The Washington union., 1857-10-01

ssce 10 the law Of the land which In any other country
would amount treason To that large liberty OF speech
which the despsed constitution OF the country guaTan
ties Mr. Is indebted for the safety with which he ut
ters his raitorous counses We might, If chose,
pose still further the faacies ON which he rests these
counsels and the miserable sophstes In which the whole
address abounds We might give at length hs eloquent
comparison between the dssolute cavaliers who settled
the southern States of the Union aud the gody pilgrims
who were driven by persecution, or lured by the cod
fisheries history can't exactly decide whichto the
shores of Massachusetts, bay The historic portions OF
the Grafton are indeed, the only portions OF It when
have much claim to originality and impress us rather
favorably, we must admit with Mr. Curtss powers OF
invention.
We had supposed that the Kansas panic had faded out
of memory long ago. but Mr. Curtis gives us one moro
shrek which readers shall hear
''During the last year we allowed our brothers and
friends and feowctizens TO be cruelty murdered for do
ing precisely the thing that we this year build stat
ues on Bunker Hill to for doing eighty years ago
We should like to any authority for this bold asser
ton to be found outside the columns of the New York
Tribune, which honest people very generally agree Is Just
authority at all In some OF his statements, however
Mr. Curtis is correct giving them the sanction OF
his own word:
.The theory of our institutions is pride But it is
ptful truth that public life has become synony-
nous with knavery If politician Is introduced you
feel of your pockets is shameful that II IL universally
conceded that the best menthe of intelligence and
probygenerally avoid politics, and that the word IT.
self has to something not to be touched with
dehlement.
touch bad will 1t Is understood that bribery car
es the election and the presidency is the result OF an
adroit process of financial engineering have myself
been shown handful of bank notes, publicly displayed
in the anteroom of the legislature and sagacousy tod
That is the logic for Legislators
We may as well add little circumstance which the
orator. in the hurry of composition doubtless iogot 70
mentionthat the four black sheep who were scourged
out of Congress for bribery and corruption were all apos
ties of that pure and sublime theory of politics which Mr.
Curtis delights to preach, and which he hopes to make
universal We not aware, however, until this start
ling confession of Mr. c. that he himself was In the ante
room and actual witness of these corrupt transactions
What precious evidence the 6wddS could have given
before the corruption committee II he had only told them
all he knew
The last quotation we shall make from Mr. Curtis is
fearfully ominous
"Gentlemen you will not be surprised when you dis
cover as you soon WILL that notwithstanding the COM
mercia prosperity of country, there are wise men
who shake their heads already, and good men who de-
spair.
We hope the young gentlemen of Dartmouth and the
other colleges before whom Mr.. Curtis has delivered
and to deliver this address, will keep heart For
part, instead of feeling alarmed that these good
men, among whom we presume Mr. u OF course IN
cludes Brother Kalloch, are shaking Their heads, we
feel quite delighted that they 80 hamlessy employed
and amt doing anything eorse.
And now we must close. We might say much moro Of
the narrow hate the fothy defamation against slavery
the mad outcy against things they are without any
feasible practical suggestions for making them better
in word all the filthy ingredients of Fremont speech
which here gathered into college oration and called
patriotism" But forbear. We cannot however,
but believe that among the young gentlemen who listen
ed to Mr. Curtis there some hearts which revoted
at his sentiments and sickened at his folly We cannot
but believe that there some there to whom patriot
ism did indeed seem to be "the passion which aims to
serve ones country who deemed it prouder thing to
be the servants of the constitution than the slaves OF
prejudice; and who turning Indignantly from the tra
torous counses of him who spoke to them burned with
bright ambition to be worthy children of united America
'he bountifu the beautiful the endeared the imperial
and general parent.
WASHINGTON, Sept. n, 1857.