Litchfield enquirer., 1857-08-06

When Fernando Wood frsr received he nomi- nation of Mayor for the City of New York there existed against him evidence of heinous and de- sPicable crime. His nomination was effected by the exertions of those classes of individuals known as short boys and shoulder hit,ers. These con- trolIed the primary nieetings, forcibly ejected from the Assembly those who desired some other candidates and continued their riotous proceedings until at length he was elected. Thus Wood be- came Mayor of the first city of the Union. For the first few months he proved himself an efficient oficer-his effcrts for reform were sue cessful, and every was ready to render him praise. Even the Tr.bune and the Courier and Enquirer, journals which had Persevering'y oP- posed his e.ection, gave-i their supports ana there was good reason for it, ior the Sabbath was respected to degree hitherto unknow"' grog shops closed up, and even a law for reform, the constituionality of which was a question to be decided, vigorously enforced.
 These things, so contrary from what was ex- pected from man whose antecrdents were all bad, confounded his opponents, and drew down upon him the curses of his oll companions. That he was making an effort to retrieve his character evident, and a most favorable opportunity to re- gain it was this att 'mpt to reform the city government, New York groaned from sncces' sion ot weak and wicked officers. One month of judcious government woke the para'yz-d ener- gies of the citizen taxpayers to political life 1; they gathered about the reformer, and avowed themselves ready to stand by him a. any costs But Fernando was at heart villain, an unprin- cipled politician, who thought to sustain himself in power, and fill his pockets with the spells of office. He saw there was strength enough in the honest men of New York, if they would concen= trate it, to elect who they chose and to be an officer renowned for his course of reform Was position worth struggling for He was however, too destitute of principle to long sustain himself, and soon yielded to the outside pressure of his old friends-a power which now seems entirely fires sis,ibIe throughout the country.
 Now ths Fernando Wood represents large portion of the political leaders of all parties throughout the land men whose trade in poli- tics, even community ackno~ lodges qualities them for any fraud upon government, and who. if successful, are lauded for their sagacty, toasted called business men, great fnanciers shrewd fei- lows. &c, Sc. Our own State Is scarcely less exempt from them than New York, Mississippi and California; and running from it's fountain is # .t;1 branching off into every State in the Union, whose waters sesm to infect the whole atmosphere with malaria poisonous and benumbing to all ideas of moral perception.
 f'o the thoughtful man tliis subject presents singular future for his country. |" If Republican institutions,' says he, "tend to overthrow of moral principle in the hearts of it's oficers-to possess the people with an insane desire for office for the sake of private cnds-to the centralization of power in the hands of few whose executive capacity Is balanced by no particular interest in the great body polite if military renown, brilliant forensic powers, and aptness for debate is to enti,le men to claim upon the offices-.and their election always to be obtained by the flee use of money-bringng to their support tha, force which the gambling houses and brothels of the large cities sustains-surely the Republic my fathers sought to establish is failure, which has merged itself into system which, notw ithstand- ing it's prosperity. Is far remote in its character from anything they designed''
 When we talk of morality, we have no reference to religious creeds and dogmas. The moral prn c'p'e ot Franklin, Jefferson and Washington is what we mean--principIe which to our vision is quite as high as that of Winthrop, Hooker or Oglethofp, and it seems to us without these ee. ments of character in our government we not only come short of the ideas of our fathers in their es- publishing the Republic, but venture upon an ocean whose swollen waters have shipwrecked the hopes of France, and more than once flooded England, aye, all of Europe with seas of blood
 Already discussion of change in out govern ment is taking place. We can get some idea of the sense of the sober-minGed when we perceive them pointing to the systematic and orderly gov. ernments of London and Paris, and contrasting them with the system of anarchy and oppression
 
 durance in our large cities, and when the moneyed citizens of the metropolis shall rise in earnest. there will be reform or an overthrow of the gov. ernmene which expresses them. Nor is this alone matter of debate-the educated and liberal foreigner who has sought this country for repose and the privilege of free expression cannot every few years find himself sufferer from proscrip- t'on' the mark of regularly organized body of politicians who to obtain the votes of the rgno- r""' and weak work upon their prejndces even to the exciting to riot and murder. The far-seeing and public spirited citizen who would unite tn. two oceans by railroad finds his plans unno. tced' and little men, capable of no extended vision, turning even the mail routes into svs- tem of speculation which carries them far away from tho people who labored for their establish