Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-26


THE MORAL OF THE WHHTTE.
MORE CASE.
The present Congress is sinking inn
measurably low, even in Radical estima-
ton : The Philadelphia Bulletin (aadi-
CALI thinks Whittemore will not be prose-
cuted in court of law for the singh
crime and misdemeanorn for which he
was kicked out of Congress, for the rea-
son that in his defense he would show
that number of other Congressman, not
yet exposed, have committed the came
offense. That paper says;
sIt is this fact which has prevented
Whittemore's indictment undert he law OF
1879. Ina court of law Whitemore |
would be on equal ground with ms pros
ecutors, and his defense would Drlng 70
light the facts which the ConlmiIlee OF
the House have, either willingly or other
wise concealed. 1t would be very
vrkward thing If Mr.. Whittemore should
act M line of defense which would put
cadets and midshipmen on the Witness
stand to account for the process by which
their appointments were procured. 1t is
very safe to assume that Mr.. Whittemore
will not be indicted. cd
Although Whittemore could do no such
thing in : criminal court the extract We
have quoted shows the opinion q Radical
entertains of his Radical brethren. in
Congress, and what could be established by
the testimony of parties that could be
called. The Philadelphia A9e says the
moral of Whittemore's case is too impor-
tant to be lost. It has most satisfacto-
ry significance. It proves that the tone
of public sentiment in this country is still
pure and elevated, while the tone of the
politicians in power is groveling and base
1t vindicates that faith in the power Of
public opinion which Jefferson alluded to
when he said: ssWere it left to me to de-
eide whether we should have a govern
ment without newspapers, or newspapers
without governments, Ishouldnot hesitate
for a moment to prefer the latter. For
in this case it is voice of the press, utter
ing public opinion, that has Scaled to or
der" the public furctionaries who believed
that they had successfully debauched the
public mind and set at defiance the laws
of the land and the laws of common de-
ceney. For the law (statute of 9th Feb
ruary, 1859 positively prohibits, under
penalty Of fine and imprisonment, the &C
ceptance of any bride or present or other
valuable thing whatsoever by any member
of Congress or any officer of the United
States, or any person holding any Office of
trust or profit under the government
The violation of this law is declared to be
''a high crime and misdemeanor, " pun
ishable in any court of the United States
having Jurisdiction over such offsnses.
Yet, on the day of President Grants in
auguration, he inaugurated new and
hitherto unheard of system-for we pass
by, aseomparatively trivial, Mrs. Lincoln's
acceptance of shawls and trinkets. He
publicly accepted great sum of money
from the hands of Mr.. a. T. Stewart,
and on the same day SEM N his name for
the office of Secretary Of the Treasury of
the United States, and as this was vio-
lation of law, he sent, the next day, a
message 10 Congress asking it to repeal
the law. Here public opinion, through
the press, made itself heard, and the wise
and salutaTy law was maintained But
the effect on public morals was not the
less pernicious. Radical office holders
took their cue from their chief. One
branch of the revenue service was soon
almost paralyzed by the corruption
of the officials employed In it.
Congressman not only sold patron
age, but began openly to adver-
tise it for sale in the public newspapers
Whether the Radical officials VIII prose
cute Whittemore, under the law of 1853,
for his 'fhigh crime and misdemeanor,"
is yet TO be seen. But before the great
tribunal of public opinion he and bis con-
federates and abettors have, at last, been
tried and condemned. The selling of
Offices, the taking of gifts aud presents by
officials, with which the Radical party
have initiated an era of public corruption
without parallel in the history of the
world, has received, let US hope, check.
There remains now the vile and infamous
traffic in pardons carried on by wholesale
at the seat of government Let public
opinion now take cognizance of thai.
The Pardon ''Ring" at Washington has
thus far resisted every project for gem
eral amnesty as interfering with its
profits.