Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-05-17
POLITICAL
Speech of Hon. VIM. G. Rives, in the City
of Richmond, May 8, 1859.


Mr.. Rives began by remarking, that the hab.
its and pursuits of his life, for many years past,
had removed him entirely from scenes OF po-
litical excitement. have no desire, ne said,
again to engage in them. While | had pub
lie duty to perform, endeavored to discharge
it honestly, faithfully, and to the best Of my
ability,-more anxious to serce than merely to
please my constituents. Cherishing with SINGER
ity the principles | brought with me into public
life, I could not, as an honest man, change them
at the bidding of party. My services were no
longer acceptable; and have since lived prl.
vate citizen, contented and happy, with no COM
plants or regrets in the past-no aspirations IN
the future.
But fellow citizens, should be sorry to say
that have lived an unconcerned spectator ol
public events. In a free country, every citizen,
the humblest and most obscure, as well as the
highest, has patriotic duty to perform IN
watching over and defending, according to bis
opportunities, the precious deposit of the public
| liberties. Candor compels me to declare that
from time to time, have seen much cause for
patriotic anxiety, but never so much as at the
present moment.
It is this conviction which has induced me
may say constrained me-not without many
| SbTuRSlCS dSdluot iOlOO vi huOiV ohu ehNe
of retirement which grows stronger by every
DAYS indulgence, to appear before you, in obe
dience to the flatterng call that has been made
upon me. know how incapable l am OF ad
ding, By anything can say, to the force of the
many able and eloquent appeals that have beer
already addressed to the intelligence and man
illness of the country. But powerless as my
voice is, feel that should be recreant to the
duty of a good citizen, if were not to raise it
in such q cause. while there may be one of my
countrymen willing to listen to me.
! do not appear before you to plead for the
triumph of q party. No, fellow-citizens it is 6
far higher cause which now demands the exer-
tons of us all A bold and unblushing cor
ruption has invaded every department of our
national administration, which if not promptly
and vigorously checked by the sovereign rebuke
of the people, must soon engulph the public lib
erty, as it is rapidly undermining the public
morals.
The wisdom and valor of our ancestors be-
uueathed to us noble free institutions, which
were intended to place the public liberty se
curey under the guardianship of the public
virtue. 1t is these noble institutions which
daring official abuses, emboldened by impuni
ty, would now pervert to the destruction o.
| LlUeEly, UJ ONSlJ piO
vded for its security-even the virtue and pa
trotism of the people themselves. Shall VIZ
not, then, rally to their defence, one and all O
us? Shall we be told that this is the cause OF 6
party2 Believe me, fellow citizens, it is the
vital cause of constitutional freedom-the com
mon cause of every American citizen, Democrat
Wing, or by whatever party denomination hi
may have been hitherto known, who values hi
birthright, and is manfuny determined to detent
it.
That have presented to you no exaggerated
picture of our public situation, is unfortunatel.
too we'll established by facts, now OF universe
notoriety. Revelations brought out, during th'
late session OF Congress, have placed them be
fore the public in form not to be questioned
Look at the report upon public printing ant
you will see there how elaborately and iDgenl-
ously, in that large department of the public
expenditure, corruption has been organized int
a system to multiply bribes to the employers an(
supporters OF the Government. Every contrac
whether for paper, for printing, for lithograph
ing, for engraving, has been so managed as no
only TO yield rich harvest to the contracto
himself, but to the officer of the Government
who awards the contract and to the interme
date agents employed as brokers to procure it
Thus is single job made, by its ramifcations
to enlist and remunerate dozen or more politi
cal retainers, at an enormous cost to the Treas
ury; for the prices allowed to the coDtracto
| must be correspondingly high, to enable hin
8 to pay the customary tribute to his patrons an(
associates.
f And this rank scene of corruption has beer
passing under the very nose of the Government
in the city of Washington. One of these levier
of black mail-one who received the modes
sum of $39, 900 for his good will and patronag
in the sale and brokerage OF public contracts
was but the other day owner and conductor
the official organ of the Government, and L
even now, we are told, public printer in fact
though not in name.
Look now at the huge report made upon tn
operations in the navy yards OF Philadelphia
and Brooklyn-a document gigantic in its pro
portions, but yet more gigantic and startling II
the official inquities it reveals. have neithe
the time nor the patience to enter into the dis
gustiDg details of these revelations. But tn
glaring and monstrous fact appears from then
all-the systematic employment OF contract
for every variety of work and materials in botf
of those vast establishments, and that with thu
direct appreciation OF the Government itself, Il
reward psrtizan services, and to debauch tn
sutfrages of the people.
| 1Qer6 YOU VIII see COulTdCJS luVOlFIuB ldi
amounts of the public money, directed by th
Government to be given, in open violation Q
law, to the highest, instead of the lowest bid
der, from the sole consideration of the numbe
of subsidized voters IN the employment of th
r preferred party, whose sutfrages were required
in the critical moment of q contested election
, So lninutely and Systematically was this polio!
carried out in one of those establishments, tha
tio bar- nf Cnpnrosc raprasantini
, the adjoining districts were formally constituted
by the Government its authorized agents TO
: making an equitable division of the public spoil
, among its supporters; and in this manner, th
yard was filed to the number of several thousand
with worthless sndincompetent men, whose onl
: claim to employment was founded on politica
service, and among whom, in the language OF tn
report, 'ideness, theft, insubordinaton, fraud
and gross neglect of Duty prevailed to an alarm
ing extent"
The developments made present the Govern
ment as moving in constant circle OF corrup
ton. First, the Government, with the public
money, corrupts the contractors and their EN-
ployses to vote for members of Congress; thel
the contractors corrupt the members OF Congress
with stipulated per centage, to procure then
other contracts; and finally, the members
Congress, by one species of iLHuence or another
corrupt the Government to bestow the contracts
which they had stipulated to obtain.
But, fellow citizens, cannot follow out these
revolving details; there they are upon record
where you can examine them for yourselves
and ponder on the mournful degeneracy of the
public morals they disclose, and upon your sol
emn duty as men and patriots, to rebuke ant
correct the evil have referred to these thing:
with the deepest humiliation as an American
citizen. sincerely wish, Tor the honor of my
country, that they could be shown to be party
libels. But, unfortunately, the facts are toe
notorious-the knowledge Of them is too wide
| admit oithar 0f dania