The Portland daily press., 1869-05-13

ration; recent publications; Gleanings and
Gossip.
Fourth Pdge-Poetry; The General Court.
The Beam i'm the Popular Eye.
1t will be remembered that there is one
writer of letters to the papers who holds
that Washington politicians, including Pres
ident, Congressman members Of the Cabi-
net, heads of Bureaus, clerks and even
lobbyists, are in the aggregate no more
dishonest than corresponding number
of merchants taken at random in any popu-
lous city. The name of this obscure scribbler
is not at this moment at hand, nor the paper
which prints his eccentric statements The
only thing that can be urged ln'extenuatlon
of his conduct is that what he says is prooaply
true. No one supposes, however, that the
merchants who are accidentally selected
for the purpose of illustrating the general
nr;nc;nle are more dishonest than the rest of
mankind-than lawyers and other professional
men, mechanics, laborers and capitalists. The
idea of the eccentric correspondent probably
is that politicians, taken as a class, are up to
the general standard of integrity that would
be established by an induction from the char
acter of all the people of the country; some
individuals among them falling below and
some rising above the standard. just like the
individuals belonging to any other profession.
That the politicians are subjected to sevsrer
criticism than other classes is undeniable.
This is easily explained. 1t is because of the
greatness and importance of the affairs in the
management of which they are engaged, and
because of their own personal prominence.
The politician, il he is true, honest and pat
riotic one, is far from being an insignificant
parsonage, the only line separating him from
the class we arbitrarily call statesmen, being
The clearness OF political vision and the wise
and comprehensive views of the statesman in
regard to the very things concerning which
the mere ward politician interests himself
To the politician belongs the work of model
ing and remodeliDg institutions, the character
of which is matter of the deepest concern to
every citizen. 1t is his task to perfect the art
of government, and to see that the same pro-
gress is made therein as in philosophy and
science His field of labor is very broad If
he errs, and especially if he sins his fault is
expiated by thousands besides himself Hence
he is watched narrowly, and if he departs
from the path of rectitude he finds himself
branded by popular disapproval lat very short
notice, as he ought to be. If Smith, the gro
Ger, habitually sells to his neighbor Jones,
fifteen ounces of sugar for pound, very little
is sad about it, because nobody but Jones is
Injured. But If Smith, the United States Sen
ator, takes a bride for voting a railroad subsi-
dy, the whole country smarts for it, and he be-
comes infamous unless he is shrewd enough
to cover up his wrongdoing,
If our politicians are corrupt, selfish and
unreliable. it must be that the popular stan
dard of right conduct is too low. 1t must be
that the prevailing ideas in regard to getting
money or gaining eminence and power are too
lax. The holders who are dishonest
could not live and thrive with a perfectly pure
moral atmosphere surrounding them Be-
sides, they do not hold their places forever
Some of them die and many are removed, and
their ranks are filed up constantly by recruits
fresh from the people. Men who get office
and who have not, before their election, been
classed as politicians are not found prac-
tically to serve the state more faithfully than
others who have interested themselves in pub
lie affairs.
~ ic wv Udu budb ~ 10 nOb rue tlldh pOlltl-
clans have monopoly of viciousness, for if it
only were true we could turn the rascals all
out and the moral reconstruction of the coun-
try would be effected at once. But the disease
is more radical and its seeds are sown thick
among all the people. When we have honest
lawyers, DOCTORS clergymen, merchants, arti-
sans and laborers, there will be no trouble in
securing honest men for rulers. sThe greater
includes the less.
FEW people were deceived probably by the
Spanish dispatch from Cuba which Minister
Roberts gave to the Associated Press the other
day. Accounts from Spanish -seutees-ae--
claring that the rebellion is practically ended
will be as frequent as they were from Crete
under similar circumstances, and they will
be as often refuted. The reputation of Minis
lister ROBERTS story has already come, first in
dispatch in which tbs Spaniards acknowl-
edged that they have had a hard fight with the
insurgents. Moreover private letter from
Santiago de Cuba. of the 10th of April, states
a column of 1000 troops left thai city few
days previously to operate against the insur-
gents in the vicinity of Jiguani and that on
the first days march they encountered them
at Suena del Agnai where the troops received
a severe check. 1t also states that the insur-
gents occupied Santa susanna and San Louis
and that the Spanish hospitals in Salma So
riano are filled with sick and wounded The
writer adds that the American flag had been
raised and salutedsin camp Ell Ramon, the
headquarters of General Marmos, who bad is
sued proclamation in reply to the recent one
of Count Valmaseda.
ANOTHER REPUBLICAN SENATOR MURDERED
IN siEoRGIA.-A special dispatch to The Tri-
bune from Atlanta, Georgia, says the Hon. Jo-
seph Adkins, Republican Senator from the
9th district, was assassinated in Warren Coun-
ty Monday He had been frequently warned
not to enter the county although it was his
birthplace and his home through life. Paying
no attention to the threats he started for home
few days ago. On arriving at bearing sta
ton, miles from his residence, his private
carriage met him and in it he proceeded home
wards When within two miles of his house a
man issued from the woods close by and was
saluted by Mr.. Adkins who recognized him.
The salutation was instantly returned and was
accompanied by the drawing aud presenting
OF the assassn's pistol. The fellow took de-
1iberate aim ana pierced the Senator's heart
with the ball, killing him instantly Mr.. Ad-
kins was staunch Republican, had been
many years Baptist minister, and bore an IT.
reproachable private character. Political an
imosity alone could have prompted bis assas-
sination. He was one of the delegation of the
Georgians who visited President Grant some
weeks ago to urge full legal reconstruction of
the State He is the second Republican member
Of the legislature and second of that delega-
ton murdered since the adjournment Of Con-
gress. He, like Drayer has "perished by the
waysi lie" as was recommended by sc-called
Republican paper at Atlanta.
SENsATIoNAL.-Tbe Tribune's cable special
from London says the initial steps have been
taken for an alliance, offensive and defensive,
between England, France and Spain against
the United States. The rejection of the Ala
bama treaty, the tone of NJ. Summers speech,
the alleged flllbustering tendencies of General
Grants administration, and the reported con-
nivance at expeditions from the United States
against Cuba, being made the pretext for
necessity for such alliance. Well fit is true,
there is not much ground for apprehension.