The New York herald., 1863-12-03
ca ses OF COnscience-A Sermon for ehoddy
Contractor.

u 6c0 OF NOn8clenc0-A sermon ZOE 0n0UOy
Contractor.
In last Saturdays HERALD we published two
very remarkable letters addressed to Secretary
Chase by parties who had defrauded the gov
ernment. Tho first letter returned to the
Treasury one hundred and fifteen dollars,
"due U. S. Taken by default" The writer Of
the second letter says Enclosed you will
find one hundred and ten dollars, which /
received from my country by fraud, short
time ago. II was my first offence and, 80 help
me God, it shall be my last l was induced to
take this under the fallacy that to cheat the
government was not wrong; but have sig
nally failed to make my conscience believe it."
1t is thus that conscience makes towards Of
us all.
But if this age Of shoddy is to be transformed
into an age Of conscience, and if the example of
these repentant petty swlndlers is to be fol-
lowed by all the large swindlers who have been
deluded by 1.-The fallacy that to cheat the gov
ernment was not a wrong" Secretary Chase
may make his mind easy in regard to the
finances of the country. Shoddy contractors,
gun contractors, shipbrokers, and merchants
who have foisted spoiled meats and bad bread
upon the Army and Navy Departments, will
soon be walking up to the Treasury Office to
restore large portion Of their illgotten gains.
Instead of one hundred and ten dollars, these
fellows will plank down hundred and ten
thousand each Secretary Chase will then have
money enough to resume specie payments and
discharge the national debt, and conclude the
war, without asking Congress for another
cent Why without knowing it, we are
upon the very eve of the millennium.
Conscience is becoming master Of the situation
The gates Of Paradise are ajar, and we can
hear the sweet voices Of angels singing songs
Of triumph over these returning sinners. After
such miracles OF grace we shall cease to be as
tonished at anything.
And yet, even in q profit and loss point Of
view, the shoddy contractors cannot fail to be
gamers by repentance and reparation. Their
pockets will be lighter; but so will their hearts
Our long experience Of the world has taught
us that sinners are very uncomfortable beings.
To be perfectly comfortable it is necessary to
be perfectly virtuous. Honesty is the best
policy for those who wish to enjoy themselves
and have an easy tine of it. A rogue may
cheat the government and the law; but he
cannot cheat conscience and Beelzebub. When
a man swndles the nation in gun contract
or robs the national treasury of an extra per-
centage on the sale Of ships he swiudles himself
Of all ease in this world and robs himself of all
rest in the next. The workings Of his con.
science torment ald annoy him while he lives.
and the prospect OF Internal and eternal fire
and birthstone after death is as certain as IL is
unpleasant For the sake of their terrestrial
aud celestial comfort, therefore, we advise all
contract brokers and jobbers of every clas.
and degree, and especially our dear but wicked
friends Of the Tribune Association, 10 initiate
the example OF the poor persons TO whose let
ters we have just referred, and thus secure a
! quiet conscience aud a complimentary notice in
our valuable and widely circulated paper
1t is true, although it ought no, to be 80, that