The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-03-06

meetings arc over. The Session is an ex.
ceeSngly quiet one. l.. o. Z.
Social and Public Corruption.
The Philadelphia'No North American in the
su6joined article, gives out some timely
thoughts which are worthy ofgeneral consid.
Grafton. Crime of every species is fearful.
ly prevalent. The press teens with accounts
Of murders, arsons and deeds Of evil, tina,
would startle and shock the public mind,
were il not that it seems to have become in
different to the commission Of crime, and
reckless of its consequences. That hale,
hearty adherence Of crime, which, Mt one
time was a marked Characteristic Of our
fathers, and which was, 50 long as il existed
continually operating to prevent its CON-
mission, has well nigh died out. Touching
the marrow at once, il would be aid ,if truth
were told that the under structures that up.
hold our social and political systems are
rotten to the core.
The numerous crimes, the sickening de-
tails Of which ell the columns Of the news.
papers, are but the out groupings Of the
fearful disease within, and the corruption
manifest in public affairs is the natural fruit
of the false ideas Of political ethics that
abound. In social life, the licen,ious rous
and the gambler il enjoying the surround.
ings OF wealth, are admitted as welcome gucsts
un'o the parlors of many, who abhor crime
in the abstract; and church going fathers,
and pure and virtuous mothers, smile gra-
eiously when they meet such in the streets.
There is no real coventry of public opinion,
or at best, none that eaectually ostacises
the unprincipled from what L termed good
good society. Men who are known to have
half dozen matrimonial establishm ents in
the same city, because Of their wealth. are
carressed, ilattered and run after in the great
cities; and there is corresponding opening
Of city fashions too frequently to he found
in the smaller villages and towns. In POI
litical life the doctrine of separating public
from private character, rs though public
virtue could exist when private virtue was
wanting, is producing wide spread corrup-
ton. Men of the most leprous character,
in the great cities are the leaders of party,
and the recipients of public Offices, and such
is the force Of public sentiment that the
press, when men of Infamous private char
acter obtain nominations for public Offices
through fear of beng accused of attacking
private reputation, keeps silent. Dashing
ceutiousnes with spanking bays and drunk
jewellers aspire to, and command the best
Offices, while the seyerer virtues are showed
aside. or If perchancc allowed to come in,
are made without rebuke, the subject Of
ridicule, and jcering leyity. Men occupying
the most elevated stations, public and pri
vate, who pride themselves on their virtues,
and who are really men of virtuous life,
acting upon this false idea that there may
be public, without private morality, look
most graeiously on the partizan bully, and
consult with him in reference to the means
which should be taken TO insure party sue.
cess. Nor is this all, the press overawed by
a false public sentiment, discuss questions
into which grave questions of national mo-
rality enter, in reference to their economical
relations rather than on their bearing on
the national morality and the pulpit, lest
it be accuse approaching politics, frequent
ly refuses to speak even indirectly against
public sins. We are, however, extending
remarks, and discussing matters that are
well put by the North American, and drop
ping ourselves, subject which opens a wide
field for remarks, We invite attention at
once to the following;
The tree that falls prostrate TO the earth,
without the agency Of the violent storm,
has long been preparing for this event by II
,raduai process Of inward decay. IL was
through unerring laws, not BY chance, that
L fell 81 IL is when an individual falls in.
10 some glaring and desperate crime. None
,f his friends. nor he himself, may have felt
he remotest suspicion that he was capable
'f such an-act. Yet had they been gifted |
With the power pf reading the thoughts and |
DISCERNING the elements ct the character, |
hey would have been in constant expccta- |
ION Of the outward overthrow for the in
xari rum was first. Ii is in this way that
latiOns, especially republics, which depend
y entirely on the virtue OF their people, arc
destroyed Ii il not conquering armies -
Ike Athens and Rome, they may b. strong
st Of the strong, capable OF giving laws to
lalf the world. Ii is simply the corruption
e their people to which their outward ca
antics and ruin may be attributed. Like
hat proud monarch OF the forest which lies
'rostrate on the earth, and its immense
lowry Of spreading branches, and its I'M
ounted wealth or green leaves, these nations
all because their moral strength has been
aten out. Had they kept their virtue, adj
erse circumstances. like the winter season.
night have stripped Cd the green leaves and
he luxuriant boughs of their prosperity
ut their substance, would have remained.
u that when the c,lamitous winter was gone,
II that had been wasted would be more
han repaired. II is public and private cor
upton = the former but necessary incl
ent of the latter, and yet having a strong
influence m reproducing il - this
> the chief enemy Of . nation. especially OF
republic like ours: where all government
md all influence are IN the hands or The
-.....lu aha.us.ls.a and TIA ofI.xrina. Ia iha