Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-06-15
j. B..
/" Th. Old Gray-IIaird Public Punctonary.r

Independent is not exactly the place to !
discuss political subjects, and yet we shall
not refrain from touching any subject or
any question which has to do with the
secular welfare and prosperity OF the ma
ton.
During no period in the history OF this
nation has the standard of public morals
fallen so low as during the administra-
ton of James Buchanan. To find an
honest spot on which to plant your feet
in any quarter would be almost imPossi-
bic. To plumber the public crib, TO
bribe the press, to prevent free speech,
to frown down and silence, If possible,
every noble effort for the real good of
the people, to invest with power the most
corrupt, unprincipled men, to reward
those who have been willing to bow the
knee to slavery, to attempt to rob the ma
ton of its free territory against the
known wishes, protests, and solemn wall
ings of large majority of those most
deeply interested, to run the nation into
debt some sixty or seventy millions of
dollars by downright extravaganza,
cheating, and robbery-these are some
of the trifing matters which have
been the business Of j. B., and of the
present Administration. Does any sane
man say that all this wickedness has
nothing to do with the financial prosper
ity of the country? Can people really
prosper in temporal things when the
I, hood-gates of iniquity are with such
= hands thus opened upon them? We
think not. Can it be expected that pure
minded, honest, untemptable men will
multiply in such demoralizing atmos-
phere? We think not. Can it be won
dered at, in view of such examples, that
our banks, insurance companies, trust in
stitutions, and other corporations, are de-
frauded and robbed by their officers and
clerks? We think not When the seeds
;, of wickedness and corruption are from
high places thus sown broadcast oyel
:, the land, can any other harvest thar
crime be looked for? We think not
! Can it be ecxpected thot our young mer
will not be tempted to take the short cui
to wealth and position, when the wage!
of that path are offered them by the ru
lers and chief men of the nation? w;
4 think not. 1t is high time that we should
y come to pause, and hold up 10 the gazt
h of the community the principal actors il
.t this unprincipled drama, and we charg'
n you, James Buchanan, President of thes,
United States, as either directly the au
thor of the wickedness to which we have
: alluded, with all the collateral evils ant
consequences which have followed, or a
indirectly approving it by refusing to de
nounce and stop it. We charge yol
m with corrupting, as no other man eve
"A has, the morals of the nation by usini
r. your Executive power in upholding mel
# and approving measures which hav
"a been shame and disgrace TO US. w
NJ charge your Administration with bein
the aiders and abettors of all sorts c
,;s land speculations, bribery; and fraud; c
Il squandering the public money to promot
. your own pecuniary and political pun
i poses. We charge you, by your exam
pie, as being the chief cause and PR
! moter of many Of the great evils an
=" burdens which are disturbing and retarG
ing our commercial and financial pro-
perity. Are these things true, and
IL SO, are they of no consequence! Is
% not time to break silence? What th
go people want now is better men and be
ter morals. An honest" man at Ii
H's uCdu Vi Tue OOfcIEluCHt, q man Wa
III will willingly do 10 wrong, violate I
he golden rule of morality, countenance +
OF bribery, man who loves freedom, wi
IN hates oppression, who will use bis offici
he position for the moral uplifting of ii
ka nation-such man is what the peop
at want, and they will have him.
lie' Poor, generous Fowler, the late pos
led master of this great metropolis, m;
1t who would do almost anything to ser
he his master J.B. at Washington, how sad
al has he fallen. A fugitive and vas
rse bond he now is. Should he thus suff,
but and those more guilty but less carele
rst escape? No wonder that "the old era
uld haired public functionary" at Washin
lad ton protests against any examination
tly bis course, for he well knows it has be
son corrupt. "The king can do no wrong
ate seems to have been his motto.
i've The newspapers Of late are full of {
its falcations, frauds, and other wrongs
ed, ings of men in places of trust. Alm'