The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-27
For the S0Mlrn Press.


| mo. >.
New YonK, Feb. Is, 1851
Continuing the subject ofinternal mprovements,
whether by States, or by corporations under their
sanction. shall proceed to point out what APP
pears to the greatest Of all the objections TO the
system. 1t directly tends to the corruption both
OF the people and their legislators, by substituting
| priyats and local interests in place Of political
| principles, aud rendering our elections, in great
measure, subservient to the former, The people
are drawn into sectional rivalries for pecunary
advantages to he derived from Iesslation; and in-
stead Of looking to the great principle Of equal
rights, which is the basis Of all freedom, think Of
nothing but securing to themselves, Individually,
| more than their share.
But for the sake Of those Of my readers, who
may not have been initiated into the my steres Of
political trading and special legislation, for pur-
poses OF private interests, will trace the rise and
progress Of one Of these great public improve
ments. 1t generally, indeed always, originates
with some disnterested public spirited patriotic
citizen, who lives, and moves, and tt.s5 being
| in the sole pursuit of the public good, which with
! him, means nothing more than the private advan
tage Of himself and his confidential friends, con-
sstng OF needy spectators, aud desperate trading
| politicians. The plan being privately settled
the work is commenced Nriatim: first, by an
actual, or conditional purchase--on tick-Of the
most eligible sites the line of the projected i'm
| provement, whose value will be greatly enhanced
| by proximity or other circumstances. The grand
terminus especially, is a capital subject for a
speculation. The second step, is to adopt oc
cult system OF maneuvering, which confess
could never thoroughly comprehend. and which
| only the most expert trading politicians can re-
duce TO practice, but whose object is TO secure the
election OF one or more of the confederacy to the
legislature.
| This being done--for these expert operators
seldom fail in their pIaD--and the legislature con-
vened, a corps Of lobby members, Iog-rollers. or
borers, as they are indifferenty called, are de-
| spatched to the seat Of wisdom and patriotism,
for the purpose Of eniightenng the benighted re-
g'on inside. This they do by the most insnuating
devices. Sometimes they make the members
laugh by their excellent jokes; at others, they
give dinners and suppers, especially the Inter, in
which the champagne is lnim'tably persuasive, and
! the oysters irreslstably eloquent. In very des
| perate cases, where the honorable member is a
teetotaller, or troubled with indigestion, other
more substantial inducements are offered beg
| pardon--insinuated. What these are, the reader
may Judge from the general character Of the lobby
members. They are, for the most part, men
schooed in all the mysteries of intrigue and cor
ruption, and from their own personal experience,
Indoctrnated with that sanguine conviction Of the
depravity of human nature, which emboldens
them to practice without fear of conseq uences or
the integrity Of others, These fellows can tell by
their instinct when member is susceptible of be.
ing converted. They can bride with wink, and
| convey volumes by squeeze of the hand, or a
twtch OF the eye-lsshes. They make themselves
acquainted with the interests Of every member,
direct and collateral, and explore all the avenues,
above ground and underground, through which he
may be approached. They ascertain whether he
is hard run for cash, or has a note TO pay, for
which he is short Of means; whether he loves
good jokes, good wine, or good mlncy best; what
/ uncles, cousins, or cronies, have influence over
him; and whether he is likely to be most easily
caught by the button or the pocket flap,
J With these natural insincts and this acquired
knowledge, il is astonishing what influence they
| exercise over the consciences and votes Of the
members inside the lobby. They have been fire.
quenuy known to change a score Of votes in one
/ night, and carry measure in the morning which
the evening before defeated by sweeping
majority. Such is the force Of reason, champagne,
oysters, &c, &c. The las, session Of Congress
afforded few examples of this kind, most espe-
cisIly in connection with the ten million Texas
bill, by which that State sednced, like Darrac
by a shower OF gold. The only occasion in which
the lobby members fail in their efforts to enlighten
the members inside, is when two sets Of them are
pitted against each other, and pulling in oppo.
site direction. Then comes the tug of war; then
it is pull devil, pull doctor. then commences the
! great contest Of the Trojans and the Greeks FOR
The body Of Petroclus. is diamond cut diamond
and tho only remedy is :" compromise or a
coalition; in other words, process called log.
rolling, we'll known in modern political science.
The system Of special legislation, which con
ssts in grants of exclusive privileges TO knots Of
individuals under pretence Of the public good, ia
the parent of this class Of dealers in political cor
rur'on But this is not the most nischievou,
and dangerous OF it's progeny. Il has corrupted
both the people and their representatives. 1t il
moreover the parent Of monopoly. and monopoly
Z III some form other, IL the Alpha and Omega OF
all bad government Whether il comes in the
shape Of an exclusive possession Of rank, power
or privilege, or of the means Of acquiring wesltl,
and influence, is Of lii,Ie consequence. The mo
I nopoy Of travelling and transportation. or that oil
inRnring property. or that OF issuing paper money
is, if possible, still more grievour and unjust than
that Of rank md it's attendant advantages. IL is
conccdng to money what in monarchies is con-
i coded to birth, titles. and somctimes talerts
i Neither in nor the other, can n vrst ma
I jorty Of mankind pariake in Them. II is only
those who bavc money ~ srprc THAT can become
stockholders in moneyed COMPOSITIONS. Neither
! the farmer, the mechanic. the l,borng man, in
short, not man in ih,u-and, can sh.re in thu
advantages Of these insutuuons from which they
are US effectusy excluded by their poverty, a,
they are in deSpotic government from rank ant
title by their birth The advocates Of these mo
nopoIles, however, insist that no citizen OF
class Of citizens is eScluded, because there is nc
j exception in the act ~ incorporation, and that
therefore il is no monopoly, On the contrary,
4 nsintain it IL a monopoly Of the moneyed GLASS,
} because none other participate in its enjoy
ment. Il may be aaid, however, that without mo
4 ney man can carry on any business, and there
fore the argument amounts TO nothing. To this
answer, that in prosecuting their business, indi
viduaIiy. men enjoy only such advantages as arr
common to all their fellow-ctsens Their IisbiIi
tes and re probabilities are the same; ard the arr
moi screen-d by an act Of incorporation, from thu
operation Of those general laws which all other.
are individually subjected,
Another great constituent Of this new system NJ
4. monopoly, is the utter impossibiiity Of all divd
unl corretiti N. with this enormous concentration
OF cspiiaI ard influences. II ii be an incorporated
company for manufacturing purp SEES, it at once
swaIows ur all the small deaIers throughout thu
entire circle within reach of,t~ influence. Those
who thersfoss carvied on sheir business at home
and y thsas hres.dss, are compelled either to de
ssrt their dosasstic duties and become manufac