The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-22
Tha Plnndsrera, War.

petuous and honest and virtuouS, studi.
ousiy excludes from his columns all notice
ofthc gigantic corrlptions at Washington.
Republican organs in the East, not SO
honest or independent, esteem it duty
they owe to the public to publish and
comment upon the frauds, but our neigh
Dor is of a different opinion. True, it is
painful duty to cruelty ones friends,
but when the honor and the interest Of
the country demand it, no good and loyal
man should hesitate to do it. As the Re-
publican ciU not, we forbear saying dare
not, publish the swindling operations of
the leaders Of its party, we will take the
unpleasant task off its hands and lay the
startling facts before the public. Honest
aud conservative Republicans will thank
us for doing so.
1t is patent to the dullcst and NEST
prejudiced, that corruption and knavery,
imbecility and utter disregard for the
Constitution have characterized the rule
of the Republican party since it assumed
the control Of the Government in March
last. The New York Tribune tells us
that the cheating and swindling practised
on the Government since that time, amount
to at least ONE HUNDRED MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS! This is about one-fourth
Of the national expenses in that time, and
thus of every dollar paid by the people to
maintain their Government, one quarter
is bestowed on party favorites and wire
pullers for party purposes. So audacious
and enormous have been the frauds and
,nrruptionS. that Republican Senators and
members of the lower House Of Congress,
have, out Of seIf-respect, been forced to
denOunce them. Even John p. Hale, the
most bigotcd of partiSans, declared in Il
speech in the Senate on the 9TH Of last
month, that "he believed tie liberties Of
the country trere in greater danger from
.truud anil Prcfjgdcy than from the re-
1HI.." &cc0NSct, vea&eS, this IS sSsvse :.
emn declaration Of the Republican SEN
ator from New Hampshire, friend Of
the administration and hatcr of the
Democratic party. In the same speech
he stated that "many Of the higher CHi-
GERS Of tie Government are contaminated
with fraud and corruption" lie warned
the Administration that " sOmethimg must
be done to purge the Government cfthicrcs
anil robbers on the Treasury, or else zee
shall hare a rebellion in the North; and
declared that the Operations of these
Government pirates are blows more dead
ly than those struck by the rebels" Hale
sarcastically rebuked Sumner for not de-
nouncing the frauds. We extract the
following from his speech. lie said
"The evidence is that the Secretary of the
Navy having Ia purchase sumo vessels for the
use Of the country, employed his brother-in-
law, and for less than five months service paid
him seventy thousand dollars. This transac-
know that when they have been pouring out
their blood and treasure for the support Of the
government, the Secretary of the Navy has
paid Mr.. Morgan about twelve thousand dol
lars month out of their hard earnings. He
would ask what would have been the conduct
of Republican Senators it II lew such miSappli-
cations of the public funds bad been made by II
Democratic Secretary. The whole vocabulary of
Greciau and Roman classical invective would
have beene Exhausted by the Senator from Mass
achuselts, to Oyerwhelm such man. He belIev-
ed the liberties Of the country were in greater
danger to-day irnm frauds and prUlligacy than
from the rebels. we want victories, we must
commence on the floor of Congress. The reo-
pie were willing to be taxed tn any amount for
the suppression of the rebellion, but not for
pamper1ng political tavOrites."
Mr.. Van Wyck, Republican, of New
York; Chairman ofthc Investigating Com
mittee, declared on the floor Of the House,
on the 9TH of last month, that
"The mania for stealing seems To have run
through all the relations of Government. Al
most from the General to the drummer boy !;
from those nedrtst tie throne If Io'cer to the
merest tide waiter, nearly every man who deals
with the Government seems to feel or desire
that it would not long survive, and each had u
1.-THE soldier who, borne down by disease
aud overcome with fatigue ia found sleeping
at his post, Y0u parish with death, while the
miscreant who holds his festival at this carui
val of blood, rides in his carriage, drinks cham
payne, and Dimes with Cabinet ministers, you
treat with deftrential respect.
1.-THE laboring men who testify against OFi-
cidlS are remOred, Whle The WrttGh Who hds b,en
| rOhbing tie G0rerhmehti is worthy IA better place.
Is it possible that this monstrOus system of
wrong, extending from the Atlantic to the Mis-
sSaippi, from the Potomac to the lakes. can
not be stopped, or even checked? 1t that be
so, better dsband our armies, and let the oil
garchs of the South rule and reign over us"
The New York Tribune says the "plun-
derers and buzzards" are constantly at
work robbing the Government; the
Springfield (Mass) Republican, one of
the ablrst Republican organs in New
England, says the Navy and War Depart
ments have been ''plundered by grace
less pack of thieves, more to be dreaded
than Beaurcgard and his whole army;
and the New York Times says:
awe are assured that for weeks General
Mcclellan demanded IA full supply of pnntoon
bridges, absolutely essential to his operations,
but could not get them that $4,000 stand of
arms. the best in the world, were Kept IN this
city fur weeks, under his nCeSSant and urgent
requisition for them, because Pennsylvania
contractors had not been able to levy their
exactiOns upon them. And these are bun two
of the MANY instances that might be cited to
the same effect The mighty interests of the
nation have been made subordinate to the
greedy avnrce of sw:ndling Contractors The