Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1860-05-26
HI GAME OF GRAB.

The leading characteristic of the present
Administration all along, has been the cor
rup,ion fits office holders and this has been
a main consideration with the honest portion
of the American people for desiring ard de-
term,pins. as they seem, Iatterly, to be very
r.soluteIy and actively setting to work TO do,
to take The government out Of the hands OF
the spojI>men. and turn it over to an entire
~ new set, who have not, SO far. forfeited all
claim 10 be trusted. Bit bad as the uefnoral-
;zat,oo of the Gosernm, mt officials has been
for so long a time. and gIarinsIy corrupt as
their whole career has heretofore proved
them, thew seem TO nave i-srned = few new
thinks lately. aid struck what may Re called
some new ticks in their peculiar line 81 life
or. at any rate, the evidence Of such things
see u6s Only just now coming to light. For
m. first time. We believe, :" the history OF
thu Governn,ent, tine Chief Executive OF the
Natinn-thp President of the United States
is openly and directly charged with the most
grossly corrupt use Of the public money, to
sustain his personal organ. Of a ne w,sra per, at
| Washington. to carly elections in the several
States. and to force certain legislation through
Congress, by the direct process OF bribery.
Aud not only are these charges made, but.
Under the direction OF the United States House
OF Repres NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. havef'rsom
time BEEN ing on, and testimony has already
been taken, before a .egula, committee OF that
body. which leave little or no doubt that the
! charges are true! Such a state o! things Is
humil,ating to a citizen OF the country. But
it can neither he ignored nor avoided. And
| how doe. the President meet such charges ?
DOES he challenge investigation, call for the
p,ocf, and manifest a Willingness to abide the
,esult1 Not 80. On tire contrary, he at
tennis to shelter himself behind a more royal
p,ero.ati"e, and denies the right Of Congress
to question him in the premises: and seeks to
interpose the >acredness of his high Executive
position to stl1e inquiry int" bis conduct. and
save himself from exposure! The lnvestl-
CATION is going on. nevertheless. and the tes-
timony already given IN shows bnt too clear
ly how much reason he had to fear the re-
suit. =
But if the head of the Government is found
thus corrupt. what is to be expected Of its,
inferior members If the fountain OF official
place and pretrrm~nt be thus foul a t its source
how can the lesser streams which flow from
it he expected to be o herwise than filthy
! and polluted Aud as il {. illustrate. by the
most glazing and paIpabie demonstration, that
such effects must result from such causes,
look at the instances OF neglect Of duty and
corruption which are daily sprinsing up, in
! the various federal Offices. all over the coun-
try! The last one of these which has come
before the public is the case of the postu'as-
ter in New York. whose d-falcation that is.
his official st~-aIiny-amomnts to ONE HUN
DRIED AND SEVENTY-NlNE THOU
SAND SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS-as re-
ported by the telegraph Yesterday morning
1t is not nnre asonabIe to SUPPOSE that these
officials. taking example from their Chief FIX.
%ecu,i.e head at Washington. and. finding the
time IN which the people will permit any
one Of them TO have an opportunity to carry
Oh such rasea'ities, drawing rapidly to a
>!ose, have concluded to play the game Of
grab aud get all they eau. 10 soIace and sup
port themselves upon. in their to,ced -etire-
inert int" private life. As the operations OF
The New York Post-ofice have been thus de-
v-loped. would it not be we'll that all similar
institutions, throughout the country. should
be look to in time Memphis Enquirer.