Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-04-07
Blask.Rspublisan Standard Of AoralS


Until recently. charge OF gross
immortality deeply affected the sensl'
bility Of men, and conviction con-
signed the guilty to 3 degraded posi-
ton 10 society and before the world.
He who attempted to escape from con-
fronting the charge, as well as helI
whose acts substantially admitted it,
were Stunned by the pure and the
good, az the subject Of moral conta.
.gion. An effort to avoid the juris-
iietion of a tribunal suitable toinyest-
-igate, try, and determine, was looked
upon as an admission that, on the
merits, the accused hadreason to fear
for the result. We remember when,
in the days Of the Etna INSURANCE
ICompanyin New York, JasperWard,
a senator from the city Of Now York,
was accused Of malpractices, com
.mittec of the State Senate reported
that het was guilty OF disbursingsta
fund to the 1obbyf>to aid in securing
the charter, and resigned before the
report waa acted upon, the verdict OF
the American people, was, that he
WIS guilty, and that his resignation
MAS conclusive evidence Of his guilt.
Tie correctness ofthis verdict was not
then questioned, nor has il been
Since, A. similar cause, at a subse.
quent day, was followed BY the same
consequences, ton the resignation Of
two other senators inythe same State.
In every State where. this course has
been pursued a like result has iol->
lowed. 1t has beer left to the pre-
sent times to question the correctness
| of these results. The last House OF.
Representatives, was decidedly oppo-
Esition. and { Speaker, Clerk, &C., Of
Opposition principles, were elected. -,
Before the late session expired it was
at first insinuatcd, and then charged,
that corrpptian had been praetised or
+ ttcmptcd\ in the House. i'rima
fffcie evidence was addneed, upon
which the. maj ority were compelled TO
order a committee toinvestigate and
examine witnesses under oath. y
! thorough and fair scrutinJ, where the
innocence aud guilt OF the accused
were tullyeanvassed and considered,
| followed. and sundry members were
Fdeclared to have been guilty of dis
reputable conduct, more or less in
violation Of their public duty, and
eliminating their personal honor
}Just as the House was about to vote
upon their conviction and expulsion,
/ that body. was notiticl that three OF
%thc accused membcrs had voluntarily
resigned their commissions as repre-;
sentHtiNcs. :t~.~ @H> .
! The scrutiny into one Of their cases
involved certain acts Of u lca:ling
black republican, editor, concerning Il
certain thousanldoNars which no per,
son yet named has eceiye,ttrom him:
The three accused meinbers, being Of
the same party, escaped eon1lemna-
! ton in q manner which, in former
] times, would have been an admission
Of their guilt, and WHICH no partisan
efforts couli have avoided. Butt
these things have changed. Not one
note of condemnation or.word ofcchS
sure ofthc proved, or~even admitted
facts, has been heard from the black !
republican press. All are either
silent or openly approving acts which
once wonll have called forth uniycr
sal Reproduction; for in the House a
portion OF. this>same party recorded
their votqAasaipst> resolutions to con-
denim tn? corruptions conceived. il
not actually perpetrated, by the &C,
cused. Ncarlytwenty Of the black
REPUBLICAN, members from New York
unblushingly voted to screen their
colleagues from the consequences
justly resulting. from conceded facts
Those who did not dare openly to-
engage in the effort to screen them,
with less malg courage, lodged the.
vote, hoping thereby to secure the
me.resuit. In New York, frauds
thave been1so long practiscd by this
class Of politicians, in plundering the
State government, that they have
grown bold in justifying such acts
Hence, the lnanimity of the black.
republican press and members in Jus
! titying acts which the law. Of good
morals condemns. We ought not,
we admit, to be much disappointed
at these things, after their support Of
Fremont and approval tof his course
towards the treasury in the numerous
instances brought to public notice last
year. We think that We are an
thorized in the belief that the moral
standard of our opponents lowers in
proportion as that ofthe ''higher law
rises, and that ere long few offences
committed by one of the opposition.
will fail to meet tho appreciation of
its press and leading partisans.
WasA. Union.
II s'--- Later from Mexico.
New ORLEANS, April 3.-The