Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-05-30
Ia.sr'srsn'. . s.:s Private Dis


II is rule Of the telegraphic Offices
that all private dispatches shall be
saoredly kept, as a professional secret
BY all managers and operators. They
are 10 be as machines, deaf, dumb, blind,
and unconscious, as to all matters Of a
private nature passing In oonfdenoe be-
tween parties. whether relating to poll
tics, business. courtships, friendship or
the family. The man who will eavesdrop
the wires and steal single word from
them, ia as infamous creature as he
who would unseal the correspondence OF
lovers, or listen at the keyhole OF n
neighbours door. No matter what he dis
covers by II. We care not IL he discov-
ers treason itself, he has violated the in
hibition Of the Constitution which for
bids the espionage aud search, he has
violated moral and social law and the
law Of honor. Does anybody doubt
that2
What then shall we think and say when
members Of Congress, who should be So
cially, and in point Of honor, somewhat
nearly equal to the people they repre-
sent, are openly and unblushingly en-
gagged in such a foul and inexpressible
aud loatled infamy2 Fortunate, in-
deed, is it for the credit Of the American
people that the fact is beginning to be uu'
derstood abroad, that, as a general rule,
the moral and social standing of mem
bers OF Congress is far beneath that OF
the average of the communities they re-
spectively represent.
Dispatches state that the impeachment
managers are overhauling private tele-
grams without stint, and endeavoring to
steal from them some proof Of bribery,
affecting the seven Senators while If
they find anything duplicating the thirty
five, tbs carefully concealed No friend
ofthe seven, no Democrat is allowed to
act with these telegraph thieves. They
have it all their own way. Not & tele-
gram now leaves Washington which is
not known, through spies in the office,
or by tapping the wires, to Butler,
THE BElsr. he openly boasts of being
in possession of two private messages
from Wooley to a friesd in New York
And, il is now also stated that even the
correspondence of the British Minister
has been interfered with The Beast,
who trAmpled down beauty and purity in
New Orleans, when be was not other
wise engaged in the spoon business, has
been caught looking into Qusen Vic
toria's letters Was ever anything so
damDibg suffered without a hanging in
any civilized nation under heaveu9 The |
New York World states as reported |
and believed in that city that Mr.. Tboru-
ton, the British Minister at Washington,
has taken steps for the purpose Of re
dress Ii speaks IS follows;
II reported, and We have little doubt
with truth. that Mr. Thornton. the British
Minister at Washington, has taken de-
ei6ed steps in the way of protest in re-
gard to the lawless violation by Con-
vressi0nal committee Of his rights, both
IS q man and as diplomat, il the matter
Of the recent seizure of kilograms at
Offices. 1t is certain that
person ike Mr.. Butler, who openly de-
slared on the floor Of Congress that be
would not hesitate to arrest any citizen
without warrant, would pay no more re-
,pect to the privileges ofs foreign envoy
han American ciiiZens seem disposed to
.xsei Of him for their own rights. But
ms representative of a foreign state
would be unworthy of his post who
should permit such an act as it is alleged
has been done ia the case OF Mr.. Thorn
on, to pass without the most energetic
EN- onstrance, and the British envoy will
10 q service to America, as well as to
England. If be makes his position the
for emphasizing upon the
attention Of Americans an surragc which
implies fhe abolition in this
ountry Of the most sacred guarantees
f liberty and of law.
We have certainly now reached the
owest depths, and drank the dregs.
here is comfort in the thought that we
anuot 90 lower, since there is not to be
mother deluge
LArEE Our nson kilograms disclose
1ore and more. Is not this whole mat
sr sufficiently degrading and disgust
lg?