The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-05-17

aggregate TO twenty-eight millions of dollars?
Nor is it upon the Federal Exchequer alone that
these harpies prey. Municipal Councils are bribed
State Legislatures are bought up, and every ina
ginabe appliance is brought to bear upon subtle
projects whereby office may be attained, monopo-
lies granted and the people heeced Now and then
We are startled for moment by the explosion of
gigantic swindle or the flight of prominent
political paceman; but our Indignation speedily
evaporateS, and we subside again into state of
apathetic indifference. Recently Mr.. ISAAC V.
FOWLER, one of the lights of Tammany, has been
snufed out. For seven years he has occupied
the lucrative position of Postmaster at New York,
and during much Of that period of time it
is now generally believed that he has been
in the position of defaulter. He was
leading spirit of that political association
whose members, at an earlier day, were popularity
known rs "buck-tals, - and who then were wont
to keep step to the music of the UNION" as play
ed by such soft Recorders as RICHARD RIKER-
Mr.. FOWLER has long held the distinguished posi-
ton OF Chief Sachem of Tammany, and having so
often marshalled his wild tribes for battle, and
frequently led them to victory, was, doubtless but
| too frequently called upon to contribute largely
towards defraying the expenses of each campaign
1t is quite freely stated that he sunk the
larger portion of his own private fortune-some
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars-in ad-
vancing the interests of his party, and that the
appointment of Postmaster which he received
from President PIERCE was if rewards are 10 be
given for political services, more than that to
| ,;ob bo Low al Dot
careless temper which led him TO squander his own
means upon political mercenaries, and in support
of The cause which they sustained, appears to have
encouraged him to make equally free with the
public moneys entrusted to his care How much
he contributed in this way toward carrying Penn
sylvania in 1856 for Mr.. BUCHANAN it is very pro-
bable that we shall never know; but the sum
large and his deficit had reached it is said at that
| time, serious amount that the stake for
| which he payed-his retention of office as Post
Master-was an important one inasmuch as
it might enable him to avoid at least
for time, the discovery of his delinquency
1t has been charged upon Mr.. BUCHANAN that it
was almost impossible for him not to have known,
on his accession to the Presidency, that FOWLER
was at that time a defaulter to an immense
amount. The truth of this charge has been in
dignantly denied but if it were substantiated,
the connivance of the Administration at the NAL
feasance Of one Of its functionaries ought to dis
grace it in the eyes of all right thinking people
| forever. That FOWLER should have recklessly
squandered upon others the moneys thus ac-
quired, and not applied them to his private uses,
| takes nothing from the odium of the crime it.
calF Al A. n
at Washington could have been wholly igno-
rant Of the state Of his accounts, since it APP
pears to have been long suspected in New
York that the deficit in his quarterly payments
had to be regularly made good by temporary
| loans which were only to be had at an usurious
interest, and were repaid out of the subsequent
| receipts of the Office 1t is evident that a resort
to expedients of this kind must end eventually in
a crash and an exposure. After the Charleston
| Convention both became imminent. Why after,
and not before, is a matter for surmise. An appeal
| TO the Government, on behalf of the delinquent,
met with no favorable response. The affair became
public, and Postmaster FOWLER, Chief Sachem OF
Tammany, being duly notified that his arrest had
| been resolved upon, composedly bade good bye
to his Deputy, and went into concealment. OF
course those who have been sent in search of him
declare that he is not to be found. 1t was scarcely
to be expected that they should be otherwise than
| ignorant of his whereabouts The keen eyes OF
Marshal RYNDERs will never penetrate through the
political mist that envelopes the person of CHIEF
Sachem FOWLER. The latter may he lying perda
in one Of the many rooms of the New York Hotel,
| where he was accustomed to hold his lecees or he
may be gone, as it is rumored, Oh a pilgrimage to
Brazil; but whether on the high seas or snugly
ensconced in some qniet nook Of our American
Babylon, we feel quite certain that he will never
fall into the clutches of the Federal authorities
unless either he or they commit gross blunder.
To the appeal of Mr.. BUTrERwoRTH, in favor of his
predatory friend, President BUCHANAN is said to
have cody responded that 'Justice must be
'done'" But there appears to be sort of special
Providence that watches over young children,
drunken men, and delinquent Federal offce-hold.
ers, and we doubt whether Justice will bt
called upon to infict that punishment upon Post
master FOWLER which might operate as warning