The Portland daily press., 1872-12-10


openings, which have always been source
of gigantic plumber, he exceeded all his pre-
decessors in lavishness of expenditure, and
in the number and extent of the jobs he set
in operation. His income thus became SIM
ply immense, and he has filled his purse 10
repetion at the expense of his good name
He very soon lost the respect OF good cit
liens, but that only served to enhance MS
popularity with the Tammany leaders, and
at the expiration of his term of three years,
| he had no trouble in obtaining renomina-
ton and reelection. Before his second term
| ended the Tweed charter was enacted,
whereby the Office was taken out of the
the Mayor, who promptly appointed O'Gor-
man in the spring of 1870 for six years.
While the Ring was omnipotent no crea-
ture of it was more abject in his devotion to
its bchests than its law officer, or more def
ant of public opinion. When that audacious
dynasty fell under the sturdy blows of the
Times O'Gorman's fall was a matter of course
He held his place by sufferance, the last LegI
islature having ignobly failed to repea
Tweed's charter or displace his hirelings by
special enactment.
But now new Legislature is about TO con-
vene, and one Of its earliest duties will be to
| wipe out the whole brood of Office holders
| Matched by the Ring, Foreseeng that o. Gor-
man must so, the Mayor anticipates by a few
weeks that obvious act of justice, and confers
his place upon Republican. As a political
movement this device of Halls will be pro-
nounced smart by men who take superficial
view of the situation and do not insist upon
absolute rectitude as the only basis of really
wise official action. 1t is very likely that the
| substitution of a Republican for Democrat
will embarass the Legislature, and hinder the
passage of an act sweeping out this officer and
his numerous suite with the residue of the
| Tweed officials. Perhaps this is all the pur-
pose that it was meant to serve. But it will
be extremely difficult to convince the public
that the vancouver is not the result of bar
gain between Hall and Smith by which the
| former is to derive some substantial benefit
The new appointee is the prosecutor of civil
suits against members of the city government.
! suit of this kind is now pending against
Hall initiated by O'Gorman by collision with
Hall, to head off the genuine prosecution set
on foot by the Attorney General, and in
which Chas. O'Conor is engaged for the peo-
| pie.
| 1t will furnish matter for curious specula-
| ton, what course will be taken by the Corpo-
| ration Counsel towards the man from whom
yyrir mo of afS,o h,
has received an appointment worth not less
thin $4,000 year, and which, if he is not
displaced by Albany legislation he is entitled
to retain for about four years and half.
Whatever may be thought of Halls action
| in the premises, Smith has made a mis-
| take and very serious one. No man
can afford to accept such an appointment,
under such circumstances. The suspicion
attaching 10 the whole transaction is quite
sufficient to impair the usefulness of flnc-
tionary thus created, and subject him to CEN
serious remarks and unpleasant criticisms
1t deprives him at the outset Of the conf
dence of his fellow citizens, and the only way
Smith can regain it will be by placing his res
ignation in the hands of Mayor Havemeyer,
the moment he takes his seat. If he pursues
this obviously proper course, he will relieve
himself from the odium of having traded with
Hall and OGornan. There is no other way
to do it. If he attempts to thwart the popu-
lar will, by endeavorinc to keep his place. he
will not only injure himself irretrievably, but
will furnish the strongest possible argument
in favor of including that Office in the number
which it will devolve on the Legislature to
vacate in the outset of the session.
l have heard no intmation that Mr. Smith
| intends to regard his appointment as mere
| ly dd interim one; but he is extremely sensi-
tive to public feeling, and therefore have
some hopes that his pride will overcome his
avarice. When he was U. S. District Attor-
ney under Lincoln. he fell a victim to charges
which compelled his resignation, but with ex-
traordinary pluck, energy and perseverance
he collected together and published in
pamphlet a defence which was pronounced
decisive by several of the best members of
the New Y ork Bar, including such an eminent
authority as Judge Woodruff. In this way
he succeeded in removing impressions that
were extremely prejudcial to his reputation.
Now that circums ances have again placed
him in an equivocal position, the opportunity
lies before him of setting himself right be-
fore the people, by an honorable and volun-
tary REIMBURSEMENT of post given to him
by man who had no moral right to be-
stow it.
The Washburne reception on the 4th inst.
at the Union League Club, was very enjoy
able and elegant entertainment The beauti-
full theatre of the Club was put in requisi-
ton, and the stage was converted into an eX-
quisite conservatory. Festoons bearing appro-
pirate inscriptions were hung over the fold
ing doors that separate the theatre from the
other rooms. The whole floor was thrown
open to the use of the guests aud the grand
paror-library apartment was us ed for a sup
per room. The table was one of the most
tastefully arranged and appropriately Or Ia
mented boards ever seen in America, and
was visited and admired by many of the COM
pany before it was laid waste by the devour-
ing crowd
Mr.. Washburne arrived little before
O'Clock, under the escort of VIM. M. Evarts
and Elliot c. Cowdin. Mr.. Evarts, and Mr.
Hoppin, the President of the Club, acted as
introducers, and a couple of hours were
spent in Misunderstanding and pleasant chat.
You who know what cheerful face and cor
dial manner Mr.. Washburne has can appre-
ciate the informality and heartiness with
which this ceremony was relieved from dull
ness. The personal part of the reception
being over the guests resolved themselves in
w SeuoIdl ilSCIlIs,, dilu 1uI. LFdTIS IndQe
some appropriate remarks complimentary to
the distinguished guest, to which he respond
ed in an admirable speech, wherein Mr..
Washburne, referring to the period of the
Franco German war, and the novel duties
imposed upon him on account of it, said
that as history furnished no precedent tor
his action, he took purely ''TowN MEETING"
view of the subject and acted upon the uni
versal law of common sense and common hui
manity. By this rule OF conduct he preserv-
ed the neutrality of his government and
still gave the protection of his flag to Ion
combatant foreigners of European nations
then in Paris. TO those who remember how
well our excellent Minister performed the
delicate duties of his embassy-with how
much tact he exercised the prerogatives of
his office-his explanation of his views of the
responsibilities of his position will be thor
oughly appreciated. Diplomacy acquired a
new meaning, in this critical emergency, and
instead OF being blind adherence to prece-
dents or a useless search for them, became a
living, practical illustrations of the golden rule
in its spirit and letter. The success which
marked the career of our able ambassador
promises to open new era in the relations
of governments with each other. Instead of
treating diplomatic. intercourse As game, in
which adroitness and skill are the principal
weapons, we shall come ere long trust to ac-
cept the better doctrine, that straight forward
truthtulness and sincerity are the best accom-