The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-19
ALWAYS be an ASYLUM for the unfortunate-but,

always be an asylum for the unfortunate-but
in the name of common sense, let US not make
ourselves the laughing stock of the world by
can citizen is injured by foreigners, let us in
sist, with all the power and all the might OF
this people, on ample reparation for the in
jury and let us never rest till we obtain 1t.
But let US look well before we espouse the quar-
rel of foreign demagogues. Let us fairly and
roundly count the cost of q war, before we
pledge the honor of the United States to sus-
tain against the constituted authorities Of Aus
tria, the lame cause Of would-be martyrs like
Signor Paperi.
If the government and people Of this coun-
try absolutely require an object to sympathise
with and weep over, and contend for, let them
turn their eyes to spot much nearer home than
Smyrna or Ancona-the Moro castle at Ha-
vana. In the dungeons Of that fort lie three
American Sailors imprisoned by the Cuban au-
thorities without trial-without an opportunity
Of proving their innocence. These three men
have appealed time after time to the govern
ment and to the people Of the United States. A
single werd from Secretary Marcy would long
since have set them free. But no word has
come. No political capital could be made out
of three poor sailors who had neither rebeled
against their rulers, nor spread sword and fire
through any country; and they were according
ly left to rot in the Moro Castle. Look to them,
Americans, before you make common cause
with ungrateful Hungarians or mischievous
renegades from Italy
OFFICIAL DEFALcATIoN AT TROY-REvIvAL
OF VAN buren, PRINCIPLES AND PRAcTIcEs.-We
have seen letters written from Troy, in this
State, and some extracts from them published
stating that the Postmaster of that city, a dis
tinguished politician of the Marcy and Van
Buren, school, is there discovered to be some
what defaulter in his money affairs. and the
story is that the deficiency or defalcation
amounts to $4,000 or 100000 already The
name of the Postmaster, we believe, is Bosworth,
who, we have learned, was highly respectable
man, engaged in some commercial operations.
He was taken up by the Van Buren, party of
Troy, who made him first Alderman, and then
Mayor Of the city; and recently, by their in1u-
ence with the Spells Cabinet at Washington.
he was appointed Postmaster. These are the
facts in this curious case, as far as they can be
ascertaned with accuracy. They present
singular and attractive illustration of the re-
vival of the Van Buren, party, the Van Buren,
policy, and Van Buren, practices in this State.
1t may be well to remind the public and the
younger growth of the politicians of the day,
that the Van Buren, dynasty, which controlled
the federal Union and many Of the States
from 1886 to 1910, was remarkable for
its financial skill and official defalcation. pub
lie plunderings, and fightful decentralization
Of all kinds During the sway Of the elder Van
Buren,, when he succeeded General Jackson as
President Of the United States, there were de-
falcations Of public officers to the number of
from sixty to one hundred-postmaster col
lectors. navy agents and all sorts of officials
defalcatiOns amounting to five or six millions
of money. Some Of these defaulters paid three
or four cents on the dollar, and some of them
never paid anything These astounding de-
falcations were decided loss to the country
and the treasury. But this is not all. In those
days the surplus money in the treasury amount
ed to twenty-eight or thirty millions Of dollars
The Van Buren, interest of the time contrived
to remove this money from the treasury, where
it lay to the credit of the Union and distributed
it among the different States But no sooner
did each State receive its share, than the va
rious hordes Of the spoils politicians gathered
around it, and in a very short time devoured it
up. So that to this day no one can tell what
became ofthe thirty millions Of dollars deposit
ed in the treasury at the commencement Of the
reign Of the elder Van Buren, at Washington.
These are historical facts, stamped on the pa
ges Of the country's records, on the annals of
different States, and in the books of country
courts and penitentiares. The return of the
Van Buren, dynasty at Washington. under the
influence of Marcy and the younger Van Buren,
begins already to indicate the return of the old
principles and practices. This dynasty in
Washington and New York has not yet been one
year in power, when we see some of its men,
bers proving by the most convincing evidence,
their fidelity to the old principles, and their
strict adherence to the practices which prevailed
in the sunshine of other days, whose light had
faded behind a cloud, but now again breaks
forth, warming all kinds ofpolitical reptiles and
insects into life. The defalcation attributed to
this Troy politician is merely the first step
We may expect, if the present spoils cabinet at
Washington be continued in their places by
General Pierce for two or three years longer
defalcation following defalcation, navy agents
plundering, collectors missing, and postmasters
running away-whilst the twenty eight millions
of surplus now in the treasury will be distrib-
uted, and no one will be able to tell what has be-
come Of it. This is but the beginning Of the end.
In the meantime we understand that the Hon
George r. Davis, leading man Of the Van
Euren and Marcy faction. has gone on to Wash
iDgton to secure the appointment to the post
office of Troy, which has become vacant. or very
soon will. We hope that the President will