The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-08
ADMINISTRATIONS AND THEIR DEFAMERs.

The protracted civil agitations in France, which
commenced in ls4i, and ended in rs4s by the over
throw of the dynasty Of Louis Philippe and estab-
hshment of the socialist and agrarian government OF
Ledru Rolln and his contreres, were conducted III
the same manner and the same general plan with
those pursued by the opposition now assail'ng the Ad
mnstraton ofthe democratic party Radical doctrines
on the subject Of property contempt of the authority
of law and derison of all conservative principles and
measures are az actively disseminated in the north
ern States at this time by antislavery leagues, un-
foreground railroad corporations womans rights as
sociations and "hgher law politicians preachers
as ever they in France ; and It is mourniui to
reflect that the decentralization of the public mind
on all these questions is complete in many districts
of that region they were at the time we have al
luded TO- in the land which has atoned so bitterly
for it's folly under the iron and welcomed despotism
of the Second Napoleon
An aunalist Of that period of French history has
described with graphic powst the manner in which
the French people were aenated from their consti-
ttitional government by the INSCRIPTIONS politicians
who devoted themselves to the fell work Of sys-
tematic agitation. NJ. Guzot was then at the head
of the French ministry, one Of the greatest states
men that France ever boosted. We quote single
passage from the historian in question They
lent all their efforts to one object, and that
was to DIscREpIr THE GOVERNMENT IN THE GENERAL
ofISIeN The tactics pursued were to represent the
government on all occasionsin the press, at public
banquets in the daily Journalists utterly and ire
trievably corrupt and the State as ruled by com
bipation of greedy shameless oihceholders and bare
faced ministers who, for their own selfish purposes,
maintained place at any hazard &c, &c.
There is a striking similarity between the tactics
now pursued by the opposition politicians OF our
own country and those, thus described this extract
which were putsied by the socialists OF France in
Vaccinations which resulted in the overthrow of a
constitutional monarchy and in the firm and perma-
pent establishment of rigid despotiem as now
exists among the monarchies of Europe
NJ Guinot in one of his greatest orations pro-
nounced during that period iii defence OF his admin
istraton from the assaults of the opposition, as"
crbcs the public danger to of its true causes in
remark which applies with striking force to the
existing state Of affairs in American politics, when
he said 1.-THE real danger of the country, its pre-
vaing vice. is not corruption IS The rant Of great
public men, of those men who the living and i'm
mortal expression Of great ideas, Of great passions,
of great courage It cannot be denied, it is pain
fully patent to the conviction of the whole American
people, that if but few such men had stood
forth for the honor and glory Of the country,
in each house of the Congress just expired, the
country would not have witnessed the miserable an
archy and mbecity which marked its whole pro
gress the barrenness of all healthful result which
followed its deliberations or the destruction and
ruin to great interests of the public which it left in
its wake.
This charge of corruption against officers of gov
eminent now forms the chief staple of harangue with
opposition writer's aud speakers. The Kansas issue
has died Of hamilton, the Wilmot proviso has given
up the ghost, and the public disgust will not tole-
rate further campaigning ON these miserable, un-
profitable, and stale subjects. There is but one
other resource left to the of small IDEAS of no
principles, and of desperate appetite for power /;
and that is to charge that the officers of the gov
ernment are as dishonest as they themselves would
be il in their places. Tho condition of the opposi-
ton in this respect is very much now what it was
shortly after the accession of General Jackson to tho
presidency. They had great measures of pub
lie policy of their own to recommend They
were unable to find any feasible objections to the
measures aud policy of General jackson. SO that
their only recourse was to fall back upon the idea of
corruption, and abuse his administration in choice
bngsgate, as little better than expert pick
pockets precisely in the manner in which their
copyists are endeavoring to crminate the adj
ministration of Mr.. Buchanan.
We have before us copy of the "'National Jour
nal newspaper printed in this city in 1880 in OPP
position to the administration of that period. 1t
pours out upon the heads of the old Hero and
his cabinet as much gall and foul abuse as the
hlthiest New York journals now vomit forth
every day into the sewers of that unclean city,
against Mr.. Buchanan and his administration. We
COPY az a sample of these ordinations against
Old Hickory, which we all know he survived, the
following extract in which he is charged with sub
sidizng the greater portion of the influential press
of the Union
Ihe foregoing incomplete list shows that General Jack
son has appointed TO public Offices orfynnc persons con
nectcd with the press On its being viewed in connexion
with the public accounts the following facts will appear
1.-The annual amount of public money paid to four only
of the editors Sc thus rewarded which among
the conductors of single paper is upwards Of
HUNDRED DOLLARS, viz 81 600 to N. Green,
81 900 to A. Dunlap 81 400 to d Hensbaw and ST.
man. the leading pepper in favor OF General Jackson in the
State of Massachusetts .