Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-03-10

The Public Printing Plundercrs.
The Washington States of the ll'b tnSt has
long article giving an account u the frauds rrac-
t;sel unnn the Government in hc matter "t the
Public Printing bv an unho'N combination be
tween A. q. Seaman. the Superintendent, aud
Cornelius Wendell, the Pria'er to tAe 'a~ Ton.
cress. The States does no content t'-"Ii with
general accusations, hut mrtS> CERTAIN Npr'ihc
charges, derived from tie oibcial Ief"'t ct the
Investigating Committee winch WAS nll"in'cd to
examine into the sui ect
The exh; bit develops most astonishing chain
of fraud upon the Government FIN the moment
that Seaman was appointed Superintendent up t"
the time that he was circtrl trm othre. Ky
system Of forced evies aaI nns up.'n different
contractors. this immaculate individual arrcars
to have made his office mere valuable. III p"lnt OF
pecunarv results than that held 10y the President
If the United States himself
We do not consider ii II 'rcssary to copy ihe de-
tails of the fraud which are gwen by the States.
We submit only its concluding remarks. promising
that they cannot bc characterized as wv hig lie,
for they come from n leading Democratic Journal,
published upon the spot where these pcculntlons
were practised. The States concludes it, exhibit
as follows:
So much for the villanous practices OF W hdell
and Seaman. These angelic individuals were
bound together by the most criminal connexlon.
Seaman was the officer OF government whose duty
il was if necessary, to reject the paper furn'shcd
while Wendell a. the Public Printer, used the
paper, knew its quality, aud was tho only person
10 complain of its nterioritv. They canedrrated
to lew tribute from the contractors aud to deraud
H. I,,o al Y
notwithstanding the cleverncss ri these two con
summate rascas and their stualous enl"ay"r To-
cover up their tracks, the caninttte" convict
them of receiving brlhcs and hountlcs-thc for
mer to the amount of $50 oOn. and the latter to
the amount of $50 900 Ot course, these figures
do not represent the full extent Of Seaman and
Wendell's operations. In the main, their prac-
tees were such as to eluie detectiou and when
ever they ventured into the light they were care
full to assume an almost impenetrab.e disguise.
Still enough is ascertained to show that both Sea
man and Wendell have plnndercd the treasury
upon svstcn. and have incurred exposure to the
renalty Of Imprisonment in the pcnitentiary
The committee conclude their report with an as
signment of Seaman to the tender mercies of the
District Attorney; but they recommend no prose-
cution against Wendell.
These ars astounding Developments int they
are ola ricce riM tie PREF ilen practices IN HE fed
eral capital. From the by'cays and h,ghcays Of
the government the rotttnnCss Of corruption sends
forth an iAsu1erahe stencil. Why are the people
so patient? Why slumbers the Indignation of
the Democracy? See they nothing dscreditablc
in the fact that the organ of the Administra-
ton is under the ostensiLle control of n detected
swindler? Have they word of surprise when
they discover that the President retains Cornelius
Wendell as his confidential Organ" after the
public and official exposure Of Cornelius Wcndcls
corrupt practices as a fnnctonary of government?
Cornelius Wendell is Public Printer, not in name
but in facts there no popular protest against
the connvance in his employment since the dis
covcrv Of his frauds and populations? Others
may be Indifferent to such an iguominy but, for
ourselves we intend to lash the male factor till the
party is purged of his infectious presence. and
the treasury is protected against his piracal ope
ratons.
We beg the reader to observe the passage in tho
above extract which we have italieised. 1t is
there declared that these printing swndcs are
not exceptional in their character, but are "of a
piece wah the PREVALENT PRACTICES IN the Federal
Capital" Nay, as If the picture were not al.
ready sufficiently graphic. the States declares that
"FRoM THE BYwAYs AND HIGHWAYS OF THE Gov
EMINENT, THE RoTTENNEss OF CORRUPTION SENDS
FORTH AN INsrrEERABLE STENCIL"
If any one had been previously disposed to
doubt the existence of unparalleled corruption
and prohigacy in the Administration of the Fede-
raj Government, such doubt will be at once dissi-
pated by this frank and candid admission from
leading Metropolitan journal. But, in truth, such
a declaration was hardly necessary. When the
people OF this country see the annual expenses of
the Government, in time of profound peace. run
up from fifty millions few years ago to nearly
one hundred millions now, they will naturally
enough draw their own conclusions No other
opinion can be entertained than that the public
moneys are dissipated upon unworthy enterprises
else boldly stolen, under various prete1ts, from
the common Treasury.
As we said yesterday, every other nation tina
is in debt can show some exhibit of how the obi
cation was contracted. They can show valu,
received for the expenditure. either in the con
quest Of other lands. the planting Of colonies the
increase Of the means of defence and attack, OIL
the preservation of the national honor. But, with
US, we have absolutely nothing in return for our
expenditures. The money has gone into the peck
cts OF innumsrable swindlers, of every descrp
tion, who have been feeding fer years, with cor
morant appetite, upon the national vitals. The
Government has become poor just in the precis.
proportion that these harpies have become rich.-
The mass Of the honest industrious, unsuspectin,
people Of the country have been contributing. in
directly, Of their hard-earned substance. not I,
keep up the machinery of Government which
meut which is huge carcass of corruption, 70
The feeding Of innumerabls political vultures