Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-02-17
corruDtIOu Of ..Presdom Shrisksrs.'

/ According to the Washington cor
respondents Of the r philadelphia NortA
| American, a paper which supported
Fremont, Legislative corruption, sick
ening and disgusting rs 1t is to every
patriot and honest man, is the child
tof ssfreedom" and not of slavery. - -
i We copy from his letter Of january :;
/ I And if the truth mnst be spoken
ont, slavery seems to exercise a con-
! sentative and honorable influence.
4 The fact is notorious tolevery obsef-
YER at Washington, that nearly all the
4 wholesale schemes of plumber which
| have been carried through Congress
for years past /; Sall the corrupt job
'fbing all the projects Of spoliation,
and all the vile and yenal combine
tions have been planned and carried
on under the control and with the
means ofnorthern managers. While
they shouted the loudest for freedom,
and stigmatizcd slavery as. stigma
to civilization, they took care to pill
lage the treasury, by way OF refreshing
llthis sentimental devotion. The self
appointed leaders who were most ex-
erciseda few months ago override de-
/ moralization that would attend the
possible extension Of slavery, who
incurred over It's alleged horrors, who
beat their breasts in agony at its men
Ition, and who led what protested to
be a great moral crusade, arc exactly
the men who have swarmed the lob
4 bies since Congress opened. schem-
! ing for the success Of new plumber,
and contriving the most audacions
combinations with the very slavehol-
ders whom they affect SO much to alb
hor. Developments like these, which
are every day forced before orr eyes,
serve to disgust intelligent and hon
est minds at the can't Of these sordid
! hypocrites, who are trading npou
principles, the integrity Of which up
right men proudly maintain.
On the floor ofthe House and on
the Senate-for both are notorionsly
contaminated, the latter only in q lin
, tied degree-the profligate traders
most know inside and outside fhe
hall, arc not only northern members,
but they are members who have en-
deayored to figure conspiciously in
all the recent political movements. -
Their names arc banded about with
vulgar familiarity by the very menials
attending upon Congress, and their
audacious knavery gives qualification
for farmore than has yet been charged.
}, They devate themselves exclusively
to the business of extorting compcn-
sation for legislative favor, and some
, ofthem have paid enormously for
seats as means representing this
lisgraceful traffic. Morris this corrup-
ton confined to a few isolated instan.
ces. There are numbers in the Honse
whose votes, or silence, or absence
was purchased, at the last session, fol
the public printing, the railroad
grants, and other special objects o.
} legislation. These spoils were dis.
tribnted among certain Republicans
, holding seats, and others who were
supposed to be influential outside
And although portion of this plum.
der was appreciated in consideration
, efthe aid and comfort given by south.
eru Americans, is not believed any OIL
them personally shared its distribu.
ton.
It is due to the southern represen.
tatiyes as a body, to say, that howev,
er much they may suffer from the stig.
ma ofslavery, they are not tainted
with the dishonesty and glaring men.
dacity Of, others from the free States
J, With rare exceptions--and they are
noted to be despised-the South has
never been implicated in these infa-
nous transactions; and if it has given
J, doubtful measures support, either
mistaken generosity, or unconscious
), error incurred the responsibility
They have not Chartered over the
price ofYotes, pnrsed claimants fol
: retainers, or bargained with scurvy
contractors for a division Of disrepu.
table gains. In those high character.
Eistics, at least, slavery does not APP,
Epear to have produced any banefnl
influence, and it would be we'll that
professed philanthropy exhibited it.
self as fayorably here or extorted
something of the respect which is now
) conceded to the representatives of an
institution which it SO unqualifedl5
condemns. siss
We have frequently shown, in the
J columns Of this journal, within the
. last twelve months, that the Demo.
, cratic ideas at the base of our systcm
f originated at the South, and moreo-
yer, that the form of our institutions.
the very clothing of these ideas, were
J the work of southern men, and in the
face, too, of northern opposition-o Of
the Jeffersons and Madisons against
the strong and determined hostility
ofthe Haniltons and Adams of the