Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-17

| Dclle1 by the Time lney reaCh W ashlhg
ton, and they add that these are but .
part of scheme gotten up by the op-
ponents of the present State officers in
Tennessee to induce Congress to turn the
latter out. The latter representations
come from Republicans who have been
temporarily in the State.
LETTER FROM "MACK."
The Rake's Progress The Lost
| Correspondence of the Cincinnati Enquirer
POLITICAL CORRUPTION.
| WASHINGTON, March 12.-If there are
those who doubt the decay of political
morals in this country, as one of the re-
suits of the late war, all / have to say is
that they are very poor observers of cur
rent history. / have counted in the news
columns of the Enquirer within week
past least dozen illustrations involving,
so. far as Individual action can affect party
morality, both political parties, and show
ing that opportunity and not politics is the
measure of rascality. Here Democratic
| County Treasurer makes illegal use of
| public funds; there a Republican State
Auditor is impeached for peculation; in
another place pet of the administration
is caught in big swindle The Demo-
| cratic Legislature of New York jumps at
chance for spoils with zeal quite
equal to that displayed by Republican
bodiesOf similar character in other States.
And SO the work of swindling the people
goes on. One-iftieth part of the corrup-
ton in high places that is now regularly
served up as the news of the day, and that
eXcites scarce passing comment, would
ten years ago, have called forth storm
| of public indignation which no man or
set of men could have survived. And it
is just so with the crimes of social life.
A cold-blooded murder used to be big
feature in a newspaper; it is now ten
line paragraph SORT of thrice told tale,
which unless attended by some very eX-
traOrdinary circumstance, is scarce worth
record.
Nobody can doubt the responsibility of
the war for this state of things. 1t is one
of the items in the bill of cost for ''saving
the Union" and an item which the Ameri-
can people will find it difficult to liquidate
They may pay the debt, they may obliter-
ate the desolating tramp of armies, re-
build the railroads and restore the material
prosperity of the South. All this will be
but the work of time and the natural re-
suit of the indomitable energy of the
great AnglO-Saxon race. But the coTup-
ton of public and private morals, and the
decay of political honor cannot even be
arrested, still less cured, any more than
the dead heroes on either side can be re-
stored to life. There is no Magdalen Asy-
lum for the reform of national morals, no
mode of treatment for the restoration of
the lost virtue of republic. The prog
ress once downward, is ever
downward, with fastening speed
and increasing force. Party platforms
will not avert it. The chances are ninety
nine out of hundred that it will run the
course which history unerringly points
out-frst a democratic republic, then a
military republic, then corrupt republic,
then anarchy and then an empire. 1t is
easy to trace the progress of this Govern
ment through the first two of these stages,
until it has entered the third, and hastens
towards the fourth, which in its turn
makes the fifth and last seem almost like
blessing, and be welcomed as a relief.
There is no permanent halfway house
between the first and the last of these con
ditions. 1t is the ''Rake's Progress" ap-
piled TO a republic, which has once
left its original landmarks, and cast
loose its ancient moorings. The
only tenure upon which the American
Republic ever could exist was that of the
rights of the States, founded upon mu-
tual respect and mutual confidence, with
no more danger of collision, while each
revolved in its proper sphere, than there
is of collision among the heavenly bodies
while they retain the places assigned them
by the creative Hand. When that became
''treasOn" the Republic became impossi-
bic; then the PandOra's box of political
evils was opened; ambition led to cOrTup-
ton and avarice; these are driving us
toward anarchy, social as well as political,
and there is no landing place this side of
empire and despotism. Such, at least, is
the present outlook If there is any sal
walton it is the people themselves; in
thorough awakening, and a thorough
cleansing of the political stream. More
attention TO personal purity and less value
to party promises is needed. The reign
of King Caucus must be terminated in
both parties; the rule of rings must be
broken up everywhere, The people have
it in their power to do this, and they must
do it, and begin at once.
A SAD ROMANCE OF THE ONEIDA DISASTER.
In conversation with very intelligent
and accomplished lady from Maine, few
days since, l learned the following facts,
which throw the shadow of a sad re-
nance over the Oneida disaster: Com
mander Williams, the highest officer on
the vessel, and one of the lost, was a
widower of something less than forty,
and the father of two bright little child
ren. In May last he contracted an en-
gagement for second marriage, which
was to have taken place very soon after
the arrival of the Oneida in this cOuntr y.
/ believe it was fixed for the mid
die of April. lie left the United
States for Japan in June last, and just
before his departure he was one of din
ner party at which my informant and the
| affianced bride were also present. Had
he returned safely he would have known
fate which his brave heart would not
have met with the cool courage that faced
death, at his post on the quarterback.
Since the first of January his two children
and his intended wife have died. When
he left Japan he had not heard this sad
news, but supposed he was coming home
to meet them all in health and happiness.
So TO one, at least of the gallant men
who w,nt down on the Inflated steamer,
death cannot be called disaster