The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-05-09
The Public Printing and the Party Organs
az washAagton.


Washington Union and Republic; but it was very
unfortunate that the liberal, kind hearted pro-
position of some benevolent old fogy in the House,
to give these two party papers the snug little job of
so GOO copies of Patent Office document, should
have been kicked out Of the House by an over
whelming majority But, for all that, we hope that
the appointment of select committee to reconsider
and report upon the whole subject of the public
printing will not turn out a sham for coveong
up the joint stock transaction between the Union
and Republic. The public have the right to expect
a report from this select committee before the end
Of the session, and some disposition of the public
printing, by which it win cease to be matter of
bargain and corruption, for the benefit of the party
organs at Washington, at the expense of the public
treasury.
Mr.. Evans, of Maryland, the other day, made
some very sensible remarks in the House, on this
subject, in favor of a government printing Office.
There is other plan by which the public printing
amounting in all, that is done mt Washington, to
some $500, 900 year, less) can be prevented
from becoming mere party corruption fund, except
by the plan of national printing office. We have
various bureaus to do the immense masses of writing
of the different departments not, then, have
bureau every other civilized country has, for the
government printing Ia national printing Office,
with all the requisite types. presses, and materials
for the whole Of the government work required at
Washington. II will be easy enough, with practi
cal superintendent, so to fit up and classify the
work Of government Office that all the bills, re-
ports, and other documents, submitted to either
house, may be laid upon the tables of both houses
the next morning. In this way they would be le-
gsating with their eyes open and the papers before
them-as it is, they more than half the time le-
gslating blindly, in the dark. Hence the increase
of Galphinism may, to some extent, be accounted
for, in every department Of the public service.
If this old, rotten system of giving the pub
lie printing to the party organs is to be re.
stored, justice requires that all the party jour-
mails at Washington shall have share-the
National Era, the organ Of the anti-slavery
party the Southern Press, the organ Of the Sc
cesson party the old National Inteligencer, the
organ Of the old whig antediluvians and old fogy-
dom and funkeydom and the little Telegraph, the
organ of the Scott party, well the Republic and
the Union. What right have these last two-mere
partisan papers-over the other four to be supported
by the public treasury On the other hand, long
as this contract system is continued, let the con-
tractors be held to their bonds, and let the faithful
execution Of the work be rigidly superintendent by
honest and competent men, who have at least some
smattering of common sense and business informa-
ton. great many of the corruptions of Congress
are the result Of the ignorance, stupidity, and
laziness Of the members.
Finally, both houses will be compelled to establish
national printing office, from the impossiblity Of
satisfactory execution Of the public printing any
other way. We perceive, from the remarks Of Mr.
a., IL &c Ne nafxy md fharc Int
the project is making some Roadway. To put n
stop to this disgusting party wranglng for the
plumber of the printing, the national Office
is established the better. 1t will stop the bung-ho
Of corruption, and save the public money from the
stock jobhers of the party press.
LIFE OF GEN. SCOTT, FOR THE CAMPAIGN.-We
understand that life Of Gen. Scott is in preparation
at the Tribune Office expressly for the electioneer-
ing purposes Of the campaign Of 1852. This argues
that the nomination Of Scott is settled thing-a
foregone concusion-and that the New York Iri-
6,ic Office is to be his official headquarters during
the canvass The different branches of Gen. Ecots
history will probably be divided out among the
philosophers Of the establishment. The blood and
carnage, the gunpowder. muskets, and bomb-shells,
will perhaps be dressed up by Master Pike, with
rushed soldier will doubtless be tured over to the
Secretary Of the Manhattan Quartz Mining Compa-
n.y. But there is another branch Of Gen. Scotts
official history which will require the most skiful
treatment, being nothing more nor less than his
services as a dplomatist. 1t will be holiday task
to compile the military achievements Of the great
warriors but it will require the pen Of sSilul and
diplomatic scholar to do full justice to the negotia
tons of Gen. Scott especially those singular nego-
tatons in the valley Of Mexico
Let US recite case or two. We have it from re-
liable authority that after the first series OF battles
in front of the Mexican capital, Santa Anna, in
secret negotiation with Gen. Scott, proposed to yield
up the city easy conquest to the Americans, on
condition that Santa Anna should receive a million
Of dollars, more less, for the part which ne pro-
posed to play We further understand that Gen Scott
closed the bargain, and, as a guarantee OF bona
fde contract paid over the sum of ten thousand
dollars to Santa Anna, as the first instalment OF
the bargain and sale. We are further advised, that
Santa Anna thus secured the armistice from the
oath Of August to the Sth Of September, with the
understanding that after sha IN fight so, to save
appearances, the city to We turned over to the
American army. The subsequent most bloody bat
ties however, show that Gen. Scott egregiously
humbugged out Of his money and his armstice and
that he was SO disguised with the perfdious Next
cans, that, on being subsequently offered million
and quarter Of dollars to turn traitor and accept
the dictatorship of Mexico, he rejected the esr with
scorn and contempt To substantate the accuracy
of these negotiations, understand that the cor
respondence upon the subject may be had from the
files of the War Office at Washington.
Now, who Of tho Tribune philosophers will
undertake this nice and delicate branch Of General
Scott's career in Mexcol Can it be trusted to the
dabbler in the fancss Of the California gold mines
or 10 the Spectator in the copper stocks Of Lake
Superior, or to holder Of the scrip Of the New
Jersey Zinc Companyl We doubt it; and yet stock
jobber might make a handsome thing of it, if he
were nossessed Of the requisite dipomatia skill and