Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-03-08
Corruption in High Places


once gave expression to the sage sentiment that
public debt was public blessing, ihe PROPOSE
ton is anagonistc to all the CONCLUSIONS oi prnc-
tical common sense however much /, may accord
with the refined theories Of political economists.
For our own part; We know OF no rule of econ
omy not equally Us applicable t. nations ~ 10 IN
diyiduals And rs it is certainly an disputed
point that individual debt is great calamity, so
does it seem equally clear that national debt docs
not draw innumerable public advantages in ITS
train.
Evidently however. the democracy are beIie'-
ers in the soundness of the npo'hegm. For they
are daily engaged. in the adm nistration oil the
Federal Government, in plunelng the country
into an unfathomable mornss Of debt and DIN iliy
Perhaps it is because they believe that the maA'm
is sound and ,ennbe one, that they d. TINS.
Perhaps il is in the incrc>, Of the nation that
they are anuuaiiy spending millions more than
the rccepts--so TINT the r,untry may, III the
course of time, reap all the advantages winch IRE
suggested by the assertion that public DEL II
public blessing 1t may be that. far from lnvok-
ing popular censure upon the party Tor Its unpnr-
allied extravaganza and prohi-acy, II Is our duty
to award it all praise for its Observance "i wise
principle of administration. Unfortunately.
though, the people fail OF appreciation Of the
fnesse of this mode Of Governmcnt-for the press,
of all rarss is ringing with indignant protest
against the corruption in high places ~hleh not
only threatens to involve the country III lnextrica-
bic embarrassment hut 10 lower the standard OF
public morality to degree never before attained.
=, "a. finn l,,,r,sf urp n
the habit Of pointing to the large public debts of
tho nations Of the Eumpcln Continent -main-
tanning by curious sort Of &c, Tint we nrc
as much able to have public ''ht rs England or
France or Spain. Perha.'~ We 'c. But tins ar
gument touches our alhlity--u.i the rasey ID
propriety Of the thing in '',"'. ii IT eau he de-
monstrated that the grinding cxnc;ions from the
poor Of England, for the purpose OF maintaining
the national credit confer happiness and strength
upon the nation, then we give up the point. If
the debt of Spain, winch paralyscs her energies,
humbles her pride and reduces her to the rank OF
q tenth-rate power, be regarded IA fortunate cir
cumstance. then We give it up again. II the debt
of Mexico, creating almost weekly revolutions,
deposing Presidents, and causing that unhappy
nation to provide for emergencies by selling of
her Territory, be n blessing to her, we have yet
to see the evidences Of thc fact. There is only
one conceivable benefit that can regard us en-
suing from heavy natl NAL debt--and that is, it
might perhaps put check upon the ayarice of
our rulers and abate some what the passion for
plumber and corruption, which is much stmu.
lated by an overlooking Treasury.
Let the people, however, mark the difference
between the public debt Of Great Britain and the
public debt of the United States Let then. OBJ.
serve the mode in which each was created. The
debt Of England was contracted in enlarging her
Territorial dominiops, planting her colonies IN all
quarters Of the globe, extending her commerce.
and charging her means of defence ami attack.
She gets value received for her expenditures
But how is ours created? Not in huilGiog up
a single great national interest hut in plundcr-
ing contracts and iobs, printing swindles. land
swindes Army swindles. Navy swindes Indian
swindles, and in every conceivable method of pee
ulaton and fraud. An increase Of thirty or forty
millions u year upon the expenditures N Fill
more's Administration is followed bv no visible
results. The money is gone, but what have We to
show for it?
The only thing we have to chow IS mass Of
Reports from Investigating Committees Of Con-
gress, who have been engaged in iesretinr out the
means by which the money was stolen. The re-
suit IS summed up in few words Those already
gorged with public plumber are only dismissed to
make room for fresh set of harpies, with anne.
tites keened by long and impatient abstinence
Even did we admit that public debt is n public
blessing, no one will venture to affirm such n
proposition, when the debt is created. no, in tho
honest and legitimate administration of Govern.
ment, but in pampering few oa ca, favoritcs by
continual frauds upon the common Treasury
Locking the Stable Door after the Horse
is Stolen.
We find the following paragraph in the Balti
more Sum
THE Navy-Yar Investigation seems to BIO do.
ing some good. At the BROOKLYN hayward
where such dereliction Of duty was shown. reform
mas been instituted. Commodore Brecse has
erected sentry box at the outer gate in which
u"a'chmah Will be permanently stationed, to sec
that no oosses or others tcave their departments
curing business hours, without proper authority.
otnet vigilance is to lie exercised for the future
over the. workshops. the o,erseers Of which. m.
NOR rays. were in the habit of paying more atten.
ton to their private affairs in the city than to
their 81 Perintsnding duties'
lyOUssHs. COLDs, -AtC.-Wc hnye n, III.
Cod Liver Oil. Wisisr's Balsam Wild Cherry 49,
Cherry Pecora Mrs. ,rdners Ryr, o. Jaypes
COD Iiver on Jelly ard Cough Candy