American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-05-31
Are We a Nation of Thieves.

81 ht 81 put III IN
animation into the workings of the
government, and those who hold
official positions under it, will soon
iii, Cover the lamentable truth in
vUlved in the answer. Never in
the history of any people of earth
has there been exhibited such a to-
tai disregard of individual and ma
tiOnal integrity as is to be found in
this boosted Land of ours. From the
President down to the lowest sub
alteru. the idea of gain has been,
ani still Is, the ;sll-abS Drbing pas
sion-.he goal to which all their
acts have tended.
There was period in the history of
this government when the people
were the objects of it's protection,
aud when those who We're selected
~ the custOdians Of their substance
and their honor, guarded both with
jealous care and watchfulness.
Now, the people have become the
aubjects of pnblic plumber, and their
very e-blood, 30 to speak, is alb
sorbed in feeding the cormorant ap-
petites Of the body polite.
The heart sickens at the contempla
tiou of the wrongs which have been
perpetrated by the Administyatiou
and the Congress against the rights
aud interests Of The people. No
despotic government of earth. pro-
Tossing to lie civilized, and which
pretends to guard the rights of
properly. to which its subjects are
entitled, has over afforded less pro-
lection to its people than has the
government under which we live.
The corrupt officials who sacrifice
public interest to their own aggran-
dizemept, are unfit to rule the destj
MES Of free people. This govern
nent was never intended to he an
engine of drspOtic power aud Cd.
preston. and those who have want.
only perverted it's functions and
abused its prerOgatives, must give
place to Others who have honor and
patriotism enough to administer
the government upon just and equit-
able principles, before We can hope
10 ENJOY the rights and immunities
ct freemen. Those ideas of Justice
and morality which ouce distin
SuIsbed or country have become
obsolete among those to whom the
administration of the public affairs
las been unfortunately confided.
The official ehactInents by a Radical
Congress, and the. decisions of ex
ecutive departments through
series of years past, would disgrace
any civilized nation protesting the
least regard for the commandment.
''Thou shalt not steal"
One Of the logical consequences
of this low state OF official morality
IL, that those who deal with the
government have 10 conscience to
restrain them from swiudlinp its
agents, well knowing that they are
daily doing the same thing. Mil
]iors of money, according to ofhcial
reports, have beeu stolen by the
Quartermasters Department., to say
nothing of others.
The Wholesale perjury and fraud
thus practiced against our people is
Incredible, aud the fact is paIpable,
that the agents of our country, to
whom the prOtectien Of our nation
al honor and the rights of our clti-
zens have been cOufided, are them.
selves, in the name of the nation,
defraudiug the citizen of his prop.
erty.
70 enumerate the many instances
IN which tue South has been robbed
By these public plunderers, would
occupy more space than we can de.
vote to the subject. They are we'll
known to our people, aud need not
to be reviewed.
Wholesale thieving has been the
order OF the day ever since the sur
render, but the last infamous Con-
greswitnessed its culmination. That
disgrsced and degraded body not
only threw the shield Of it's protec-
tion around corruptionists and per.
jurers, but fostered and encouraged
theft in its most bideous forms. Tue
Credit Mobiiier fraud, which arous-
ed the Indignation and elected the
strongest condemnation from all
sections Of our country, has been
cast INTO the shade by the back
grab pay, the most gigantic theft
ever pcrpetrated by body of men
claiming to be honest, aud by which
the people have been robbed of the
enormous sum Of eighteen millions
ut dollars. The worst feature of
THIS monstrOIs swiudi. is found in
the fact that those who voted to
themselves this pay made it retro
active, and hence the righteous in