The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-10-01
The Den Of Thieves.

After n week Of agitation and apprehcn-
sion-the changing Of values and the DIS
tressing of every department of commerce.
we are given to understand that there Is .
comoromisc, and the rogueS who deserved
TO be hung are to settle at 135. Rascals VINO
ran up gold to 165, ard who occasloneo
general confusion in business ana hnance,
arc to be let of at 1876, except BELDEN & Co.,
who, we suppose, being the high priests OF
raseality, are to be thrown ont as men I'M
deserving of clemency from the high court
of depravlty and swinding.
We infer that the ".fdsco," as it is called.
is considered as an allowable bit Of sWlnd-
ling, which the whole Board has at one time
and another practiced, and therefore Ihcv
orc not disposed to be rigid and stern IN
their Judgment upon the leaders in the last
ease of sconndreliSm. Possibly there is a
more potent reason to influence them to
take such steps ms will ease off matters with
only such loss to the Strateglsts as they may
ho able TO meet because to bring them to
ruin would so disturb the money market
rs to produce disastrous effects OF very
widespread character. This may be sensl-
BILE: but it is pity that so selfish, unScru-
pulous, and criminal proceeding, had mol
been followed by punishment commensn-
rate with its enormity.
It is n pity that some means to put Il check
upon this pcrnicious system OF gambling
could not be discovered. AS we said yes
terday, all the expedients yet suggested are
futile. Nor do we see any mode OF legal
Inhibition that could be made effective. 1T
is q species Of speculation aggravated by
circumstances that make it Il crime upon
par with burglary and banditism. But, save
the correctives that grow out of the crime
itself. it is not likely that any Will be IN
vented. Public opinion is of some value IN
communities not given over to depraVity
but in New York especially, where sin
platcd with gold is changed to virtue ana
receives the homage Of society, it is utterly
inefficient as q check upon raScallty.
But the corrective that springs from the
vile arts of the gold gamblers is seen in Il
good degree in the events of the last week.
We sec that band Of rogues who planned
to make money by forcing up the price OF
gold were caught in their own trap, and
completely foiled. The most valuable part
of the lesson, however, is the compromise,
which shows that the common financial
interests of the gamblers themselves can
not survive the wreck that must flow from
such swindling transactions. 1t Is quite &
consolation to society to know that even
among the rogucs there is point OF reck'
less swindling that is not to be tolerated,
and that must bring disaster upon the dis
honest community in which swindling is
fine art and deception virtue.
The end of the excitement is every way
encouraging to commerce and society
The rogues have received lesson
quite instructive to themselves, and society
has found shield where it was least eN'
pected. 1t is impossible in Il commercial
and enterprising community that sort OF
strategy by which men not worth more than
n few hundreds shall deal in millions, and
millions are lost and made in few hours,
can be long maintained. Nothing but con-
fusion, distrust, and disaster, can prevail
amongst people where such pfaeticeS
exist, and are carried to any unreasonable
length. They will most assuredly WORK
their own cure. They may appear occa'
slonally during the existence of the present
national system Of finance and currency
but not, probably, again in so eXtraVagant
form as that of the attempt of the bulls last
week. They have received warning that
will be of service to them and a security to
the public.
When the currency is placed upon O
specie basis, and specie payments are re-
sumed, Of course there win be an end to
the monstrous system of speculation in mo-
ney which has since the war cursed the
co,lntry-a system which has demoralized
all engaged in it, and made them no better
than bandits, while it has veXed the nation
and fallen with distressing effects upon
trade and innocent persons everywhere.