New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-13


ious TO its peculiar ideas. and
assuming that the regime OF Democracywa
purity Itself. We have taken occasion Il
explain tina. Democracy, called sham De
mocracy by Mr.. Greeley, was but com
pound Of all contradictory doctrines
under once popular name. and SO we ex
posed the hypocrisy Of those who led The
legions Of sham. But the Washington
Chronicle makes these charges even more
directly agains: the personnel Of the sham
ocracy. It alleges corruption under tn.
administration Of Democratic Presidents
and charges that gross dishonesty was
perpetrated under the Democratic rule il
Richmond. This checks tie Hannibal 0.
the PicGyuae, and throws him awkward.
on his detenses. It SAYS:
! We can not remember. through all thei!
| successive administrations, beginning with
Jefferson and ending with Buchanan. that
| bribery OF venaEty was ever traced to a
single important official. in the executive,
Judicial Or legislative departments OF the
| government. In New York there was
|
a de1a rlting port collector
who was speedily hunted down, and driven
out OF the country.
| Now here is an incidental adm ission
tha. the standard Of Northern .'honor" is
| as high as that Of the South. OF these
ante-war administrations, John Quincy
Adams, Buchanan, Pierce, Fillmore, Lin
coin were Northern men. They are thus
acquitted Of all dishonor. Van Buren. a
Northern Democrat. is admitted to have
had detaulting collector-hinself a
Jacksonian Democrat-Swartout. ''who
was speedily hunted down and driven out
Of the country Now our Hannibal has
been SO suddenly struck in flank tba. he
can not command his materials of de-
Tense. History tells Us that Van Buren
had to answer for about sixty defaulting
registers and receivers, for an appalling
number Of mistakes. If we mistake not
Mr.. Gwinn, late Senator from California,
was one Of these officers. This and other
evidences Of peculation and extravaganza
drove the Democratic nominee for the
presidency from the field and elected
Harrison. So We have always read,
Swartwou. was no. the sole scape-goa. of
the defeated Democracy. In regard to
Democratic corruption a. Richmond We
can only cite from the pages Of Pollard,
who was an eye witness. The oppression
and robbery by the quartermasters was
fearful. and the connection between mem
bers Of Congress and the blockade run
ners was notorious and shameful. OF this
Hon. Mr.. Foote. now giving his reminis-
cences Of the Confederate Congress. can
well testify. While the annals Of was were
illustrated by acts Of Confederate courage
and conduc: in the field by the fighters
it would appear tha. the Democratic re-
fugees from Washington and the horde OF
exempts and adventures crowded into
Richmond would compare with any other
assemblase Of evil men. This was under
a Democratic administration, for it will
be remembered that the Confederate gov
ernment was composed Of and controlled |
exclusively by the nullifers. Union men
and conservatives stood no more CHARGE |
Of recognition in the cabine: OK councils !
OF Mr.. Davis than if they had been tainted |
with the original sin Of color. There were |
a few specimens Of the conservative party |
preserved. but the administration Of Mr. |
Davis was severely and exclusively Demo-
cratic. as was his whole diplomatic corps.
On this subject Hon. Mr.. Foote could no
doubt discourse with great unction. The I.
scandal will long be remembered how the
Confederate Secretary OF War. himself
political purist Of the first water, sold his
own crop Of wheat to the Confederate
,ommissaries for a larger price than tina:
ixed by the commission Of valuation.
We entirely agree with the P:coyoae that
Of one party does not justify
in another. but if the Republi-
ans are to be evicted as thieves and the
Democracy installed for their strict politi-
al probity. The whole record Of political
ascality before the war must be
enewed. and the testimony Of
he Hon. II. S. Foote, late a men,
'er Of the Confederate Congress. mus: be
aiken as to the integrity Of the Democratic
administration during the existence Of the
1t might not be amiss to
ear the Hon. Joseph Brown, Alexander
tephens and Robert Toombs on the
Democratic construction CT the Confeder-
te constitution and bill Of rights. ANY
7ay, Hannibal was compelled to fall
astily back upon the Didonian city.
lille his Notifications do not seem ade-
uate to sustain the assault Of the Scipio
fricanus Of the Chronicle.