Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-04-08
For the Nashville Patriot.
CerruptIOn of the Government.

In lengthy article on the Government
Corruption in England and America" the
London Times of the 18th inst, says:
Nothing in this country makes any approx
imatiOn to the system there pursued. All the
influence or intimidation here practiced alb
sOlutely vanishes in comparison with an or
ganized policy under which everything from
first to last is referred 10 electioneeriug util-
ity. In this point of view, the palliations Of
fered in the favorable Report [of the Naval
Investigation Committed only makes mat
tiers worse, for il they eXculpate individuals
il is only ut the expense of the entire cOmmu-
nifty, to which they ascribe similar laXity of
political principle. We may indeed well
pause before we introduce into England in
situations like these. They would certainly
not tend to financial economy or to public
morality, and from the illustrations here
given, it must be equally clear that they
would not cOuduce to the freedom or indie
pendence of any class Of the body polite
whatever.
Thus it seems that the present Admnistra-
ton, by its unfathomable corruption, is brave
ly carrying forward the work of rendering
our government and its institutions a by
word and a reproach among the nations of
the earth. The Times is right there can be
nothing in England that makes an approx
nation to the rotten and dishonest policy of
this Administration. But it is not our insti-
tutions that are at fault /; it is the wretched
set of political tricksters into whose hands
they have unfortunately fallen.
He who cberishes no hope that the misera-
BILE misrule of the Democratic party must
some day end, (if indeed there is one of SO
little faith in the assurance that
'Justce but sleeps-Truth wears her bucSler sti,')
may well entertain the belief that the day of
yirtuoas politics is passed. He may well be-
lieve that the genius of political corruption
has established a claim upon this government
which time cannot weaken nor patriotism
ALLEVIATE.
There never was period in the history Of
our country and Heaven grant there may
never be again--when that same spirit Of
corruption so unblushingly courted the broad
eye of day, and SO boldly deied the indig-
nant frown of gods and men. France had
her Reign of Terror; England her dark hours
of blood, and violence and death; Spain her
day of inquistorial crime; and our own fair
country, whose free institutions should lift
her above the evils that have wrecked so
many of the enslaved nations of the old
world has her reign of political corruption
a corruption that is alike disgraceful to her
as a nation, and dangerous to the stability of
her government We are in the midst of it
now Many cheek will turn pale, even a
hundred years hence, at the recital Of the
deeds of RoBEsPIERRE of the bloody kings
of Briton-and of the dread MoLocH, of the
Spanish priesthood; aud a hundred years
hence the American patriot will blush as he
scans the page on which is traced the history
of this foul blot upon the good name of his
country.
When Mr.. Polk occupied the Presidential
chair. ANDREW JOHNSON declared the admin
istration TO be an Angean stable, and sighed
for another HERCULES TO turn some mighty
river through IL, that il might be eleansed Of
its fearful mass of accumulated corruption.
When JoHN W. FoRNEY retired in disgust
from the kitchen cabinet Of FRANKLIN PIERCE.
honorary prime minister, or confidential ad-
wiser to the President, he declared that the
Executive had been guilty of acts Of dishOn-
esty from which all the Democratic editors
in the country, with sea Of ink to back
them, could not defend him Everybody
knows that Mr.. Polk admiuis,eredthe gov
ernment with At least show Of prudence aud
economy, that be retired from the Presidency
without having seriously compromised the
self-Eespeot OF ths nation, and without having
piundered the treasury 10 The verge Of bank
ruPley, or sowed harvest Of IA eallsy broad
cast throughout The land thai Instantly sprang
Into life, mature and rips Tor The peniteniiary.
Whilst bat little can be said In favor Of the
administration OF FaAkKiIS PiEKcE, the most
hitter OF his political enemies will eonfesz,
that, II his policy was, toa greater or less ex-
tent, always aawise, AID sometimes ralnoas