The true Democrat., 1856-04-01
The Great Swindle in New Or
 1aauc

The population of New Orleans has been thrown into excitement by the discovery of the fact that the city treasurer, William H. Garland has been detected as defaulter to an immense amount-probably two or three hundred tbou. sand dollars or more. Garland fled on board schooner belonging to himself, but was over- hauled and is now in prison.
 We copy the following comments on this pecuating transaction from the True Delta:
 
 Garland has plundered the city directly him. self, and by complicity with host of confede- rates, of at least one million of dollars per an- mum, but so powerful was he intrenched, so adroit y guarded at all points by the common council on one side, hosts of friends. newspa- per owned by himself, a number subsidized by hls money, or lost in delightful amazement at the marvellous ability which enabled him out of salary three thousand dollars per annum, to build towns in the wilderness, purchase lots oy the mile, and improve property by the square, on the other side, that he safely bid de- nance to the few individuals who from an un accountable deteStatlon of his crimes, in com munity apparently most gratfied when most disgracelully abused could only hint his guilt. apprehenslve of their safety from his vagabond retalners or the consequence of vndictive pro- secutlon in the courts, if they dealt in specific allegations.
 We never had a doubt of the man; we know. as indeed every one knows that the ruin of the finances of the city was almost entirely attribu- table to his wholesale malversations in office. We had proof inconvertible daily of the auda. clous recklessness with which his robberes were perpetrated; nevertheless, it was dangerous to charge even him, ,unscrupulous, ,characterless and suspected as he was, with crime, owing to the facts we have named, and the additional one of being the great head and director of power ful secret political organization in this citv
 lie divided the renown with the sheriff of the parish of having introduced Know Noth lnglsm here; he planned the political campaigns ot the order, ignorant, possibly as Recorder Bright, or Police Chief Moynan that any of his associates relied upon weapons more formidable than therlndlvldual purity and immaculate pa trotlsm for success at the polls
 lie obtained character for Savings Bank and the deposits of his wretched dupes were used at the last election to discount notes of the Know Nothing candidate for office. As a knave, therefore, Garland was no ordinary one: ana It Is but Just to his wonderful merits to Piooi'Iii lHdI d greater or more accomplished scoundrel ncver sought sanctuary from the pe naltes due his lnnumerable offences in the hos pltable gem of the Antilles.
 Of course much astonlshment will now be expressed that career such as that of Garland,s could go on so long unchecked and many will De voclferous in proclaiming their efforts to un earth the robber who for so protracted a De- rlod, has had everything his own way; but let the people Of this strangely apathatic city ex press no surprise for the vililnies of which they are at last the onl y victims, for if not perpe trated with their consent, have not been ore. vented or exposed by their vigilance, circum- spectlon or decent regard for their own inte rests.
 Garland is not the only robber who with sa- tanlc ettrontery, addressed the people in the i homed accents of patriotism; he is not the only vliialn who has abused their credultv and turn ed thelr weakness to profitable account If the railroad and other schemes ministered to his guilty cupldity he was not alone, and if he rob- bed the public treasury more directly than others, the consequences to the people at large are no less deplorable than if he had accom- phshed the same result by other means no less infamous, If nnassaiIable by laws which are only framed for the punishmentof steamboat" men and other such malefactors of that de- scripton as are lcnominatcd bad characters bv the Chief of Police