Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-12-15

versa Whichever party goes 10 Albany,
il is all the same. Men are about alike
after being dissolved in that cauldron. II
they 90 there honest, they are sure to
come back corrupted-such is the subtle
nature of the disease which RACES there.
Now, there ought to be public senti-
ment such that, when man comes home
to his constituents. il he is known to be q
bribed man, he shall be blasted by the fire
Of their indignation but there is no such
public sentiment. and when be returns,
he settles down disturbed by no one. He
is an elder in the church. Will his min
lister say word |? Not a word. Will
his brother elder say a word2 Not a
syllable. II is said, in the neighborhood,
he has CREASED his hands little; bat
then he has money; he is a man OF in
huence." 1t may be that some rival will
charge him with corruption; and these
men that know the charge is true will
smooth it over and say, THAT man is
running against him, and of course he
will say anything" They know that the
man is corrupt and corruptible; and yet
he will not lose his standing in the
church; he will not lose his standing in
the presbytery; he will not lose his stand
ing in the class, if he be class-lesder. He
will be just as much courted and invited I;
he will be just as we'll spoken to as ever,
however he may be spoken Of. You may
.backbite him little, but you will not
.forebite him at all. So that while we
are denouncing Legislatures, remember
that Legislatures are made up of our
representatives. IF man that goes from
Brooklyn is corrupt aud buyable man,
it is in part because am corrupt, unless
/ clean lay skirts, and throw my whole
influence against him, and am witness
against him. Then l am not represented
by him. But every one of you mute
mouthed voters, you who DO net like to 60
out to primaries, who would rather have
nothing to do with politics, and who do
not choose to fill up your life by doing
your duty-you are every one of you rep
resented by that corruption. Ifyou send
a villain to Albany to represent you, he
does represent you
would that it stopped even here; but
corruption has gone still higher. The
last refuge of justice is in our courts and
yet, so corrupt are our courts become
that the name of Judge stinks There
is nothing that excites my indignation
more. There is no treachery that is so
base. There is nothing that forgive
myself so unwillingly for as for meeting
a corrupt judge and not frowning upon
him-yea, and striking him. Not but
that they are subjects of mercy; but if
there was only some man holding the
relation Of parent. that could take some
Of these sturdy judges and renew the
scenes of their youth, should heartily
rejoice They plumber, and are known
to plunder They make decisions, and
hold them up for sale. They make auc-
tions of justice, and among the seekers
of justice they bid for bribers And
what then ? They are elected again to
the supreme bench, or to the circuit
courts. They are elected because they
are corrupt. There are few men that
mutter, and say, TOO bad too bad |"
but that is the whole of it. And our
courts are growing more and more cor
rupt, and our judges nore and more
Infamous.
When, two years ago, / made some
such attack as this, was written to with
great indignation by very young man,
the SON of very cid judge, on account Of
it. / was glad of that. / wish that some
judges son would write me letter to-
morrow. 1t would be a sign of some
conscience left, of some faint reminis-
cence of honor. But it will not be 80.
They are just like putty; and if you dent
them, the dent stays twill produce no
effect upon them. And not because am
not worthy of notice-I am worthy of
notice; for my words will 90 into the
newspapers, and will be read, and it will
be known that these judges are corrupt,
and they will be made conspicuous, as
being leagued together. And if there are
any honest men among them, they have
the opportunity of coming out and clear
ing their skirts, that they may not divide
the responsibility with their Infamous
but they will not do it
They may murmur at me; they may re-
vile me. 1t does not hurt me at all. But
these words will stick upsn them, and will
be blown abroad, and it will be known by
men that judges are proverbially corrupt;
yet it will not make any difference.
Why7 Because they are lost to senti-
ments of rectitude. This is community
so low in moral tone that there is no
indigna alton left
l tell you, we are more in danger now
at home from the corruption among the
in moneyed circles, from
the vast plans that set at nsught justice
and truth and honesty and rectitude, than
from all the inisuity by which our most
sacred ussges, laws and customs are
being destroyed-by which our very
magistrates themselves are hurled from
their high duties-aad by which our very
courts Of justice are eaten to the very
core by corruption. We are in more
danger from these things than from any
foreign enemy.
The want Of indignation at hagrant
is one Of the alarming symp-
toms of our times. We are living in the
midst Of an amount Of corruption second
only TO that Of SOdom and Gomorrah. IL
seems as though society must dissolve. a.
though il must be unable 10 cohsre much
longer. And the most alarming thing is
not the condition Of our pulpits Il is the |
most absolute torpor Of the public con
science. We are in cities that are ful Of
churches in which the most monstrous
ebullitions Of vickedness seem not much
to disturb the tranquility ofthe hosse Of |
God. The Christianity Of Nsv York IL
no match for the depravity in that city.
Aud What iSrue Of kat city is not untrue
of many others There has been . fair