The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-13

THuRLow WEED AT THE CONFESSIONAL
Thurlow Weeds conscience seems to be prick
ing him. He gave us the other day half con-
fesaon in relation to the $4,000 check
which he is understood to have received out of
the $S7 900 expended by Lawrence, Stone and
Company; he now volunteers some further
light on the subject. Hear him -
We shall not voluntarily disclose the financial opera
TONS o. ether party indeed such operations when
entirely legitimate, are in their nature confidential
check books 10 the public Individuals are not called
upon 10 Disclose the amount OF Indebtedness or the
nsmes OF tner creditors Newspaper proprietors also
in themselves but which they do feel called upon
publish This. however. is no answer TO the inquiry Of
Messrs lawrence Stone Co. Our reply to this is that
have had communication, directly or indirectly
with those gentlemen with their AGENT have we re-
ceived one dollar from either Of them II the amount
received from political friend with whom labored in
the campaign Of 1856, came from that house, with
out our knowledge.
Here we differ from Mr. Thurlow Weed. We
do not think that Financial operations of po-
Gtical parties are in their nature confidential"
Quite the contrary. Such operations, like all
other movements of public political parties,
ought to be public, and open to every eye.
C0ncealment and confidential arrangements in
such affairs are contrary to the very essence of
our institutions. Our political parties exist in
order to transact the public business; the idea
that the managers of these parties shall have
secrets from the public they are serving is mon
strous. And if party managers have no right
to keep secrets from their employers-the
public-on any subject, they have least of all
hok rsck@ -, xbosu
transactions. 1t is an offence in the eye of the
law to use money for the purchase of votes or
political Offices; the party which does so, and
afterwards pretends that it was a confidential
affair with which the public have no right to in
terfere, is as likely to meet with sympathy as
forger who pretended that he committed for
gerry confdentially, or a confidential thief.
1t seems even that Mr.. Thurlow Weed might
be compelled by legal pressure to tell what he
knows about the use of money by the political
parties whose secrets he possesses, The law
obliges every man to reveal crime.
Mr.. Weed very properly says that this is no
answer to the charge brought against him with
respect to the $4,000. And he goes on to say
that if the money he received came from Law
renee, Stone and Company it was without his
knowledge. Just 90. People who bride and
people who take brides don't do business on the
principles which obtain in Washington market
A delicate reserve and confidential circumlocu-
ton usually envelops the transaction Mr.. A,
the briber, doesn't vulgarly hand check to
Mr.. B, the bribed, but passes it through the
hands of G, who passes it to b, in payment for
an uncommonIy good segar. Thus B is able to
say in the language of Mr.. Weed, that " if the
amount received from political friend. &C.,
came from Mr.. A, it was without his knowledge"
We can fancy Matteson, after Greeley had
handed him the 81 900 check which the Des.
MONIES Improvement Company entrusted to the
latter TO be given to Matteson on certain con-
tingencies, declaring that Z" if the $1,000 re-
ceived from political friend, &C., came from
the Desmoines Improvement Company, it was
without his (Matteson's) knowledge"
Thurlow Weed must find some better excuse,
or judgment will go against him ON the facts
The TRACT SOcmTY.-This body, and the