The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-09-10
THE PROGRESS OF CORRUPTION.
TFrOm the Richmond whiE.I

prVm the hlchmonu NhR.l
1t is curious, if not instructive, to observe
how abuses, es,corruptions, and practices, which
sap the foundation of free institutions, and
which both indicate and encourage debused
state Of polictcal morals, gradually and al
most lmpercep,ibly creep into Governments
and parties; and how what once shocked the
moral sense Of the people and excited their
just Indignation, comes to be looked upon ms
not so rery eptionabe-as justifable un-
der some circumstances. Governments grad.
ually become corrupt and demoralzed in this
manner, and 60 from bad to worse, until the
whole fabric becomes rotten and fall beneath
the weight of IFS own infamy and the con-
tempt Of mankind.
There are not few now living, though a
whole generation has passed away in the mean
time, who were old enough to remember and
take part in the Presidential contests of 1924
and 1928, the first of which resulted in the
election of Mr.. J. Q. Adams, and the last,
IN the election of General jackson. These
will not fail 10 recollect how vigorously the
charge of extravaganza was urged in the
campaign of '28, against Mr.. Adams admin
istration, and how fiercely he was denounced
for interfering with or attempting to influence
elections; mn imputation as false and as
groundess as ever was concocted by base
and malicious maligners to serve the purpos-
es of their insatiate love of the "spos Of
office"
"Retorm" was then the watchword. "Re-
form," "relorm," was the cuckoo cry, from
'morn till dewy eve," of that paragon of
hvpocrtical, malicious, audacous, and mem
daciOus sheets, the Washington Telegraph,
conducted by the notorious Dnff. Green.-
And this cry has been kept up so long and
so constantly, that General Jackson deemed
it his duty or his policy, to introduce it into
his Inaugural Address. Accordingly in that
address he said that upon the list of Execu-
tive duties was Inscribed the reform of
those abuses which had brought the Federal
Government in conflict with the freedom of
| elections.
| 1t was understood and designed that it
should be understood, that this was an in
direct charge against his predecessor, of ex-
ertng an influence himself, or of so using the
patronage of the Government to influence or
control the elections in the States, as to
cause their results to be favorable to the Ad-
ministration. Those who first made this
false and unfounded charge knew well that.
il true, it would shock the people of the
United States, not then as now familiar with
the interference of the Federal Office holders
in the politics of the country, nor with the
uses of money in such cases, nor the bestow-
ing of Office with view to promote the
success of any political party. And the au-
thors of this Islander knew also that if the
assertion of the fact were boldly made, and
with well-feigned horror at the enormty of
such practice, some of the people, at least,
would believe the lie and array themselves
against man who could even permit such
shocking practices under his Government.
This and other charges equally false, and
now known and acknowledged to be so, did
their intended work and he was defeated, and
the honesty of those who succeeded was
made especially manifest in the open declar-
alton that "to the victors belong the spoils
of Office" The patronage of the Federal
Government was at once brought in conflict
with the freedom of elections, and has so
continued from that time down TO the pres
ent. Lately the Clerks in the Executive
offices were assessed two per cent n month
on their salaries to pay for interfering with
and attempting to control the elections, and
when the act is charged against this corrupt
administration, it is not only not denied, but
the Union, the organ of the Administration,
comes boldly out like thief detected in
the act of stealing, and justfes the Infamous
proceedings! The Union of the 18th inst.
says with sh ameless effrontery, "lf there is
n person in the public service who does not
voluntarily contribute the amount, ut least,
of two dollars and half year on each
thousand dollars of his salary to support the
cause of democracy, he should be dismissed
at once and his place be filled by one who is
patriotic and liberal enough to double the
contribution" Framers of our Constitution,
va who lived in the "better days os the Re-
public" hear you that! No! thank God, you
cannot hear il, and cannot know that your
sot.s have so degenerated as to listen 10 such
language, not only without any expression
of indignant disgust, but some of them even
approvngly! Shade of Washington, whith-
er are we tending, and where shall we land
Truly we are progressive people, and have
progressed wonderfully from the land marks
established by the patriots of the revolution
and the glorious band who formed the Con-
sti,ution and for time administered its af-
fairs with clean hands, honest hearts, and
sound minds.
tJy- A medical journal says that the de-
coction of lockwood had been successful in
cases of badness. Four large handfuls of
the stem and leaves Of the garden box are
boiled IN three pints of water, in closely
..l yossai for fifteen Minutes and allow