, 1872-03-21


fraud that are constantly coming to ligh
were the proofs we alleged of an uncom-
mon and widespread political rotten
ness.
No more striking evidence of this lax
ity could be given than the multitude
and frequency of the demands made up
ON our various legislative bodies for COM
mittees of inquiry and investigation
Ordinarily Legislature has only its leg
islative duties to fulfil but now those
duties have become to large extent judi
cial. General lcommittees and special COM
mittees are burdened with charges of
malversation and robbery against the
prominent officials of nearly every de-
partment. Six of these inquisitions are
going on, in this city at this very tinle,
to say nothing Of those which occupy
the attention of our representatives in
Washington. In fact, the newspapers
for months have groaned under the re-
ports of the various conclaves that are
hunting up abuses and illegalities.
The great war against rebellion, as we
lately averred, has had much to do with
the production of this abnormal and
pernicious phenomenon. War is always
social convulsion ; it strains and often
dislocates the organs of the body polite
and it let's loose passions, desires, ener-
gies that are too strong and ferocious to
be heldin check by the ordinary restrints
of morality. 1t shakes up the lees of
society, and by its agitation raises the
dirty and turbid elements, that in time
of peace remain quietly at the bottom,
to the surface. The frequent and tempt
ing opportunities to speculation that it
offers, bring a huge train of avid, eager,
mercenary and unprincipled adventur-
ers in its wake, who, by cheap profess
sions of patriotism and an active cum
ming wind themselves into places of trust
and emolument. In all countries, and
in nearly all ages, army contractors and
other camp-followers have been proven
bial for the suddenness and enormity of
the wealth they have achieved and the
loose habits they introduce, their avar-
ice and profligacy leave traces upon the
operations Of governments long after the
wars which engendered them have ceas-
ed.
But we are inclined to think that there
are deeper causes for great deal of our
political corruption that the transient
and irregular influences Of state of war
causes which began to work long be-
fore the war. and which will still be dis
astrously effective when the war is al
most forgotten. One of the most potent
of these is the low and unworthy con-
ception of political right and wrong that
prevails in nearly all our parties. In the
proper acceptation of the term, politics
is science as such it is a system of
definite principles ; it has its rules. its
boundaries, its ends and though it is
not exact in every particular, like
mathematical process, it isyet sufficient
ly so to furnish the basis of sound and
conclusive reasonings. Politics deter
mines the nature and purpose of that Or
ganism which is called the nation, pre-
scribes the true scope and function Of
government. and affixes the limits with
in which legislation is alone necessary
and legitimate. Asserting as its funda-
mental ground that the state is not an
economical or commercial, but a moral
or juridical society, its inclusive sphere
is the sphere of rights aud duties and its
principal, if not sole, aim is, not to help
men to make money or acquire honors.
but to secure them in the possession and
free development of their God-given fac
ulties. Next to human nature itself, to
that imperscrptable and inviolable man
hood which sis the badge of all our
tribe" the state is the most sacred of in
stitutions because through it alone is
that manhood ayouched and preserved.
Now, in the opinion. or rather the
practice of parties-for they can hardly
be said to have opinions-the state has
come to be considered of far less worth
and dignity. 1t is no longer deemed the
agent for the whole of society for great
and noble collective purposes, but the
agent of such as can by any means pos
sess themselves of its powers for indiv-
idual and private purposes. Its work is
not the application of law in the enforce
ment of universal justice but the perver-
sion of law to the satisfaction of univers-
al greed. Legislation is not the exercise
of the collective wisdom and force in de-
fence Of general rights, but the exercise
of cunning and force in the perpetration
of general wrongs. Politics is not states
manship, but low attorney practice,
the struggle of rival cupidities, the strife
of factions for individual or at most par
tizan objects. That high, august, almost
sacred function which we call govern
ment is debased into mere administra-
ton of favoritism or the skillful distri-
button of the loaves and fishes of pat
rouage.