The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-06-18
Is it True?-Read.

DuDuSuGQ
Der in speaking of the complicated diplomacy
between the United States and England, dur
ing the last year, remarks that the whole
course of proceeding on the part of the Ameri-
can Government, "has been inspired only by
some base political mott ze"-(meaning per-
haps, President making.) As showing what a
leading Irish "fellow-citizen'' across the water
thinks of us, we copy the conclusion of his
leader. He is evidently in passion, and we
are afraid, in utilization with the midnight as
sassins," the dark lanthern crew, who can see
no good in the present virtuous administra-
ton, and are opposed to the doctrine that a
foreigner is better than an American. People
must talk, therefore let this visionary have his
say. Of course there is no truth in his views
or if there be, we deny the fact. We hope the
recent events in Kansas and the outyelling of
Sumner will convince our Irish friend-when
he learns them, that he has spoken hastily
and unadvisedly-his passion and prejudices
having overruled his judgment. But to the
article referred to:
This whole story is as sad and as startling
an exemplifcation as we have yet had of the
rapid deterioration which is going on in the
personnel of American politics. The most re-
markable feature in its history, for many years
past, has been the gradual disappearance from
public life of the honest, upright, high-minded
portion Of the community, and the gradual
uprise Of the corrupt, the base, the purchase
able, and the unprincipled. A very limited
acquaintance with America is sufficient to show
tl,oE 81 III
who pride themselves upon the possession of
honor and integrity, and wish to keep their
hands clean, either cautiously abstain alto
gether from taking part in the transaction Of
public affairs, or devote themselYe solely to
some philanthropic object-such as the aboli
J ton OF slayery-and treat it purely as philan
thropic question, and not as political one In
fact, Legislation is beginning to be looked upon as
dirty trade, which somebody mustdo, but with
which no decent man likes to soil his fingers; so
that the respectable citizens of the State SUBJ
NIT to be plundered, misrepresented, disgraced
at home and abroad by adventures, who snarl
and howl, and fight for place and jobs at Wash
ington--sooner than be guilty of the thousand
base cempliances-sooner than submit to the
thousand shameful insults and pledges, which
fall to the lot of any man who aSpires to serve
the State. We are not friends OF repression
or of restriction, still less reaction. There is
hardly anything in itself good of which we
would not advocate the extension; but we
feel bound to say, and we say it with sorrow,
that the extension of the suffrage to the whole
male adult population in the greater number
of the States of the Union has been attended
with the most disastrous result and is bring
ing more shame and confusion upon the cause
of liberty and democracy than the worst ex-
cesses that have ever taken place on the Eu-
ropean Continent-than the worst calumnies
/ that have been uttered by the enemies of pro
gress The great mass of the voters in the
United States, at the present day, is composed
partly of emigrants from Europe Irish or
German, rowing, restless adventurers who,
| from having had no political rights in their
own country, do not value them, and know
not how to exercise them in the country of
their adoption-partly of ignorant Americans,
and partly of rowdieS and Fillibusters, living
on their WITS and never living well, except in
the midst OF corruption and TaScality, or of
disturbance and commotion. These, of course,
vastly outnumber, and consequently outvote,
the sober, educated Americans the descendants
of the heroes Of the War of Independence-of
the austere Puritans of the last century, who
no more thought of treating public interests
| lightly than of laughing at prayers. The re-
suit is, that the legislative bodies reflect not
the opinions and feelings of the enlightened
and patriotic minority, but the blind prejudices
and the brutal fanatacism Of careless foreign
ers, or of lawless and ignorant Americans;
and, as members of Congress are paid for their
services, all the needy, glib, fluent men of the
country, who have failed in all other pursuits
either from dishonesty or q dislike to steady
industry, rush as candidates to the hustings,
with but one object in view-earning liveh
hood, and as much over and above livelihood
as ever they cam
From what we see of the Congress, we may
guess what an effect this has on all depart
ments of the public service; but in no place
does the dishonesty and incaplcity of State
servants strike US and all other foreigners so
much as in the Diplomatic service We all
remember the scandals attendant upon Mr.
Soules mission to Spain; we have here, in
this case of our own, another example of the
way in which the relations Of the Union with
foreign countries, and the national dignity are
traficked in, and sacrificed, if need be- to serve
the purposes of the President or his Ministers
at the next election. Bullying England has
formed the principal article in their stock-n-
trade for some time past. The good sense of
our Government, and their knowledge of the
real facts of the case-of the fact that these
American Ministers no more represent enlight-
ened America than Fergus O'Connor repre-
sented British Liberalism, or John Sadleir
British Commemorative us from collision
/ which we should all deplore. But this buster
towards a Power which is VIGOROUSLY stronger
than herself and which every one knows is
not by any means prevented from fighting by
fear of the consequences-and especially when
as in the case of Mr.. Marcy, it is lying, incon-
sistent, contradictory, incoherant, brazenfaced,
Ioba of fI,o