The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-10-17
CORRUPTION WILL BECOME THE
ORDER OF THE DAY.o

The tendency Of all governments is to corrup-
ton. Those in power desire to perpetuate their
rule, and unless closely watched by the people, will
resort to improper and corrupt means to accom-,
plish their purpose. Openly and shameessly avow-
ing, as the party now having possession of the
government do that offices and all the pecunia'y
benefits 10 be derived from having the expenditure
of the public Treasury, the objects Of political
contest, and TO be considered "a spoilsn won and
10 be possessed by the victors, it is not matter
of wonder that they make the most they out
of them, spend more more than is necessary, but
take care that all such expenditures shall 60 into
the hands Of such as serve them, and labor TO per-
petuate power in the hands Of a party whose
only band, Mr.. Calhoun forcibly as truthfully
said, is /" the cohesive power of public plumber"
The same eminent statesman also said, with
money they get power, and with power they get
money" 1t is thus that all corrupt and prohigate
men, banded together for that purpose, obtain
and retain power over people indifferent to pub
lie affairs, stupid enough to be cajoled, duped and
bamboozled, and willing to be bought with por-
ton Of their own money.
General jackson once said, that IL certain things
continued to be practised corruption will become
the order of the day" Those practices have not
only continued, but immensely increased, and cor.
ruption has become the order Of the day A great
outcry was made against Mr. J. @. Adams Ad.
minshation on account Of its alleged extravaganza
when the. public expenditures under him amounted
only to thirteen millions and half of dollars a
year; whereas they now amount to over seventy
millions Of dollars per annuml
But do the people eyince disposition to look
into these expenditures and see what they arc for
how their money goes, into whose pockets IL finds
it's way who puts il there and for what purpose
Not at ALL The party in power are satisfied they
care not how much money goes out of the treas.
ury, provided those belonging to that party reap
the benefit Of it; and they arc assured by their
political papers,-in which they believe as religi.
ously as they believe the Bible, and some much
more so,-ths. this Is an able, upright, faithful,
honest, pure, administration. But little do they
know or care how much interest these papers have
10 sustaining those in power or how much they
are paid for their devotedness.
Mr.. Clay, when Secretary Of State under Mr..
Adams, having designated some hafa-dozen pa
pers in different parts Of the United States, to
PN"nsh ehV ia"Sj oiVpPht HfC VI otA VI tuoSe
which had published the laws the year before on
account Of their vitdperative and mendacious abuse
Of Mr.. A. and himself, resolution was introduced
in the House Of Representatives, by Romulus M
Saunders, of North Carolina, calling upon him for
his reasons for this change, and most furious on.
slaught was made upon him by the Jackson Daytv
in that body, who represented this act as one cal
cuated 10 corrupt and subsidze the press of ,l,e
Union, and dangerous TO the liberties Of the. man.
plel
The debate upon this subject was kept up for a
long time, and from the tone OF those who attacked
Mr. Clay--then leaders of the Jackson. afterwards
the Democratic party, one would have supposed
that direct open, undisguised and unbushinr
attempt had been made 70 bribe sundry lending
papers, or purchase their support by the use of
the public money If we remember correctly,
there were. FIVE papers dropped and five others se
lected in their stead, at the end Of the year, to
publish the laws, and that the compensation Of
each for Publishing the laws, was about one hun.
bred dollarsi This was the sum and extent OF