The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-10-16
A View Behind The Scenes.

both siles, that they are generally received
by The people as elec,oneering tricks. 1t
will be recoected that on The eve OF The
last Presidential election the partfzans Of
Mr.. Lincoln were particularly ioud in
charging the Democratic party with using
the public money 10 perpeluate their pow
er. From recent revelations it appears that
the leading New York Republican politi-
clans while charging corruption upon Tie
Democrats, were themselves engaged In
using money TO an exten, that casts all pre-
! vious performances OF that kind completely
In The shade Som time ago Mr.. Opdyke,
a prominent New York politician Of The Re-
publican school, charged publicly that MIR.
Weed, the Prince OF the Albany Lobby, had
avowed his purpose in carrying The New
York city railroad charters through the Leg
islature, 10 be 10 raise fund of million
! of dollars 10 elect The candidate of the Chi
cago convention. In The libel case of Lit
tlejohn against Greeley, Mr.. Opdyke was
ready as witness 10 swear TO his avowal.
and it was made use of by the defence, in
The opening OF the case.
Mr. Weed admits the charge, and with
his accustomed hardihood defends il in the
columns of his own paper, the Albany jour
nat He says:
"Obnoxions as The admission is 10 be
J iust sense OF right, and TO better condition
OF the political ethics we stand so far, i'm
peached.' We would have preferred not TO
disclose to public view the financial hiso
| ry OF political life, nor should the Tribune
/ have constrained such disclosures. Public
! men know much OF what the rest Of man
kind are ignorant. We suppose it is gen.
orally understood that party organizations
cost money, and that Presidential elections,
especially, are expensive. Painful as the
| confession is, we are Bound in trnth-and
| from knowledge-to say that James Bu-
1 chanan was elected President, and this
great. and then happy and glorious, Repub-
! lie ruined, simply because Messrs. Wen
dali Forney and Belmou; raised $50 600
more money TO be expended in Pennsylva-
| MIA III at William A. Hall, Truman Smith,
and the writer OF this article, could procure
4 for the same object. White millions OF free
men exert their influence and cast their
votes from patriotic influences, results are
TOO often controlled by less crediiabIe means.
Nor are the nnpatrio;ic found alone among
the ignorant and base. The wealthy and
exalted are quite ready as the low and
abieci 10 polu,e Inc elective franchise.
1T has been our duty and task for nearly
! ~ rai-a a.
During more than half that time we did so
in consultation aud CO operation with Mr..
Greeley Believing that railroads we're es
seniial 10 ihe city of New York, and that
legislative grants for them would be obtain
ed, we conc eived and attempted 10 carry
out The idea Of making those grants availa.
! bic politically. We did so with Mr.. Gree
ley's knowledge, and he did not then see
the enormity of tie offence We avowed
This purpose 70 leading political friends
Among Others. 10 Mr. George Opdyke, with
| The remark, that while The ayowai was not
tor he public, we had no desire TO conceal
il from associations 1t so happened that the
avowel appeared in the next mornings
Herald!
s'But If we have sined in this way, Mr.
Greeley onyht not 10 cast the first stone.
He has moi always been laslidous in the ;
use of money al elections, or in legislation
he knows how much it cosi-and ou: OF
whose pockets :he money come-io elect
the Speaker in Congress. He knows how
he expected 10 be reimbursed. He knows
for what purpose $1,000 check was hand
ed TO him And he kno%s-as we believe
-ihat while in This later particular he was
blameless--how easy ii is 10 mystily and
maign-how swiftly talsehood travels, and
how iardily truth iollowa."
This quarrel between Greeley and Weede,
the leading Re epublican editors of New York,
is quite servic lble 10 The public as ii raises
( The curtin hitherto concealing much corrnp-
tion aud rascaliiy. These extremely viriu-
uus patriots, il now appears, were engaged
in engineering Legislation for the purpose ot
raising an immense sum Of money 10 be
used as corruption fund TO secure The
election of their iavorite candidate for the
presidency and while these scenes were
iranspiring behind the curtin, they appear
ed before The public ID be aclua'ed by the
loIlles, motives Of patriotism and justice. AT
The very time were engaged IN diabnrsing
/ this fund, they actually had the hardhood 10
charge The Democratic parry with the cor
rupl use OF money The better to divert pub
lie suspicion from the disgraceful BUSINESS
in which they were engaged.
MussoN's HiLL.-When rhe rebels took
Possession of Munson's Hill, even some
army officers were alarmed, and went 10
/ Nc lsilan In rernnnsiraiS anainsi his nass