New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-06-29

n,
the railroad company has any complaint
against the Credit Mobilier, let 1t make ITS
complaint and seek its remedy. The gov
ernmen, has no cause of complaint against
the Credit MObilier, because the govern
men. never had anything to do with that
corporation. damned By its mysterious
name.
Suppose yon contract with builder to
build OF caus. to be built q certain house
on 4: certain lot. according 20 stipulated
specifications. within six months. tor when
vou agree to give him forty acres OF land
and loan him $4,000 on his note foc ten
years. Then suppose you. contractor SUBJ
lets III. contract. and the sub-contractor
builds the house to your entire satltaction:
YOU ACCEPT il. deed the forty acres. and
loan u your contractor the $1,000 on MS
note Cor ten years. Then suppose II should
come to your knowledge that your con
tractor had been cheated by his sub-coa-
tractor Would you consider that that was
any business o: yours. Would any law ger tell
you thai you could bring "A suit to redress
the wrong which your contractor had SUIT
feceti az the hand Of his contractor, but
which had in no way affected you. Again.
suppose that while you thought your con.
tractor had been cheated by his sub-con-
tractor, your contractor should not think
so, would you still feel called upon to instr
tute suit to settle wrong between two
other men when they agreed that no
wrong had been committed and II was
certain that you had suffered no wrongs.
That would be the precise case we are con-
sidering. The Union Pacific Railroad Com
pany is debtor Of the government. the
debt not vet matured. The government
SAYS its debtor has been cheated by an out
slider. the Credi. Mobilier. and so it is pro-
posed to bring srit in the name o. the gov
eminent to settle matters between this rail-
road company and the Credit Mobllier.
both o.: those companies agreeing that
there is nothing between them requiring
settlement. The fact believe to be this
that when the Union Pacific Railroad Com
panv contracted with the Credit MObiller,
or made the contract under which the
Credit Mobilier finally constructed the
road. all parties were laboring under
misrepresentation as to the cost of building
the road. 1; was supposed that 1t would
be very expensive to construct road over
the Rocky mountains, and the contract Was
made in this belief But it turned out that
the Rocky mountains were only a success
sion of inclined planes, and when the mSun-
tains were reached they were passed. Here
was the source of profit made by the Credit
Mobilier. Il was the ordinary case OF
contract which turned out not to be as dlifi.
cult TO perform as both parties supposed it
to be when it was entered into. But what
has the government to do with this ! Had
the actual cost of the road been greater
than was expected, the Credit MObiller
would have lost: as it happened to be less.
it made. But the government paid only
what it agreed to pay for the road, and had
and has no interest in the matter as be-
tween the two companies.
But you may say. if this is all so, what is
the meaning of the great suit IN the name
of the United States against mankind in
general, Just commenced by the Attorney
General, about which the newspapers are
80 joyous. will tell you; the secret is this,
Congress has less nerve, and when in a
panic. less sense Of justice than an equal
number Of ''schoOlmarms" assembled in
convention. And during the panic Of last
winter anything that looked like worrying
tho Credit Mobilier or anybody else found
cordial support. Congress directed a suit
to determine
|. Whether the United States should do
what it had agreed to do and
2. To determine everything else N which
it had no interest whatever.
And the Attorney General has entered
upon this holy crusade. with what result we
shall see when the courts pass upon the
case. The suit has no parallel in the judi
cial annals OF any civilized country; and
the real question to be determined Is,
whether the courts are as weak in a popular
storm as Congress has shown itself to be.
The Credit Mobilier investigation OF last
winter has left stain upon the nation, and
cast gloom over those who believe in
mans capacity for self government. The
freedom OF the press is indispensable to free
institutions: and yet il seems as though the
freedom Of the press was the only freedom
left in this country: i. seems as though the
f-aa dom, Of ~|a al ta
ism as against everybody but the press.
The press frightened Colfax and Patterson
into the idea that to own Mohilier stock
was criminal; and they appear to have
rushed into the effort to disprove their
ownership. The proof conv.nces al! men
that they were mistaken. and the unchari
table that they intended TO prevaricate: and
SO these men who had before the invest iga-
ton done nothing worthy of censure are
"whistied down the wind wrecked and
ruined forever, and forty millions of people
are stampeded with apprehension and alarm
Had these men faced to the from: and said,
- Yes, we had this stock, and had a rIgnt to
have it, that would have been the end. No
man can say that there is any wrong in
owning stock in the Credit Slobilier Com
pany more than in owning stock in a ia
tional bank. or in owning sheep, while Con.
gress may lay a tariff upon wool. Il the
stock was given as bride, tina: vas {:
crime, but no one pretendS this. The men
who were injured by the investigation fell
victims to their moral cowardice. and tie
people were thrown into . panic for absc
lutely nothing.
not because have any interest in defend
ing the Credi. Mobilier. but because be-
ieve the Misrepresentation in the public
mind upon this subject is the cause OF the
censure which has been poured upon the
salary bill. The people have been told tina.
every man in public life is y thief, and
every public act corrupt. Il it can be
shown that the Credi. Mobilier has not en-
iangered our nationa! life, then the way is
prepared to discuss the back pay question.
unprejudiced by the supposed Credit Mo
)lier wickedness.
now come to the particula. subject YOU
lesire me 20 discuss. the question OF back
)ay.
A Wisconsin newspaper. speaking OF
hose who supported this measure. says:
The miserable thieves were in the huinor to rob
baby Of It's coral, and nothing cout shame them.
What rish: have they to raise the; wages at me
md of .le term, ii any time They public |
servants. Have other servants such rights The
yhDe thing is so outrageous, SO molstrouS that It
S hard to speak OF i. with caMEcss mo!era
ion.
The writer OF this paragraph seems to
AVE advanced about rs far in Christianity
Is the Pharisee had in the religion OF his |
line. Far enough to be deenIy alive to
he faults OF his neiyhbors. but not fax
enough to doub: his own infalibilltv. He |
,ontesses that he could no. .!ea; with the !
subject with callnness and moderation. |
And vet both calmness an! moderation
re conditions OF mind without which we |
'ugh. never 10 judge the conduct and con-
lemn the motives OF cthers; and !. iutg- |
nent formed without moderation ana ex-
pressed in the language of Iillingsyate vii, |
make no great impression upon the minds |
If candid reasoning men. however it |
night be admired by the tishwoMan who |
vas puy to rout and utterly silcnced when |
he wag called her an isosceies triangle. !
may not be able to convince You that !