The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-02-15
And Fremont, Too?

The railroads of the United States which
have done more than all else to develop its
resources and increase its wealth and power
have proved as destructive to reputation as
they have to life. In the arraignment o
Gen. Fremont before the courts of Fran &C
for swindling the people of that country by
selling them five or six million dollars worth
of Memphis and San Diego Railroad bonds,
representing that these securities had the
special sanction and authorization of the
United States Government the people of this
country are also arraigned. The prominence
OF Gen. Fremont as public man, exaggera-
ted no doubt by distance, makes him in
France representative American. In his
disgrace his country must share, tor at one
time heiwas thought worthy by millions OF
his ceuntrymen to occupy the highest
place in the Republic. Since that culmina-
ting point in the career Of the "Pathinder'
much has occurred to impair his ii fuence at
home. The Fremont of 1855 and 1873 are
two very different persons on this side of the
Atlantic. But in France he is the same.
France does not know that he was a. failure
in the war, that he resigned his commission
ina tit OF Jealousy because Gen. Pope was
placed in command of his department, and
that he consented to run against Lincoln in
1854 as the candidate OF a Clique of disaffect-
ed politicians. These things and many more
have in some measure prepared the people of
this country TO hear unpleasant news of FIRE.
mont But in France surprise overmasters
even Indignation when Minister Washburne
tells the people that the bonds of the great
"Franscontinental Railway are the securi-i
built or under contract, and which the gov
crnmenthas never in any way recognized
= The whole transaction appears to them no
better than pure swindle. They say that
the negotiator OF these bonds could never
have obtained from the imperial government
the right to put them on the Paris Bourse
without using large sums Of money to bride
its officials. They are aghast at the notion
that the best and most honored men in
America are no better than vulgar swinders.
And it becomes us at home to take into Sc
rious consideration the low standard of NOR
uhcIy W NC cobduilsucu III CUuutiy ny
the bad example of some of our most trusted
public men, unless immediate steps are taken
to neutralize their influence There is nat
ural reluctance to cast off in mopient we'll
known public man, who by years of patient
labor has raised himself to high place in the
estimation of his fellow citizens. There is a
tendency to find excuses, if possible, and to
make the fall Of those whom we have suppos-
ed to be great and good, as light as possible.
! But we should beware of carrying our lenien-
!, cy SO far as to give it an effect more dreadful
q than the most unrelentipg severity. We have
toconsider not only the feelings and interests
Of the persons who have been SO unfortunate
as to fall into temptation, but those also of
the millions Of people whose destiny is pow
erfully affected by the condition of public
morals, especially among the ruling classes
Rrooks sasl oenses as tRNsad Of arY which
nous but Is aansS 1nco h Ia sa a mani
listed that crimes like theirs are notcrimes, and
the Republic is lost. 1t is to be hoped there
fore that while everything like vindictiveness
is avoided, the virtue and dignity of the coun-
try may be upheld and strengthened by the
prompt and adequate punishment of some OF
the more notorious offenders against its hon
or and good repute.. ~ ~