New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-05-17
OFFICIAL DELINQUENCY.

The Postmaster of New York city, so 1t is sta
ted, is defaulter to the Government in the sum
Of nearly two hundred thousand dollars. Some
weeks ago there was rnmor that this same officer
was defaulter, but the amount was very insig
niicant one, and the story was soon hushed up
The public was scarcely prepared for this latest
revelation, involving default which has remained
undiscovered for some years, and for SO large an
amount Of the public money.
We do not know upon what authority the tele-
graphic reporter states that this money was ex.
pended in the Pennsylvania canvass in 1856, but
we presume he must have had some warrant fof
the declaration. The story, at least is not an i'm
probable one. Fowler was Postmaster Of New
York city under the Administration Of Pierce. He
was naturally desirous of retaining the position,
and this could only be done by the election of Bu-
chanan. He was also, and had been for several
years, leading member of the Democratic organi.
cation in New York known as the Tammany Soci.
ETY.. We believe be was the Chief Saehem of that
order--a society which has an immense political
influence, not only in New York city and State but
throughout the Union. Fowler was thus prcfes-
sional politician. He lived by politics, and had no
other pursuit. This, however, would have been no
dscredit to him. Of itself, if he had been and had
continued to be, an honest man. It seems that he
could not resist the temptations of his position.
The excitements Of political life and the advance
ment of his personal interests, unsettled the
moral balance Of his character, and he becomes a
defaulter to that Government which had reposed
in him great and important trust
The money is but an Insignificant item. The
United States can lose two hundred thousand dol
1avs ypitb fp 1-pa, Tha
ment is swindled out Of fifty times that much,
upon various pretexts, every year of its existence.
But this circumstance becomes important, as Illus
trative Of the deinoralizing tendencies of politi
cal life, and the deep gangrene and corruption
which everywhere aflict the body polite. One
day report comes that members of Congress are
bribed to vote for b-money paid down to
them, in current coin Of the Union, for their sup
port Of particular measure! The next day a
high officer is reported defaulter for heavy
amount! What is the moral of all this ]? Is it any
wonder that Lord Macaulay writes letters predict
ing the eventual downfall of American institutions
or that the London Times foresees their still more
speedy decay, or that the corruptions Of our Go,
yernment form the subject of special harangue
from Earl Grey in the British House of Lords
That money was used-and large amounts of il
to carry Pennsylvania fer Buchanan III 1856, is
no new discovery. It needed not the Coyode
Committee to bring this fact to light, for every
body knew it at the time. Not only were the
office holders of the Government expected to con
tribute, but circulars were sent all through the
South soliciting private contributions. Pennsyl
vania was felt to be the battle-ground Of the con
test and the entire energies of the Democracy
were concentrated there, to save the State to Bu
chanan. John W. Forney knows all about this
and he knows exactly how much money was ex
pended-for he was Chairman of the Democratic
State Committee, and directorgeneral OF the
whole campaign. 1t was mainly due to Forney't
exertions and management that the State was car
ried for Buchanan; and we have always supposed
it was the consciousness of this fact, on Forneys
part, that made him SO bitter in his hostility tt
Buchanan, after the latter had refused to put hin
in his Cabinet. He made Buchanan President, bu
the service was not appreciated in the way tina
Forney desired.
Notwithstanding this faet-whieh Buchanan knew
rs well as anybody else-and Notwithstanding th'
astonishing developments of fraud connected witt
contracts for the Navy, which were made atte
Buchanan became President that "old publ,
funetionary" as he calls himself, writes letter tt
the Fort Duquesne celebration q year or two ago
deprecating the use of money in elections, and be
wailing the political degeneracy of the times
Like Joseph Surface in the play, he utters th'
very wisest maxims of morahty-but they ar
merely for the purpose of impressing the public
not for his own guidances 1t was only after III
was secure in the possession of the first dignity
the Republic, that he becomes distressingly AM
al, r.,ff he
means by which he knew that position had beei
attained. Need it occasion any surprise that inie
rior officers of Government, with such an example
of loose morality before them, should deseen'
still lower, and forget the distinction between tn
public money and their own? Is it any wonder, il
view of all these facts, that scarcely day passe
without some fresh exhibition of official dishonesty
Weldeserved, indeed, will be the reproaches o
Earl Grey, if this state of things be allowed +
continue!