The Yazoo Democrat., 1851-06-04
THE sMUGGLER IN SPITE OF
- HIMSELF.

offences which society seems resolved naver
To treat as a crime. Every one is more
disposed to laugh at the cleveTness than 10
condemn the unlawiulness Of the many de.
vices which have been employed to blind
the Argus eyes Of collectors and their Off
GERS.
Not many years since we heard Of casks
Of brandy beiug sunk below the water, and
aoatsd ashore on the Jersey side oflhe IIud.
son. We have frequently heard of consign.
signments Of righl.haud or lefi-hand gloves
'wiihou; their mates, OF mulilaIed clocks
without wheels, &c, but we never heard of
one being .abooed by society, or To-
sing caste sJr such Palpablc evasions or viO-
lations Ol the law.
The fact is, people are slow to perceive
Ahe proprioiy Of the Justice Of being stopped
on their way home with property lawfully
purchased aud paid for in foreign countries
and Of being corp lied to surrender a leLth
or Iwert eth, and Oiten larger part Of it
to the officers Of government. II is another
fact, that laws are apt TO be ineffective in
IrJportion as they fail to harmonize with the
moral convictions Of the community, aud
may man who would not BE- tempted by
worlds to cheat another ola penny, will not
blush TO own that he has, by devices such
a We h1v' described, robbed the govern>
ment Of thousands. Partially in illustration
ol these remarks, is the following bold and
sue ;esslul case Of sm gg'ing, which we find
related of a very celebrated Swiss ieweler,
who actually succeeded in making the
French Director General Of the Customs act
The part of a smugger:
Geneva, as must be we'll knOwA to all our
readers. supplies that half Europe with her
watches and her jewelry. Three thousand
workmen are kept in constant employment
'ty her master goldsmiths; while seventy
five thousand ounces of gold, ard fifty thous.
aud marks Of silver, annually change their
form, and multiply their value. bene ath their
Sk'llHl hands. The most fashionable irwcl-
l"r's shop in Gehevl is Unqu.s .s,ionaby that
" BeauIlr; his lr;nkets are lh,se which be
yOnd all others excite the longing OF Porisiam
Sad e. high duty IS charged upon these
in crossing the French frontier, but ia con
sideraIiOn Of o brokerage at 5 per CEN, N
Beadue undertakes TO forward them safely
TO their destination through contraband
channels; aud the bargain between the
buyer aud seller is concluded with this con
d'tiOn as openly appended aud avowed as
~ifihere were no such perSonages as custom
house officers in the world.
All this went on smoothly for come wears
with NJ. BraulIe; bat at length il so happen
cd that M. le COmle do Saint Crico, zen
tlCman { { much ability and vigilance, was
appointed Director General of the customs
tie heard so much Of the skill evinced b,
N. Beaulte including the vigilance OF hi.
agents, that he resolved personallyto to inves,
gate the matter, and prove for himself IN,
truth ofthe reports. He consequently r,
paired TO Geneva; presented himself a, N
Beauties shop, and purchased sc, 900 franc
worth oijewelry, on the express condition
that they should be transmitted to him ire
OF duty on his return TO Paris. NJ. Beautt
accepted the proposed condition with the al
Of a man who was perfectly accustomed
arrangements ofthis description. He howe
er, presented for signature to M, de Sair
Cricq' private decd, by which the Purch
ser pledged himself to pay the customary
per ceLt smuggling dues, in addition to th
10000 francs purchase money. W f-
M. de Saint Cricq smiled and ;akin
the pen from the jewellers hand; affixed
the deed the following signature" d
Saint Or CO. Director General of the C.,
toms in France" lie then handed the d.
ument back 10 NJ. Beaulte, who merely ola
ced at the signature, and replied with
courteous bow .
Monsieur 10 Directeur des Douaunes.
shall take care that the articles which "
have done eIhe honor of purchasing. sio
be handed TO you ia Paris. dirse,ly an
your arrival. M. de Saint Croeo piooed /
the mans cool daring and apparent defiar,
Of his anrhority and professional skin INN
diately ordered post horses, and without Il
delay Of single hour. set Out with ali spe
on the road to Paris. MI -.
On reaching Ghe frontier, the Direct
General made himself knownt6 the emDI
er who come forward 70 examine his {
Tiage-inEorrned the chief officer of0he il
dent which had Just occurred, and begg
OF him to keep up tie slriclest surveilian
along the whole Of the frontier line, as
felt Ito be a matter Of the utmost imp
apee tOPlace some Check upon the VIII
sale system Of fraud which badfor so
yeRrs past been Practised hpoh the Fevsu
BY the Geneva Jewellers. q l1eiialso pror
cd a graIuily Of atty louis dOrs TO whlchor
Ofthe employers should be so GorlanACS ks
Seize the prohibited iswslszS prom
which had The effect Of keeping evsFt /
e8f Dh th6 line wide awake. and ih CO 81
sfhh aetivi!s during lss tbFsg sdsSsssDi
Seys'g TEIHsF0aH5 ny