Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-03-23
Communicated.
FOR THE AMERICAN
Arc We becoming a Corrupt Nation,

During q discussion on the frauds and
cnrruptions in the management of our po-
litical and municipal affairs, L was re-
preached for saying that the morals of the
body OF the American people were al pretty
low stage. This was considered by gentle-
NAH an insult to the nation and it may ap-
pear so to many well meaning persons at
the first glance but when we reflect that
the people, seeing men going to the Legisla-
ture poor, and on a salary of $1,000 return
ing home rich in few years, elect these
same men again, nobody can help seeing
that there is some truth in it. i for my
part, think there is no surer sign of the low
standard Of morals than this apathy of the
people in regard to strict principles of ho-
nesiy. That such apathy in some degree
exists, even among the best and most
honest Of our citizens, is evident from the
slowness and unwilingness with which
abuses are corrected and the offenders
brought To Justice, whenever and wherever
they are found, on the vague presumption
that such exposures could hurt the par
ty. 4 truly honest man must be will
ing to sacrifice party and position for the
srkc Of principle. In what melancholy
state Of moral weakness must party ap-
pear in the eyes of the world, which through
fear of injury must sanction dishonesty by
refusing, to punish its dishonest members.
nine out OF one hundred cYy out, that man.
does il only for a selfish purpose" Truly,
it shows a moral degradation to see moth
ing but an unworthy motive for any good
action.
Not to mention hundreds of newspapers
which still apologize for-some Of which
even approve of that most aboninable in
stitution slavery" and openly applaud
the lawlessness and murders of the Ku.Sux-
klau. There are great number of papers
which have but very imperfect idea OF
right and wrong. Even the y. Y. Times,
one of the leading organs of that party
which has ever prided itself rs being the
promoter of honest government, dares OPEN
iy say, in substance, that it could not see
the use of making such n fuss about few
thousand dollars, which went into the
pockets of the clerk of the Leg stature.
Ifany paper in any other civilized coun-
try should express such Il sentiment, that
paper would have signed its own death
warrant.
Why, said gentleman is it not a proof
of our superior nationality, that We send
more missionaries to the heather than any
other nation in the world Whether this
is a proof of superior morality might DO
considered questionable. To say the best
as regards honesty, our morals might be
improved by few missionaries from the
so-called heather countries for the teach
iugs of Budha, and some other religious
teachers of the East show, that their IDEAS
of morality are in no way inferior To those
of Christianity. The following quotations
from Budha will show this :
Thou shalt not steal.n
Thou shalt not become iut0xiCalcl."
"a man who foolishly does me wrong,
will return to him the protection of my un-
grudging love. The more evil comes from
him, the more good shall go from me the
fragrance of the good actions always re-
turning to me, the harm of the slanderous
words always returning TO him."
"A man in the practice of reagion. who
exercises charity from feeling of necessa-
nv observation, or from n feeling of par
tiality, does not obtain much merit"
s'Do not believe in traditions because
they have been handed down for many ge--
nerations and in many Places
"Do not believe in the truth OF that to
which you have become attached by habit,
aa every patton believes in its own supeglc,,
rity of ita own dIess, and ornaments and
language"
''Do not believe merely because you have
heard but when of your own conscious
ness you know thing to be evil, abstain
from it," ...
THE holy man must not be ooyetous, or
foolish, or revengetuL He must desire Tor
all living things the same happiness he de
sires for himself" ID, H.