The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-03-06
S A IN T P A UL.
Official and Congressional Corruption.


selling to taxpayers, that twenty-five mil
lions of dollars had been stolen from the
Quartermaster's Department alone, within
the last few months; and, in later issue,
of the corruption of nearly the entire body
of subordinate officials in and about the
New York Custom House. These acts of
corruption have come to be of so frequent
occurrence, that they are regarded with
slight surprise, with less Indignation, and
hardly waken in the general mind second
thought. There was time in the early
history of our Government when honesty
and capability were requisites for official
position; but, Judging from the actions OF
those in office under the present admins
tration, we are led to believe that these
requisites have become obsolete ideas,
which have been supplanted by those of
more recent date To the vctors belong
the spoils.'
In view of the present condition of af-
fairs, well might the friends even of JAMES
BUCHANAN's infamous administration hurl
back the resolution of the Republican
platform of 1860, so pointedly aimed at
him, and claim, in his own language,
''that the people justly view with alarm
the reckless extravaganza which pervades
every department of the Federal Govern
ment, and that return to rigid econo-
my and accountability is indispensable to
arrest the systematic plumber of the pub
lie treasury by favored partizans." That
these acts of official corruption should
occur at a period in the history of our
country requiring the best energies and
most exalted patriotism of men of all po
itical parties, should occasion no surprise,
when these acts are reviewed with the
policy of the President, and the legislation
OF Congress. They are the legitimate re-
, suits that flow from the substitution of
Expediency for Law, of Necessity for Con-
situations, and from the elevation of Party
above Country
On the fourth Of March, two years ago,
for the first time in the history of this
Government, it was deemed necessary to
escort the incoming President by body
of armed soldiers to the Capitol, to take
he oath of office; but even there, under
such circumstances, with civil war staring
him in the face, he declared to the country
that his policy was embodied in the Chi
cago platform and, true to his promise
which we thought virtuously broken for a
time, but which he has latterly re-asserted
in his acts,-the policy of his administra-
ton has, in the language of that platform,
far exceeded our worst apprehensions, in
its measureless subserviency to the exac-
tons of sectional interest, and its gene
raj and unvarying abuse Of the powers
entrusted to it by a confiding people
The first fruits of this sectional policy
ripened in his Secretary of War, whose
shameless peculations in that branch of
government, would, if written, equal
many in the history of WARREN HASTINGS
Can it be expected that honest men will
have implicit confidence in a Government,
which, after such Cabinet officer has been
forced from his place by an outraged
public sentiment, relieves him from mer-
tied disgrace, dominates him as a fit rep
resentative to one of the leading courts of
Europe, and has at its beck an accommo-
dating Senate, to endorse him by its con-
firmation?
Ought it to be expected of the people
OF the great Northwest, who are weighed
| down by excessive taxation to carry for
ward this war, and whose legitimate bur-
dens they have always expressed loyal
willingness to bear; that they should shut
their eyes and seal their lips, when anoth-
er Cabinet officer can be permitted, almost
without rebuke, to take ninety-tive thou
sand dollars from the Government treas
ury, and place it in the pockets of broth
erin law, fer a few days services in buy
ing vessels, wherein be was unskilled,
when that service could have been better
managed, without additional expense be-
yond regular pay, by competent naval Of
hcers, who were unemployed, and subject
to his orders as Secretary of the Navy?
We believe that much of this fraud upon
our public treasury has been encouraged
by, and IS traceable to, corrupt legislation.
To show this, we cite our readers to an act
of Congress, which carries on its face the
stamp OF dishonesty, which legalizes fraud
by suspending the operation of a whole.
some law, and thus gives corrupt govern.
ment officials and contractors an onportn.
nifty to steal by the millions, without fea,
of punishment. In order that it NAV he
| fully understood, we will give our readers
the title, and an abstract Of each section
of the original law, together with the Law