The Portland daily press., 1873-02-01
Rad Men of the Past and prasent

Inc HnVestlgations IN progress at Washing
ton are shat ering good many idols. But
let us not despair. Even in the improbable
event of being obliged to give up Colfax, Kel
ley, Patterson and Garfield as ruen of integ
rlty, we should not too rashly conclude that
the times are hopelessly degenerate and the
worst ever known. Did not Francis Bacon
the "broad-browed Verulam," take paltry
briues from suitors in his court when he was
Lord Chancellor of England? Did not the
philosophical historian, Sallust, plumber the
Numidians? Did OF Warren Hastings hire
out British troops as mercenaries and put
into his p ivate purse the revenues of his en-
Grafton hos seen both Arnold and Burr at
tempt to betray their native land. Bacon,
while avowing his crime, suggested never
theless, in extenuation, that he was the least
venal Chancellor for many years. None Oh
the offenses with which our statesmen OF to-
day stand charged are so fragrant as those
which we have culled at random from his
tory. The wrong doing of to day is not rem
dered at all less repulsive because other gen.
erations have sinned more deeply. But
the comparison Is likely to leave us
less elined to despair of the republic. A
POPULATION of forty millions of people of
course must embrace more or less knayes,
and some of them will chance to be found in
public positions. France is at this very hour
trying one of her foremost soldiers, Marshal
Bazaine, for corruptly and reasonably giving
up French army to cruel invader. We
cannot at this time parallel that misfortune
and disgrace in our own country. And we
are certain that our chosen rulers do not eX-
h:bit among them tenth part so many cases
OF vicious imbecility as are found among the
hereditary rulers of Great Britain or any 9TH
er European country. 1t is severe blow to
our national pride to feel the necessity oil
such comparisons in order to preserve our
confidence in democratic government. But
let us hope that the worst is now over, and
that reaction, favorable to public virtue is
about to set in. All of us know hundreds OF
public men in whom our confidence has new
er been shaken. In Maine we know that
our public men almost without exception are
beyond suspicion. Not one of them is in
volved in the Credit Mobilier or other scan
dals of the period. Honesty is still the fash
ion in Maine, and with the horrible examples
Of detection, shame and punishment before
them, it is not likely that our people will soon
be ready for change. Such a down.
fall as that of Colfax, il it shall
finally prove that the present grave
aspect of his case is accordant with
facts, ought to deter all men above the grade
of idiocy from committing acts that could
by any possibility lie open to the charge Of
g fuptior. GGoltax has been for for many years
and to millions of people model man. Able.
accomplished, successful, temperate and be-
nevolent, it was humorously said that he is
SO great a favorite in his own State that half
the babies are named for him, while marble
workers anticipate the demands of their Gus
toners by cutting Schuyler Colfax' on grave
stones, leaving a blank for the family name
of the deceased. Mr.. Colfax was about to
retire from public life with as enviable rep
utation and with as many friends as any
American statesman could ever boast The
end of his days ought to have been full
of sunshine. There is something most
pathetic in the picture of such man
sitting in Judge Poland's committee room,
pale with passion or with anguish, trying to
save the reputation that has beeu his most
valued possession-sitting there and becom-
ing so frantic in his attempts to escape from
the tolls ofhis pursuers that he adds, it is
feared, the crime of deliberate falsehood to
the betrayal ofpublic trust for which he is ar
-rrsigned. II the moral, that honesty is the
best policy,was ever more impressiyely taught,
we certainly do not know where.
THE Boston Trdueller cherishes the notion