The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-02-07

remain silent when they see Wall street specu-
lators and rich corporations evading their por-
ton of the tax through special Intervention at
Washington. 1t Is an injnstice to the honest
taxpayer greater than human nature will be
willing to bear.
TRY PREss.-Mr. A. T. Stewart, one Of our most
reputable citizens, having been infamously
libelled by St. Louis paper, in its New York
correspondence, has instituted libel suits
against the editor and the correspondent and
although he seems inclined to accept q retrao-
ton and apology, we sincerely hope that he
will take measures to punish these detractors
severely. The New York correspondents Of
the country press have become common
nuisance They are generally idle, lazy and
vicious Bohemians, who hang about the opera
and some Of the theatres, pay for their admit
lance by puffs, are encouraged by the mana
gers and collect all the scandal0us stories
aHoat to send off to country papers. If scam
dals should fail them, they draw upon their
imaginations for facts, and perpetrate the
most shameless falsehoods in regard to the pri-
vate lives of public men. No citizen is safe
from these pests. Their letters, published al
some distant city, may never be seen by their
victim, but he feels the effect of their malice
in thousand ways, through his business
and social relations. There is plenty OF
legitimate news in SO large city as New
York to furnish any respectable and industri-
GUS correspondent with excellent material for
his letters; but these Bohemians pick their
items from the cutters and invent scurrility by
the column. We need scarcely say that no
decent newspaper would print such correspon-
dence as they oonooot; but the editors of the
country papers, who would not dare to invade
the domestic sanctities Of any Of their own
townsfolk, seem to think themselves perfectly
safe in libelling the prominent men Of New
York. We hope that, as Mr.. Stewart has at
last caught one Of these editors and his New
York correspondent, he will mako such ca
example of them as will have most salutayy
effect upon other iibellers of the same class.
THE RAID At BAGDAD.-The curious story pub.
lished in the Havana paper, Dlurio de Ia Marina,
concerning the raid of American soldiers upon
the town Of Bagdad, on the Mexican side of-ths
Rio Grande, and which we gave In our columns
yesterday, strikes US as a very clumsily con-
cocted cdnard The probability Is that the story
may have had twofold object First, to enable
certain parties to get up claims against the
United States government for damages SOS.
tained at the hands of American soldiers, and
next, to counterbalance in some measure he
appropriately ~ith which tho French inter.
ference In Mexico is regarded In France By
exciting hostile feelings against the United
States. However, the exaggerated account d
this attack on Bagdad goes very far to defeat
itself by the elaborateness of Its details. For
example, the anonymous author gives the
names Of . number Of American officers who
are alleged 10 have been engaged in pillaging
houses, outraging women and participating n
other atrocities. 1t can be very easily asoer-
tanned whether these officers are serving undey
General Weitsel ON the Rio Grands frontier.
and 90 whether Il was possible for them 70
have committed the outrages laid to thsiR
charge without the knowledge and sanction Of
their commanding officer, thing highly Inn
probable.
A very agnlhoant mot In connection WIN
this terrible story Of the sacking Of BagAal =
the announcement received by way Of New
Orleans that all the merchants Of MatAmores
are trumping up claims TO be presented ~
losses sustained by the raid, In the expsotat1ea
that The United States government will paf
them. We dare say II VIII turn out That ~
idea II at the bottom Of the whole story -
given in the Havana paper
DsAD ALIVE Ex-PRzslDnETs.-The poslasa
and influence Of the surviving ex-Presidsnh q
the United States afford singular common
tary upon parties and politicians in this coan-
Try. Fillmore II Of no account except among
few silver gFsys in the western part Of ~
State Poor Pierce has dwindled into insigal1r
canoe, and has no influence save among Nv
dyed4n-the-ore oopperheads; but The dsades(
of oil I'VE politicians Of former age h poor Old
Buchanan, who means in solitude ct Wheat
land with no reftsshing recollection Of sinsls
act done for the good 81 his country during
bis protrsctsd term Of public Life. The two last
named have just Joined the church, which \ No
doubt good thing for themselves but bad for
tho cauae of rcliUfou We imagine A v0ul1