Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-01-17
IHHENsELAED GRANT-CONGREssIONAL BRIB.
cry AND CORRUPTIOy.

The Richmond Despatch SAYS: Another of the
immense land grsntsin favor Of rairosds that have
heretofore been suspected Of being conceived in
fraud and carried through by bribery snd c)rruD-
ton has been introduced into the House Of Repre-
sentatiVes, in the shspe of bill, which, grants to
the territory Of Minnesota for the construction of
trunk railroad trsVersing the territory with three
branch roads every alternate secdoniof land desig.
mated by odd numbers, for six sections in width on
each side Of said road and branches The grant
viii call for nearly four hundred thousand acres of
land in each and every mile which the road traver-
ses and make the sg84egate az immense one.
The New York Herald publishes letters from its
correspondents at Washington, setting forth very
scandalous state of Congressional morals, and the
existence and organized and active exertions Of a
distinct profession in Washingtou-Iobby agents
whose business it is to bring personal influences to
bear upon the action of Congress, and to determine
measures Of legislation by corrupt considerations
The Richmond Enquirer repubIishes the Hsralds
letters and says that the vast slrty Of these lob
by agents are "eX-members Of Congress, e.. Secrs.
taries Of departments, editors out Of employment,
occasional correspondents Of papers, officers Of the
army dismissed from the service, officers Of the
navy retired for inospscity, clerks, women Of EASY
virtue, dealers Of faro and spostse preachers the
Gospel These individuals have metdodised the mvs.
tsrisE Of punderiug into science, and have reduced
their operations against the Treasury to regular
system Of strategy. The sgeDcie Of their influence
comprehend all the means of subduing principle
through the fundamentally of the passions. TIE
smiBbls disposition Of one member of Congress
makes him an easy prey. Another falls a victim
TO the seduCtiOns Of champagne aud cSHysss back
third is insensible 70 the charms OF an epicurean
banquet but be surrender5 to the seducti.n rs ofa
solid sum Of money. A fourth is beguiled by the
arts Of some charming Lasit and consents, if not
to support particular claim, TO be absent when
the vote is trken. a fifth, with hardly lees
Criminslity Of motive, sacrifices his scrupIes 10
secure the co operation Of powerful interest il
his own special behalf So the thing works; and
the result is that the people are plunjerad Of mill
ions by GCorrupt coalition between the lobby inter-
est and certain profigate members Of Congress.
ltisthou ght such influences and such means thst
the Treasury is robbed, the public money squan-
dered, and the good name of the'nation degraded.
II is q notifying fact as well as one Of evil
omen, that, whilst the character of the p15Iic men
ofGreat Britain has steadily improved for the lest
century that Of the public men OF Uni ed States,
both in intellect and in morals, has as steadily re-
trogrsded. Could one of the pure and incorrpDti
bic pstriO Of the Revolutionary era rise from the
grave, be would be sstounded as the proHiracy
which has converted the once stainless halls Of
public council into % den Of thieves"