Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-02-22
WASHING TON NEWS AND GOSSIP

IHE PENALTY THEY PAr-In the last issue
OF the Star we took occasion to republish q
brief note from the Hon. Robert W. johnson, of
Arkansas, to the editor of the Newly ork Herald,
asking the address of the writer Of a letter ap-
Fearing not long since in that papers columns.
grossly hbelOus of Mr.. j. The appearance of
the iatter's letter in print reminds US of the
TACT that OF late not only every man in public
lie, but all who have contracts with Govern.
ment or who labor for Government in almost
any capacity, must expect to find themselves
denounced, somewhere or other, for robbers,
sWindiers, or bad men essentially, in some way.
twenty-five years ago, it was regarded mark
of the honor and efficiency of business man to
have q business connection with the Govern
ment, as 1t was to serve the Government in an
executive or legislative capacity. Now, how
ever, under the influence of the teachings of
the sensation press, the business contracts of
nearly all who serve the Government are de-.
nounced as swindling transactions. The ren-
eral newspaper reader will realize either that
the class OF gentlemen who serve the Govern
ment In any and every capacity has greatly
deteriorated in twenty-five years, or that the
sensation press in that time has become menda-
ciously reckless of assaults on private charac-
ter, IN order to achieve nOtoriety or to subserve
bad ends on the part of individuals.
The habit of accusing executive and Iegisla
tive functionaries of being a:tuated by sinister
motives, which became fashionable many wears
ago as favorite system Of electioneering, was
perhaps at the foundation of this worse habit of
attributing corruption to every business trans.
action OF the Government with individual citi-
sens, until class Of spectators fancying there
10 truth in the idea that in the Governments
dealings kissing goes by favor, have for years
past annoyed every Administration with their
efforts to fasten themselves upon the national
treasury The growth of such fungi is the re-
suit of the forcing" resulting from Newspaper
articles that 60 to make the foolish and ig
norant believe that the public purse is a fat
goose, laying ready to be plucked by all corners
and goers Another bad effect of Installing
such notions into the public mind is to increase
the natural disposition of Government officers
towards red-tapsism. To be more cautious.
they are ever becoming more formal, and there.
fore day by day it becomes more difficult to
transact business with them in a business wav
We desire here to be properly understood.
Ihe growth Of red-tapeism under our Govern
ment has been only pan passn with the growth
OF efforts to achieve special favors at the ex-
Pense OF the Government, which must be check
mated; and the growth Of the latter is in a
great measure the result of the misrepresenta
hons of the sensation press in laboring to create
the impression that nearly all transactions
with the Government involve what would be
regarded as swindling operations as between
citizen and citizen.
MONSIEUR MAL-APROPos.-We are not a
little amused at the bucketsful Of tears being
shed by the opposition press just now over the
iachrymose speech or published address Of Mr..
6eorge Bancroft against the Lecompton const-
tuition. That effort has turned him suddenly
into statesman of great Importance Now, if
ever man was tried and found wanting as a
pubic man that individual is this same Mr.
George Bancroft. As an Unitarian preacher
In early life he broke down. Though a gentle
man of fine literary and general scholarly at
talnments, as a clergyman he was 50 utterly
useless as that he had to abandon the profes
sion As the Secretary of the Navy he in
VoiVed himself In a serie. Of petty quarreIs
with clerks, officers and Cabinet, which ended
In bis Punishment from that position He was
sent to England as the American Minister ONLY
to cover up the faar pas of having ATTEMPTED
10 make Cabinet Minister of him. In a din
iomauc capacity he was well nigh as useless as
a suck or stone would have been. He brought
back from bis mission the reputation of having
been the most inefficient man who had so far
represented the United States at London.
Since then no has been busiIy engaged in
writing history; and it has been hoped that h.
mad at length discovered his proper sphere If
usefulness Though a smooth writer and Ia.
POROUS investigator, his late date Lecomnton
address leads to the conclusion that he il rs.uv
as unit to write history as to minister TO a CON.
gregation, to conduct the affairs of a densrt.
ment OF the Government, OF to renresen, N.
United States abroad. This conclusion ia IL.
Ultimate from his deductions from the n,sm;ss.
upon which he argues. Thus, in that address
ne studlousiy falsihes the historical facts of his
ease-the historical facts of the Kansas imbrog.
Iio-snd upon that Justification repeats as sound
deductions, all the WORKOUT slang of Jim Lane
Co, with less point than the latter gave it
by clothing it in the language of the black
guardism incident to all they say Of their op-
ponents
Really by and through the glaring misrep-
RESERVATIONS Of this speech, Mr. George Bars
'roi' mas done not little towards convincing
men Oh sense that his capacity to iudict trntb.
ial history is much less than wa, previously be-
IHE OVERLAND CALIFORNIA MAI, Po,,rv
as.-We have received the following Iet,s,
from the California correspondent to whose nan
We are So greatly indebted for the mas. of -
terssting and valuable information concsrn;n.
The industrial capabilities and resource. Of one
Pacific side. 1t proves with great force and
fleet, without being written with the slixbest
egard to that end, the wisdom of the Postmas.
sr General in selecting the route for the over
and mail on which he made the present con-
raet In so doing, it bears out all the informa-
aon' unofficial, that has 80 far come to the |
knowledge Of the public concerning the Incl
lsnu and results of the trips of that important
nail up TO the present time. We are be-
In