The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-03-04
Secret Service Money.

specling the $3.50, coo Of secret service money
distributed by General Scott while in Mexico,
We. expressed gour humiliation al the facts
which j, indicated. Thatdfficers OF high rank
IN Mexico were willing 10 sell their country
for a private consideration seemed indeed
hardly credible. And YET the recent report
of the COMMITTEE of Inquiry show, that the
uses OF another sort of secret service money
are by no means confined 10 foreign cap iiaIs
or TO times Of W.. In Washington, some of
our own memberesef Eoneress can, il seems,
be reached by such considerations more eff.
effectuaIIy than BY any other.
That the action Of the Committee of Inqui-
ny was independent, manly, ard influenced
| by the purest and most Honorable motives,
there can be no question. That took bold
but mild view o! the case we have no doubt.
Ba: whether they have 60, really to the bot
lom OF the mater seems quite doubtful
Suppose three or four members to be expeD-
ed, would il be quite safe to eli down and
say, as do the Committee, that all beyond is
iueproachable and above suspicious II is
huO thet II was iot tuO tbtCf0bt :" tuC CUu-
spirators, if ever go few, TO magnify their
numbers, gefupa report of members of Con-
grsss being go linked, in order 10 fleece mon.
ey wore profusey out of parties thus to be
shaved! No doubt they exaggerated the
corruption, 10 swell the amounts, just as some
of them prsfessed to be very Indignant al the
rascalily of .ths whole thing, while coolly
swallowing the plundsr. Bet after all, will
the country believe the other membels of
Congress to be Immaculate? Il is true that
fies that he knows of no corruption. But is
that enough? Perhaps he ard others might
differ as 10 what is corrup,on, for Mr. Simon
ton tells us that he had seen this same ex.
member cali out twenty or thirty members,
and after conversing with them they had
changed their votes. Why was mol this re.
porter asked 10 slate who they were? Prob.
ably he would have forgotten.
One thing is certain; the public generally
will take more favorable view of this case
than the committee have taken. Those who
defend men charged with such Infamous do.
ings, by The mere empty defamation against
"star chamber" proceedings, will be suspect
ed, whether justly or M justly We know moi,
bu, they will Be suspected Of being too closely
linked in with them 10 pursue any other
course.
TIE friends of some OF The accused parties
will, no doubt, feel sore, and many will be.
lieve them not culpabe 10 the extent that
the report of the Committee would make il
appear. All this was 10 be expected. There
nigh, not be unimpeachable evidence against
some of these men of directly taking bribes,
sufficient 10 convict them in court of justice,
as courts nowadays seem TO arrange mat |
ters. But that is not the point exactly. An
honorable body, like Congress, whose votes
decide all questions Of national importance,
must be kept not only pure, but above all
suspicion. The coruplers Of public spirit are
bad enough, bat if 10 this ii should once be
understood that the members can be iudivd.
ually approached by direct orIbo., wha, shall
we corke tos It may pegf~n-n little book
jobbing, for sl4 900; it may go on at the rate
of 81 500 for vote on railroad till il cut up
quarter Of factory or use 500, 900 10 work
through bill; but will il stop there?
Will not The section of the county that
can carry the heaviest purse, by and by Sc.
cure the tariffs And when the vote comes
on claims affecting treaties, on questions Of
North and South, peace or war, what is 10
he hatou coll -, a.,
or :ls dearest interests, for some private mess
of potagea The fact of such thing as the
possible bribery Of Congress votes, to say
nothing of the reproach, is so unseuing i n
its consequences of oil public repose and
confidence, that it is not enough that men,
bers be not proved guilty, but they must be
above all reasonable ground of suspicion
men of sufficient carefulness and discretion
not 10 be compromised nor to compromise
Congress by any approach 10 corruption.
When iu Rome gold could purchase votes
and the highest Offices OF State, it was not
long before the country was utterly destroyed
Thus we have been saved the curse of
standing army, because all were willing 10
submit TO the votes Of The majority. But once
let il be understood that il is not numbers
and moi justice that decide The questions be-
fore Congress, but gold and bribery, and the
whole foundation and stability Of the govern.
msnt is overhrown. Henceforth govern.
menl must inevitably arise resting upon an
other basis--.foree. Let any great question
once come up, involving vast interests. aud
who will submit TO have il decided by The
purse, unless ii be backed by the power of
the swordi-Pubhe Ledger.