The Nevada journal., 1857-02-20
s. F. CHRONICLE & AMERICAN PARTY.

as near our beau ideal of a newspaue1
as any journal in the state; but in al
article about the state treasurer, in is
issue OF Feb. 11th, it speaks of the
American party without that fairness OF
statement and reasoning which it usual
ly exhibits. A strictly party paper is
allowed certain degree of exaggera-
ton IN Its statements of political facts,
and its denunciations of political oppo-
nents; but neutral paper is supposed
to have no motives for Misrepresentation
in such matters, and should endeavor to
deserve the reputation for fairness,
which it is apt to enjoy with the com
munity. 1t is, perhaps, right for the
former to prosecute or defend with the
zeal and ardor of an advocate; but the
latter should strive to exercise, to some
extent, the impartiality of judge.
Since the decision of the supreme
court about the unconstitutionalitv of
the state debt, and the discovery of the
probable misconduct of the state treas
urer, heterogeneous cry has come up
from various quarters against the Amer
lean party. Newspapers of every vari-
ETY. OF opinion black republican, and
African democrat, and neutral, and re-
hgious and literary, and non-descript -
are seeking to throw all the blame of
all our evils upon party which has
never had entire control of the govern
ment, even for a moment, and which has
been partially in power, only for short
period. The American party, forsooth,
must be responsible for everything bad,
because the disease which has been cor
rupting the blood af the body polite for
years, has now happened to show itself,
for the first time, upon the surface
We don't find much fault with the dem
ocratic journals in the premises, for, by
concentrating public attention upon
their opponents, they can more easily
prevent their own past mis-deeds from
being discovered; but we do think that
such journals as the CAro,jcIe might af-
ford to be more fair, Especially as they
profess to be speaking of the deod)
And what is all this clamor about (?
The answer of The Chronicle, is: "The
treasury robbed, the state made bank
rupt, the country disgraccd, the credit
of the state ruined," &c. &c 1t very
wisely puts the taa9i6lc charge at the
head of the list, supposing that it would
carry with it the loose generalities that
follow. As to the "treasury robbed"
it is very probably true that Mr.. Bates
has mis-used, or allowed to be mis-used.
portion of the public money. But
should aggravated charges be made
against whole party, because it hap
pened to place in office one dishonest, or
indiscreet man, who, at the time of his
election, enjoyed an unspotted reputa-
ton! AS to "the state made bank
rupt," to charge the millions of state
debt upon the American party, most of
which was created, before it had even
an existence, is so manifestly unjust as
to need no answer. And as to the
country disgraced and 1.-the credit
of the state ruined" &c, to say that the
American party has done all this, or has
contributed, to any great extent, to-
wards it, is to make an unfair assertion,
not founded on facts.
But if Bates has acted the rascal,
who discovered his villainy? What
party commenced that system of guard
ing the public money, and closely ex
amining into the conduct of public of
fcers, which led to his detection All!
that is matter which the haters of the
American party are fond of overlooking,
and which they don't like to hear talked
about before the people. Had it not
been for the " Act for the better protec
ton of the treasury" passed by the last
legislature, and the effort made to place
the finances of the state on a better
footing by the funding bill, Mr.. Bates
might have pursued the course usually
followed by our public officers, with i'm
punity. The predecessors of Bates
may have been guilty of misconduct ten
times more heinous than any yet proven
against him, without the people know
ing anything about it. Who ever heard
of the money in the treasury being
counted by an examining committee
when democrat was treasurer, and all
the departments of the government in
the hands of the democracy2 Now
tia this system of safeguards has been
inaugurated by their opponents, these