is evident, however, that the editor his aiders
and abettors, have counted upon thelpoical effects
il would have upon the republican politicians of
New York; and it is amusing to see the various
courses which the wing presses have taken in
noticing the work. The New York Trbunc-whose
editor can pass with the most easy transition from
The breach of private confidence the gravity Of the
pulpit-pubishes copious extracts from the cores
pondence. The editor of the New York Express
splits hairs, and plays the easy casust upon the oc-
cason. He ropublishes the letters under the affected
impression that the owners Of the letters assisted in
giving them the world, or that they were custom
house documents, surrendered by that owner to the
public" So far, Continues the Express,) we feel
that we are acting right When we know more,
we shall say more" Exquisite critic! divine moral
list, he isl The "New York Courier and Enquirer"
Ito its honor be il said) takes the following manly
and gentemanly ground:
Il" sound axiom that the receiver OF stolen goods is
no better than the thief and to publish any portion Of these
vidual who has thrown them before the public Any editor
who would publish them would, IL IL to be presumed have
done all that Mackenzie has done Certainly no person
possibly loan his columns to such nquitous proceed
ing That some papers have and will publish them one
can doubt who is ami with the character Of portion Of
The press but most assuredly, respectable press will
thus proclaim its editor any thing but gentleman"
Our contemporary Of the National Intelgencer
devotes very long article in this mornings paper
to the pamphlet; and, whilst it appears TO have avery
qualmish conscience on the occasion, and declines
publication Of the letters, yet, by the very manner
Of noticing it, whets the prurient appetite for the
forbidden fruit. II is amusing TO see how the
National lnelligencer encourages others to pcruse,
10 search, and to read what its fastidious taste
affects to condemn. 1t first strikes the eye with the
touching title "a startling publications" and them
after recng the contents of the book, it proceeds to
'an'alIze the public curiosity thus:
I'VE have hastily our eye over this publication, and
we are not surprised OF the curiosity which il has erced
u mai not among The opers 9 aidi merely whose appe
u me contents OF the compilation iceH calculated
Eayy but among Of all classes aud all parties The let
yrs certainly contain strange Developments They how
EVER letters evidently written in all the freedom Of inma
W ana with the most entire confidence In the sanctity OF
private correspondence the violation Of which crcnm
ahces oil political luminosity personal difference jus
placed IA print before one but cannot reconcile IL
me rule oiconduct by which have been govern
@ 10 De instrumental in extending the publicity already
SVEN 70 these private letters We therefore refrain howerer
.uohsy tempted, from sai,acfing from this book any
pNt q as contents The other matter in the book
consists chiefly OF facts extracted from the report made
* Inc commissioners appointed In the year 1871 BY
Executive OF the United States to investigate the
s. s OF the New York customh house. Those facts Of
asceHained Important in hemsepts, and subject for
poen have not before been prominently presented TO
The large volume Of the reports deferred public
~ from the attempt TO publish them and the labor
, enaysn Of them was almost appalling Such, ut
So 'he reason why readers have heard little Of
. reports OF which small number OF copies only were
ior congress, and still smaller number of these
eoutse iound their way into the hands of individuals
by Mr. Mackenze's publication of The interest
disclosed in these reports Us perhaps no, yet Too
at TO bring them TIE particular notice OF our ovvn reaA
a ttl Al, lraf, y