The independent. (Harrisonburg, La.) 1853-18??, 1859-01-19
Congregational Gamblers.

Il
Rev. Dr.. Hawks, in his Thanksgiving ser
mon yesterday, thus referred to subiec
which had awakened fresh interest in tn,
Ipublic mind since the late reports of th.
auction at Pendleton's Congressional gam.
bling house in Washington
" Within tie last few weeks only we have
had appalling evidence Of the downward
tendency Of that course on which we are
travelling, and it requires but child's fore
sight to see the certain end. In the high
lplaces of the land-aye, even among those
who sit in the highest councils, almost rnde.
the very caves of the Capitol, and in ascity
bearing name which of Itself alone, one
might think, was sufficient to kindle the
warmest glow Of patriotism, what have we
not seem? The revelations of gambling
he'll have told a fearful story. There were
found the obligations, unpaid Of some of our
highest Legislators, for debts contracted at
the gaming table; and the intimation of
some Of the public prints is no obscure one
that on important questions Of the deepest
national interest, votes have Leen controlled
by means Of the power which professed
gambler has welded in the possession of
these moneyed obligations Of 50 called hon
orables."
| We have 10 doubt of the accuracy of the
picture here presented. The gambling hel|s
of Pennsylvania avenue are the standing at
fractions of the national capital. The halls
of Pendeton and others have been for years
constantly attended by Senators and Repre-
sentatives. whose success or i'll success in
fighting the tiger, as it is called, would ac-
count for not a few of the eccentricities OF
federal legislation.
About two years s'ago, when allegations of
corruption against members Of Congress were
the subject Of investigation, We remember
hearing it stated tba: the members whose
votes on land grants and other schemes were
most suspected, were the most assiduous at
tendants at the faro table. Some of them
were heads of families, and held respectable
positions in society and in the church; but
the temptations Of the gambler were too
strong for the virtue Of men living away
from the restraining influences of home.
Of course men who have been pIucked to
the last penny by sharpers, and who see ruin
and degradation staring them in the face,
are in just the condition'to to be tampered with.
Their personal independence and self respect
are gone, and their official integrity neces-
sari'y follows. Forgetting their accounta-
bity to their constituents, they become the
retained attorneys ands-obby agents of spec
ulators and jobbers in public corruption, and
sell their votes TO the highest bidder. 1t.
was recently stated by Washington cor
respondent that the fate of the Kansas bill
was settled over TIE tables Of Pend.eton, and
not without a certain degree Of probability |
for great many measures of less moment
have undoubtedly been thus determinel.--
We have always questioned the efficacy of
Of laws against gambling, without, however,
questioning the right to legislate against
gambling houses as nuisances to the com |
mun;ty.
When, however, these establishments are
able to corrupt the source of public law, and
to interfere with momentous public interests,
the nuisance attalns a magnitude demanding
the greatest attention. There is not virtue |
enough in a Congress, some of whose inhu- |
entail members are so deeply implicated,
nor in their plant aud benighted servitors,
the mob, of the District of Columbia, to
suppress the disgrace, and perhaps the only
recourse is in holding the more distinguished
gamblers up to apprehension by name--in
other words, to make logue's gallery of
Congressional portraits.-N. Y. Eoe Post.
AN IRIsHMAN's LETTER.-The following
is true copy of a letter received in Boston,
from across the water:
TIPPERARy, IRELAND, March 81, SO.
My Dear Nephew: have not heard any
thing of ye sens that last time wrote ye.
have moved from the place where l now
live, or should have written to you before.
did not know where letter might find ye
first; but now take my pen in hand to drop
yor few lines, to inform you Of the death
of your own living uncle, Fitzpatrick. lie
died very suddenly, after a long illness Of
six months. Poor man, he suffered great
deal. He lay long time in coavu!sions,
perfectly quiet and speechless, and all the
time talking incoherently and asking for
water. I'm very much at a loss to tell ye
what his death was occasioned at; but the
doctor thinks it was occasioned by his last
sickness, for he was not we'll ten days during
his confinement. His age ye know just as
well as l can tell ye; he was 25 years old I
last March, lacking fifteen months and if he
had lived till this time, be would have been {
six months dead, just.
n B. Take notis, inclose to ye tin !
pound note, which your father sends to We
unbeknown to me. Your mother often s
enaols of to. che would ike to send yn the .