The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-09

FuoIc ofoftY OF y IA Aimsnfstrntton. |
Ia conspicuous par 4 Of President Pieree's
uessage occurs the Glowing noteworthy sen
ence -
Public affairs ought to be 70 conducted thasa
sett,ed convic Ion shall pervade the entire Union
that nothing short OF the highest tone and stand |
ard OF polic morality marks every part OF
the adm mistration and legislation OF the general
government"
TIE truth might have been stated with more
elegance and force but it is PLAIN enough to be
understood. and, strictly speaking, that is
sufficient We accept the dictum We are con-
tent that the character and ability Of govern
ments shall be tested by the prevalence or the
absence of "a settled conviction among the
people that nothing short of the highest tone
and standard of public morality marks every
part OF their administration We are willing
that this test, suggested by the President him
SELF should be applied to the present Cabinet
and that it stand or fall upon the result. Peo-
pie of the United States, are you imbued with
"a settled conviction that nothing short Of the
highest tone and standard of public morality
marks every part OF the admin stration" of
your present rulers
Ifyou are. we should be gratifed to know
what you think of the administration candidate
tatiyes, John w. Forney. None of you can be
ignorant of the fact that this man was proved in
a court of justice to have conspired to extort
false evidence from o poor actor while in
liquor in order to destroy the character OF a de-
fenceless woman. The Forney letter has now
become household word there Is not family
circle from Maine to Florida where the very
mention of Forney's name does not create
q general shudder of disgust. The horror
aroused by an offence like his is not con-
fined to one class or one set of individuals
every man and woman in the country
is fully capable of appreciating its enor-
nifty, and doing justice to the blackness
of the heart that could devise so foul scheme.
Not man can be found whose blood does not
boil at the infamy plotted against poor jamie
son; not woman breatbes the American air
whose cheek has not flushed and glowed with
Indignation at the dastardly conspiracy against
helpless member of her sex. Yet he who car
ries this awful load of disgrace and ignominy
was formally brought forward before the House
as the administration candidate for clerk. He
was supported by all the influence, direct and
indirect, which the cabinet could bring to bear.
The United States government palliated, ex-
cused, strove to explain away his letter; and
when some show of honorable feeling among the
members of Congress placed his fate in jeop-
ardy, the Presidents advisers threw their whole
weight into his scale, and openly gave it out
that the defeat of Forney would be de-
feat for the government. By these means,
they rallied to their side number Of members
who were unwilling to embarrass the admins
tration at the outset of its career and the open
ing of Congress; and thus they succeeded in
electing Forney by bare majority. These
facts are notorious. The papers are full Of them.
The Cabinet is now identified with Forney as
plainly and as decidedly as il he were their chief
Their Indifference or approval of the Forney
letter is placed on the same record as the Pre-
sident's message.
With these facts before them it would be diff
fcult to persuade an unbiased mind that a
settled conviction pervades the people Of this
country that nothing short Of the highest tone
and standard Of public morality marks
the administration" To use the Presidents
own language, in fact, nothing short of
the lowest tone and most depraved stand
ard of public morality in Cabinet could
account for such a proceeding and no
thing short Of an equally deplorable state Of
feeling among people could prevent its being
received with universal shame aud disgust
The President talks of - settled convictions y
there is, we know one settled conviction among
The people Of this country, and that is that Johu
W. Forpey stands on par with the other pro-
fessors Of the stool-pigeon trade who arc now
serving the State in the various jails and peni-
tentiaries and that the Cabinet which fattened,
protected, supported and elected him, can be
very little better. This is harsh language, but
it is the truth and when fourishes and meta
phors without meaning are so plentiful, little
plain English may be serviceabc and whole
some.
Still further light was thrown upon the
tone and standard Of morality which marks
every part Of The administration of the general
government by tie occurrences OF Tuesday.
The public is aware that it has been usual for
the Presidents message to be sent TO the Post
masters of large cities in advance, and to be
distributed to all newspapers so soon as tele-
graphic intelligence Of the reading in Congress
having commenced reached that functionary
The present Cabinet with this rule established
by usage, had three courses TO pursue 1t
might have declared It's intention Of following
the usual practice, aud distributed the message
stated its intention of deviating from the &C.
customed routine, and sending the message ex-
clusively to those journals which gave it their
support; and having said so. it might have
fulfilled its promise. Or it nigh. have given it
out that il would adhere 10 the usual practice,
and at the came time have directly transmit