Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-01-29
Corruption Of Freedom Shriekers.


American, a paper which supported
Fremont, Legislative corruption, sick
ening and disgusting as it is to every
patriot and honest man, is the child
of freedom and not of slavery. We
copy from his letter:
And if the truth must be spoken
out, slavery see ms to exercise a con-
sentative and honorable influence.
The fact is notorious to every OBJ
server at Washington, that nearly
all the wholesale schemes of plumber
which have been carried through Con-
gress for years past; all the corrupt
|jobbing; all the projects of spoliation,
and all the vile and venal combina-
tons, have been planned and carried
on under the control and with the
means of northern managers. While
they shout the loudest for freedom,
and stigmatize slavery as a stigma
to civilization, they took care to pillage
the treasury, by way of refreshing
this sentimental devotion. The self
appointed leaders who were most eX-
ercised few months ago over the de-
moralization that would attend the
possible extension of slavery, who
mourn over its alleged horrors, who
beat their breasts in agony at its men,
ton, and who lead what processes to be
great moral crusade, Are exactly
the men who have swarmed the lob
bies since Congress opened, schem-
4 ing for the success of new plumber,
and continuing the most audacious
combinations with the very slavehol-
ders whom they affected to alb
hor. Developments like these, which
are every day forced before our eyes
serve to disgust intelligent minds
at the cant of these sordid hypocrite S
who are trading upon principles, the
integrity of which upright men proud
ly maintain.
On the floor of the house anu on
the floor of the enate for both are
VIGOROUSLY contamina ted, the latter
only in limited dergee : the profit
gate traders most known inside the
hall, are not only northern members
but they are members who endeavor-
ed to figure conspicuously in all the
recent political movements. Their
names are banded about with vulgar
familiarity by the very menials at.
tending upon Congress, and their au.
dacious knavery gives qualification
for far more than has yet been char
ged. They devote themselves ex
clusively to the business of extortin&
compensation for legislative favor
and some of them have paid enor
mously for seats as means of prose
cutting this disgraceful traffic. Nor il
this corruption confined to a few iso
lated instances. There are numbers
in the house whose votes, or silence
or absence, was purchased, at the last
session, for the public printing, the
railroad grants, and other special OBJ
jects of legislation. These spoil.
were distributed among certain repub
licans holding seats, and others whC
were supposed to be influential out
side. And although portion of this
plumber was app, opriated in consider
alton of the aid and comfort giver
by southern Americans, it is not be.
lieved any of them personally shared
its distribution.
: 1t is due to the representatives as
a body, to say that however much
they my suffer from the stigma
Of slavery, they are not tainted with
the dishonesty and glazing mendacity
of others from free states. With rare
exceptioo and they are noted to be
despised-the south has never been
implicated in these Infamous transac.
tons; and if it has given doubtful
measures support, either mistaken
generosity, or unconscious error In
Icurred the responsibility. They have
not chartered over the price of votes
pursued claimants for retaineTs, or bar
gained with scurvy contractors for a
division of disreputable gains. In
these high characteristics, at least
slavery does not appear to have pro-
duced any influence, and it would be
we'll that professed philanthropy ex-
hibited itself as favorably here, OF ex-
torted something Of the respect which
is now conceded to tn. repres entatives
of an institution which it SO unquali.
fiedly condemns.
The Pinclsings of Poutrty.-The
New York San Of Friday publishes the