Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-11

1t appears that the investigation into the
customhouse abuses in New York, has de-
veloped an amount of false swearing that
would astound the most confirmed believer
in the perversity Of human nature. The
New York Tribune of the Sth inst. says:
1.-The most revolving feature of the pres
ent investigation into the disorders of our
customhouse has been open and shameless
perjury of the employees. Whenever one of
them has been inculpated by the evidence
of plundered merchant, the delinquent is
sent for by the committee, or boldly presents
himself, to deny the charge. He usually in
dulges in no research of invention
or play Of Imagination. He Gotten 9
himself with a coarse and brutal state
mept that he never saw his accuser before
in his life. In this they all follow the ex-
ample set by George K. Leet, who, after
listening for several days to the testimony
Of his reputed kinsman, Allen Leet, and
after a personal interview between them
had been testified to by two witnesses,
swOTe that be never had seen him before
that hour. He also INDUCED in the luxury
of several utterly needless contradictions,
saying that he had frequently been in Phi
ladelphia, and almost in the same breath
that he had never been there but once"
This fellow Leet is the nice young
man of whom Gen. Grant wrote to
Mr. Grinnell, then Collector of the Port
Of New York, "He is a business man
of unquestioned integrity" and "his expe-
rience before the war fits him for business
of almost any kind" He appears to have
been peculiarly fitted for the role he has
played. He went into the Office with a lie
upon his lips, and he was ready to repeat
the perjury whenever occasion required.
But the Tribune shows that he was not the
only one connected with the customhouse
who was addicted to "easy swearing" But,
says the Tribune, 'after all, there is moth
ing more natural than such behavior on the
part of dishonest officials. They take
an oath when they enter the service,
with no sense Of its sscredness. They
violate it every day of their lives. Every
bribe they take is perjury in action. Every
extortion they commit is a breach of their
oath. 1t is not to be wondered at that
when they are examined as to their mis-
deeds they should take the new oath as
lightly as the old; and when they speak,
they speak falsely from habit. The oath
and the lie make the perjury" The Tribune
charges that the Radical members of the
committee 'seem to be constructed in such
a way that a mere denial Of culprit out
weighs the disinterested statement of a
citizen" This char-e against not
only the impartiality but the honesty
of the Radical members of the Senate in
vestigating committee, it should be borne
in mind, is made by leading and infuen-
tial organ of the party to which these Sena-
tors belong. How are we to have honest
and faithful officers in the public service,
when even Senators appointed to investi-
gate grave charges do all in their power to
screen the guilty culprits? The only posi-
bic chance to reform the civil service is to
change the administration, beginning at the
highest and running down through many Of
the lower officials.