Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-01-20
LEGTsLATTYE CORRUPTION.


There is nothing which SO threatens the Perma-
nency Of our institutions as the rapidly increasing
tendency TO corruption in our legislative bodies
Our readers cannot have forgotten the fortunate
exposures which we're made Of Congressional cor
rupions at the last session Of that body As feariu
as was their extent it was generally understood al
the time, that the probe had scarcely gone beneath
the surface. The time had certainly come, when
that body might wen be likened to the Augean STA
BILE. Nothing would be more wholesome, II there
was any means by which 1t could be arrived at man
a thorough exposure Of the enormous frauds ana
swindes which it is believed have got to be part
and parcel Of federal legislation. We are likely
soon to have another Investigating Committee Out
What il will result in, time alone can determine.
Among the numerous heavy financial failures that
have taken place oflate, is that of the large mrcan
tile house Of LAWRENCE, STONE s. Co., Boston This
ssplendid failure" like all ''sPlendldialures lei'
syas pile Of debts outopofthe ruin, butnota Veslge
Of the considerable amount Of treasure Nhich WIS
supposed TO be stored in its vaults which led 10 al
Investigation Of its transactions. eohnl'Uee "I'
APPOINTED by the anxious creditors, Who as II
fair to presume, went to work in their search WIN
hearty GOOD viii. in hopes Of finding the lost money
bDt after what seems TO have been pretty el0Se
scrutiny. they we're altogether DISAPPOINTED anu
- ,Lo ,,sat house to have been bankrupt anu
rotten for years and years. This was all very
but.tbep the question arose, what became "a ~
r,opevf Here they came to dead IocA- -.
knowledge they state they are IN PossesslOn Vi -
tboteg7 OO0ofthe creditors funds was useu " 0-A
certain tariff amendment through congress d. A''
lost s.ssion Appeals are made, but thus Tar III
s;, 10 the firm orto their assignees, to come lofth
md n LET the public know what use was male OF
money who receivedit whatwas obtained Tor H.
=, rbsv Dreserve q studied silence. Meanwhile
,.-. are Numbers Of surmses as to the probability
- ill., s,bseriDtions having been made by other
bousss The whole affair is deeply, darky dis
honorable and dsgraceful and ought MOTTO be passed.
over lightly by the body upon which 1t 50 seriously
reflects.
Sucb are some of the corrupting influences upon
the poliios of the country eIerted by the moneyeu
mower. Among the bad debts Of the old CniUeu
States Bank. twenty millions, we believe were re
ported as loans to politicians; but having OeeA
driven of from the Federal city by the breaking up
fbst monster corruption these moneyed lntrlguers'
as we were warned by Gen. Jaeksonl n ms Iare"eA
address, have turned upon the States and tempered
with our Legislatures So, as shown by the lnNes-
LEGATIONS at the last Congress, railroad monoPot'7
snd sdveuturers to get wasteful donations OF the
DubIie lands, intrigued with corrupt Congressmen
and bought their votes to aid them in Plunderng the
government. So again, as in the present instance
Northern capitalists, unsatised with their already
e.setious Oflabor andIarge profits to secure an
increase Of dishonest GAIN are found corruPng the
legislation Of the country by the payment OF large
sums Of money.
To the patriotic and virtuous mind, the contem'
plstiou Of such things are most shocking but
disagreeable a. they are they must be thought o.
and understood by the country, or else half cen
turv NAV not pass ere the rights and sovereignty
the people, and the power Of the government i'T'
bsrtered away by venal hands, and the glory
orr institutions be buried amidst the gloom OF an
other age Of oppression and revolution.
Money has been recognized as the chief SQUIRE
OF corruption with all nations and in all ages.
hiss never contributed to the advancement Of repu6
liesp principles. 1t has always been the auzlllaT
of princes and despOts. It has always been foun
+, the control Of that class with whom ''mlgh
u,kes right" But it is not more source Of @v'
than "a means Of pOwer-immeasura0le' danger ou'
dreaded UuWeE-a power IA w.
priyate aud public Its constant and natural len
dency is to get away from the use Of the many an
concentrate in the hands of the tsI0. With this ie'
there exists a mutually Of interest and as con
sequence, a mutual sympathy. 1t becomes Ihef'
fore. law with Capital to protect Capital Thu
fortified. we may well conceive the eHaeuons 1t wal
make Of Labor, as thecountry grows Older Money e
o5rporations will soon cover the land, and with a
the boosted benefits which they were intended
confer il viii be well for Us if they do not eVer'u4
" rob as Of the last yestige Of cur rights.
It's idle to suppose that the American people al
shove the reach Of these evil Influences, to any gre
extent. in political point Of view. Men III mug
station have no more integrity than those IA 10
ones. with thousand-fold greater temptation TO
wrong; and so long as we remember that heSa"o'
Of the world was betrayed for thirty pieces Of slIye
1t will be idle to suppose that there are not hundre
Of demagOgues ever ready to sell their country al
the liberties Of the people for the same amount
10 greater can be obtained.