The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-11
uoaus of the Poittsclsss Caught With their
Hand I'm IN, Lobby.

Crssus of the Politicians capgh, with thesr
Hand In INT Lobby.
Iron the washtne,0n Unlon Jan. 81
cososxssxEN CHARGED WITH CORRUPTION.
We 60 not know the origin of the old saw" set
rogue 10 catch a rogue bat we do know that, II
there Is any truth in the New YORK HERALD ana
The New York Times, TIE saw is being most forciby
illustrated by these two ou mails at the present time
The HER AID and Times Through their correspo ndents
and their editorials, vieiDg with each other IN
wild hunt after band of plunderers and rogues
which they say Is now infesting Congress. and lay
ing schemes 10 bride dishones. and seduce honest
members into most enormous appropr! ations Of the
public money and the publ lands If one 1.-THE OF
what they charge be true, the very atmosphere OF
ashington Is reekiug with corruption, ana tne
halls OF Congress little else than dens OF ofnclal
robbers, meeting together only to divide the
spoils.
The misfortune however, is, that the charges fail
TO command creience because the witnesses have
proved each other to be as great rogues aud plum
derers as they assert tue lobby agents to be. 1t
has been the daily occupation OF these two Journals
70 hunt and pile mp evidence oil vlainy against each
other and, if there is a lingering doub: in the
mind of any one that til 3 are u pair of unmitiga-
ted scapeg1s res, that doubt must hang uOOn
the belief that neither Of them is credible
witness.
II is a rare spectacle to see two such prosecutors
c ming forward TO turn Statess eviuence" against
public plunderers. There may be, and we fear there
Is, room for suspicion that the legislation Of Con-
Sicr rs DeiuS sOlDetlnt5 available IOr the al
vancemeut Of personal and private sche mes of az
grandizem emit; but we doubt much whether those
who are guilty in the premises have not their surest
guarantee against detection and punishment in the
fact that the prosecutors get one to believe
their testimony account of the notorious infsmy
oil the witnesses There Is consequence, how
ever, which may follow these repeated charges of
corruption, which might be well considered by the
parties implicated. An incredible witness may re-
peat his TESTIMONY often that is may finally gene
rate suspicion Of guilt, which is almost fatal to
public man as proof OF the fact, especially il the
charges are allowed to be repeated again and again
without reputation or contradiction by the parties
accused. For example, the editor of the Times,
who was the late Lieutenant Governor Of New
York says in his issue OF Jan. g.
We know that corrupt organization Of members Of
listed spce early In the last year We we'll
Satisfied that this organization bol Is balance OF power
pending the House OF Representative and
that its power has been exerted in favor Of
where it price Is ooo per vote generally or Its equiga
lent,) and II has been used 10 pre-
vent favorable action on equally mefitorous measures
which were unable unwinng omit 70 the prsucal
tribute.
Here is direct charge and the editor processes to
"know its truth, Taking into view the fact that
the editor Of the HERALD nas again and again
PROVED that the author Of the charge is just nfa
nous as witness ss himself, the charge would hard
y he Sufficient to raise suspicion OF guilt; but sup
pose the charge Is repeated day after day in the
same confident and def ant tone, and none of the i'm
phcated parties confront the accuser and repel his
assaults. The natural consequence would be that
there were grounds for suspicion, which would soon
npen into conviction OF guilt
Who the parties are 'oat are thus implicated we
neither know nor conjecture. The Times makes one
remark. however, which induces TO add another
word Of comment. That remark is this
This organization dnei 10 party but embraces
members Of them al-''ru Is sugusr aad notorious
fact that while pstr s cannot rise a,ove pArtzsn
ST. erstons, vilsiby oLo
N al inn afo
implicated il this ioiam charge 1t is neither
our business nor wish 10 sllude to those of the
other parties implicated. We hope for the honor
Of the nation, that meme are guilty. but so far as
democrats are concerned We are interested to know
what toonoation there Is for gross CD ,rge and
one which we believe TO be vile calumny. lf black
republicans and kno~ N0thiugs choose to remain
silent under such an imputation made by leading
black republican organ, we insist that democrats
shall not allow their party to be involved in such
dlshonorable association of corruption and crime
If there be any one calling himself a democrat VINO
is guilty let him be known, aud We hesitate not to
say that be will be pronptly secuted from ranks
by the united voice of the Psrty.
But, after all we cannot conclude without calling
to mind the factthst the Hsea AID and the Times, the
foremost in charging corruption Others aud equal
ly earnest in charging il on each other, constitute
two OF that famous quintnple alliance which combined
together to place the government under black
republican rule. II there is truth Ia the charges
OF corruption mace by tneoi We have no doubt that
exposure will fall on those who co-operated with
them in the Presidential election What a CON-
mentary then, have on black republic ansm
What would have been the lirlits 10 corruption and
plumber If the government had passed into their
hands. IL il be true that such things the HERALD
and Tunes now charge are true What abundant
has the country TO rejoice that IL has escaped
the dominion of the quntuple alliance?
But we have no wish TO revive tae discussion Of
matters that entered into the late canvass. The
democrats have the responsibility OF the government
on their shoulders, and chiefly concerned that
they shall not be implicated in an infamous com.
bnation with black republicans and Know Nothings
for purposes Of plumber. We believe the charge TO
be maiciously false; and in this declaration
pect 10 be sustained by every de ocrat in Congress.
As to the black republicans and Know Nothings i'm
shall be gratied il they too shall fix the brand OF
fssehood upon the charge so far as it attaches to