New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-15
THE AGE OF THEFT.

THE AGE OF THEFT.
The poets have sung of the Age of Gold and OF
the Age of lron they have yet to sing of the AGE
OF Theft. There have been Governments where
men have bought and sold provinces; have bar
tered victories in battle; have betrayed their roun
try when ut peace to the foreigner for gold; have
sold their influence and their votes for money or
for Office; the historian has marked the era when
such yenality has been common as times peculiar
for the corruption of ts public morals and its pri-
vate manners times when neither the men were
brave nor the women vrtuous. But our own day
has more peculiar and far baser character.
The treacbery and vilainy which the past has
taught has been bettered for our instruction, and
the vulgar knayery of theft has become the pecu-
liar yice of public men. Toinfuencean election
by the purchase Of votes; to buy representative
by the award Of contract; to secure the success
Of some particular policy by falsehood and treach-
cry; and to cover up all under some dainty form
of hypOcritical speech;-in political cOrruptons of
this sort, we rival all, and perhaps surpass the
venal men and measures of other times and other
countries. But we excel especially in larceny.
No mere roundabout way of polite pecuation for
political purpose; no subtle schemes of knayish
statesnanship no partisan rascaty for party's
needs, satisfy our public officers. With a greed
which the wretch who steals only for his bread
never feels; with an appetite for burglary which
he never knows who seeks for spoons and purses
under the excitement of the midnight robbery, the
custodian of our public money clutches the gold
intrusted to his care. Nature for him has no
parallel. ....
The sun IS a thief and with his great attraction
Robs the vast sea; the moons an aIaHt thief
And her pale FIRE she snstches from the sun:
The sea thief, whose liquid surge resolves
The moon into salt tears: the earth's thief
F1 Se Sceeas Ds sh e s
But of all things that steal, there are none So
shameless as our public men. Contracts with
Government are taken that the public may be
made prey; contracts are given that the oppor-
tunity of robbery may be afforded. Eillainy stalks
abroad with brazen 'front.' men daily raise their
heads, which felon's cap should cover on Change
among their honest fellow-men, ard bow them
weekly where their prayers are bitter mockery
In the Federal Government, in State Legislatures
in municipal affairs, hardly any man is supposed
TO enter with honest intentions. The best charac-
ter that can be given to any candidate H. that he
is rich he does not need to steal; the worst quail
ifcation il, that he is 50 poor he cannot afford to
run. The President authorizes the ise of money,
paid out professedly for public service TO be used
to influence elections; members of Congress are
bribed directly with money thus obtained to
carry or defeat O party measure; Legisla-
lures aud State Governments are bought
ut Wholesale or by retail, at wholesale
prices, a. in Wisconsin, or at retail, as IN New
York; cities are burdened with taxes which 90,
not for the service of taxpayers, TO clean their
streets, to preserve their lives FROM pestience or
fire, but to fill the faced pockets Of hungry
officials. One who has been successful thief in
private life ia held by eminent commercial men as
peculiarly qualified for the management of munich
pal affairs. Need we cite instances Military
stations, territorial, bills public printing, ve-Oak
contracts, railroad projects, city frauds-a hun
dred instances of yillainy and peeulaton will rise
at the mere suggestion in the minds Of the most
careless reader Of the public prints. At this mo-
ment nine hours wonder is talked over, public
fraud Of years standing, long known it is said,
TO heads of the Government, and made public at |
but because the offender had been guilty of politi-
cal naturalization. "a democratic Republic"
said Dir. Buchanan, eighteen months ago, not long
after he had encouraged the bribery of members |
to force the English bin through the House of |
"a democratic Republic, all |
{" agree cannot long survive unless sustained by |
:" public virtue Wien this is corrupted and the
" people become yeDal there is canker at the |
root Of the tree of Liberty which must cause II |