Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-19
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
Pardon Peddling-HOVg the Debt IL
Being Reduced.


'NIack" writes to the Cincinnati En-
quirer under date of Washington, Dee.
IA, as follows:
People must not misunderstood the
motives of Congress in refusing to grant
a general amnesty, and preferring to pass
bills every now and then giving pardons to
specially named individuals. This course
is pursued for purpose baser and more
vile than mere politics. Not alone that
they are thus enabled to drum up recruits
for the Republican party in the South by
excluding all who lean to the Democratic
party from the privilege of amnesty. The
chief object is to keep open the door for
corruption and bribery. A general am
nesty would yield no mOney-individua
amnesties can be, and often are, made
source of revenue to the men who deal
them out. cannot say positively that
any member Of Congress has been paid
directly for securing the insertion of
name in any amnesty bill but can say
that persons have paid as high as 300
for that privilege The money is paid
to the influential friends of Radi-
cal members of the Reconstruction
Committee and l take it that
this state of affairs is not entirely IN
known to those members. Men come
here from the South to get their disabili-
ties removed. They want to be eligible
for office of some kind. They are very
soon directed to some one who can have
their names inserted in the next bill, and
for this insertion they are willing to pay
literally. Their money is taken--nor do
l believe it all goes into the pockets of the
men who first receive it. These are facts
OF which every member of Congress is
aware. Time was when the mere
suspicion of this truth would have
called for a searching investigation. But
corruption stalks so shamelessly abroad,
and so permeates every department of the
government nOW-frOm the Executive who
sells his cabinet positions to the highest
bidder, to the Bureau Chiefs who extort
dollar donations from the starving clerks
under them-that it is dangerous to start
an inquiry, because it is impossible to tell
where it will stop or to what it will lead.
One of these days the people will wake up
to the fact that great crimes may be COM
mitted against a nation by thieves dis
guised in the livery of loyalty, then by
brave men wearing openly the uniform of
rebellion.
Nothing is more simple than the pro-
cess by which Mr. Boutwell, is enabled to
issue his bulletins every month, telling
the people how the National debt is being
reduced. | have suspected all along, but
never knew until to-day, what was the
nlOduS OperUHdi. Adapted to private
business, it would enable the worst
bankrupt in the United States to
stand erect" as Mr.. Micawber did after
he had given his l o L to Traddles.
The secret is this: An order has been Civ
en- to the accounting officers of the Treas
ury to allow no claims whatever against
the Governmental pay nothing, to repu-
diate everything. There are Just two ex
ceptiOns made to this general rule-the
bond holders and the office holders. These
gentlemen are paid to the Uttermost far
thing. All other classes of Government
creditors are denied even a hearing. Aud
so for the sake of appearing to pay off
the debt, hundreds of millions of Just
hAANA S'iAtAtADAC NAcLLAo 1lC lCJuuAdlCNls-
Now, why not go a step further, and
say to the bond holder that we
can't redeem his cOupOnsl Is the debt of
the bondholder hedged round by any
sacred obligation that does not apply
equally to the man whose claim is not in
bonds but in quartermaster's vouchers
But the fact is the debt is increasing ev-
cry day, Notwithstanding Mr.. BOutwell's
lying bulletins. All the claims now being
denied viii have to be paid some day or
other, unless we adopt the great relief of
reputation as all other nations have done
in some form or another, and bury the whole
mass of claims, whether IN the form of
bonds or of anything else, in & common
grave, to the emusic of the Union
which is the latest name for the ROgue's
March. equal and exact justice to all
men" is the bogus motto of the Republi-
can party Equal and exact justice To
all creditors should be the Tule'Of conduct
of every honorable man. If the Govern
ment undertakes to repudiate one part of
the debt, let the people finish the job and
repUdiate the rest Of it: