New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-07-21
THE UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION.
TIE IRREGULARITIES IN THE AMERICAN
DEPARTMENT.


A PERSONAL EXPLANATION FROM MIR. W. J. STILL
MANTLE FAULTS OF OUR PUBLIC SERVICE
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: You were not mistaken in supposlng
that should have preferred 70 put my name TO the leV
tiers on the Vienna scandal written for THE TRIBUNE py
me. have strong aversion 70 anonymous aI'ecAs Vi"
any one but everybody IN Vienna already knew me as one
Of your espondcnts and as all my statements Oh he
Commission affair were made in fall knowledge of cause,
with entire deheration aud without any personal feel
ing or prejudice whatever there is rothing in those let
tiers which wish 10 recall. Of which am not ready
to maintain the substantial accuracy as TO fact until
the statements OF credible Witnesses on which they are
based are disproved The Government is in possession
ere this Of the testimony IN the case sworn to In due
FORM aud Il it shall be published entire entertain no
kind Of apprehension that my impartiay my intel-
geuce aud discretion will be damaged by the puOlca-
ton II is impossible that any should have en-
tered into the investigation Of the affair in more I'M
partial temper than I, for not only had no kno"euse
OF suspicion Of before going to Vienna but au ~
knowledge of one OF the parties concerned nau
oven heard one Of their to my knOWleus'' "n1
nv long and unwilling exile from home nave N"' ~
knowledge Of the personalities OF our poH'i''' ~
ties to crafty. and friendships TO serNe, .,,,,
60 t.,, Honesty, Of Gen Van Buren, have nothhS
80 ,,,,,- thar the facts gave are iudlsPu'aoc'
and l have the highest authority IN Nlenn" i' 80 70
were NOT even contested by hlm IN ms eA'll"''O"
fore fine Commission. / have seen TWO oI0u.''V ~"
noes since wrote on the subject VINO nave utc'"Ieu
10 me that they have seen the checA give" =! 49,
~ ,,vneut for his concession, with the Endorsement
- I V,u Bnrer on the back Of it, Mr.. Iitzel declared
-, mo tro ne held ID ne security for the money ne hau
,afd without raceyiu. consideration therefor ahu
which has not been returned, as have been informed
do not therefore dcduce Gen. Van Burens dishonesty
flor he may have satisfactory eNpiahallOhl'
,rrst admire this bare honesty but regret that
F,r avlf Vienna
where it evidently was not appreciated, ana
where Gen. Van BurCn's explanations could not
De understood The General stoutly maintains the hon
csiv pu1itv and devotion Of Mt Meyer, andhe may be
RIGHT I'm ibis, too for Never declared that what he dd was
done with Van Bureu's knowledge and fun participation
that IN fact ne was only obeyug the orders OF The chief
TO whom his commission made HIM responsible AS
neither Of the chief parties 10 the irreguantY are
guilty of dishonesty in IL, ] do not on whom the
ollooay excited By it should fall, from oil could
ascertain from the evidence Meyer irreproach-
able rs DIS chief. Only must remarl, that the kind Of
honesty which the affair has developed, or something
very like 1t, is becoming alarmingy common in our
public all rs where the rule seems 10 be tnat until
petty larceny is clearly proved against public officer
he shah not be held guilty of any O1enae against pubic
morality have only to call attention to the whole
af ir ass shocking OF the demOrazl alton which even
the entry into on public produce We see 1t
on every side in our legislation, judiciary, our civil
seryice-thc proof that may have to apply rule OF
conduct TO their administration Of public affairs when
no merchant would tolerate in the management Of his
own. even iu The most valued and trusty employee.
Themstaul q man enters the accursed domain OF our
uslti,s he finds himself surrounded by conceptions OF
honesty and legality which the most ignorant country
Justice would tell HIN would not be tolerated in connec'
ton with private business; and thoroughly rooted are
these coctItious iu the common mind that judge who
decides case from partisan or interested motives,
legislator who votes for bin in consideration or a
bonus or CIstom-house officer OF United States Mar
shal whose receipts far beyond what any legal
rule would admit is not only NOT imprisoned but is
not even con Tered incapable Of remaining in the con-
duct Of public III irs. II time he comes TO grief
b h, deeds being accidentally placed in unfortunate
hight hc find, bodies of somewhere in the favored
United States Of America who really 10 proclaim
their undmi1isled faith I'm his private honor and public
integrity, and support him IN his next candidacy
have abuudut evidence OF the high confidence IN
cen Van Bureu's honesty entertained by the commu-
nifty OF N.wYart; the almost universal opinion has
been that DE was incapable Of participation in this cor
rIrtiop Twas easier % believe that he was such an
ICE as to have these things 20 under his eyes and
not see theu But how then we account for his re-
heated aud emphatic declarations that "irregular
ties nave taken place, and that the Commission OF
witch he was chief is displaced without crime because
of personal ialouses ana idle gossip except by the
a his ideas Of right aud wrong that he had already come
10 regard tie of uss proved against the executive
Commission ami admitted not only no Ohenses
hut evidences of zeal in the public service In the
loans which MI Meyer had eXtOrted from concession
aires thC General nothing but anxiety TO carry on
the public trust What becomes them Of the refusal to
repay those loans when the public funds had become
ayaiabcof The retention to this hour OF the money
so exported accept the mider interpretation that
Gen. Van Buren, can wrong IN the whole trans
action but is not the alternative that public affairs in
America develop tins debasement of all notions Of
honesty nd plain dealing, horrible beyond expression
j. not the bare fact that endangers his moral
sanity y entry into the United States service fact to
be proclaimed from every pulpit and by every honest
journal iu America Is proof that more damn
ing system Of morality than Slavery involved, is
threatening 10 throttle the Commonwealth
Ihaye iu a letter TO THE TRIBUNE long ago mentioned
an expression Of Louis KOssuth TO concerning our
public men, 1 viii repeat 10 more circumstantiay, be-
cause 10 Is worth remembering In the Scott and Pierce
campaign R0ssuth was, all know, in the United
states and the politicians OF both parties anxious
IN secure hi influence for which Of course he exacted
his terms was almost daily at his house and in his
confidence. preparing mission charged with which
1 went 90 Hungary that Autumn and was more or
less acquainted with the negotiations they advanced
The Democrats finally offered him specified sum Of
inoney-how much have fOrgotten-and two men-of-
warf hC would give his influence 10 Mf. Plerce put
they repudated their promises after election During
these negotiations which were long, Kossuih said TO
ne: "Nir. stnlman. if you do not get rid Of these
poc,ans your country Will be lost within 90 years"
He predicted M strong terms the very state OF general
corruption Of which we have the odOrous evidences
every day before u.s. from the control these men had OF
public affairs.
And since am on my feet, wish TO say another
thing for which THE TRIBUNE might not wish to be
made responsible, in reference TO the reinstatement Of
the Old Commission. have shown that recognize the
claim Of those OF tho Commission who are not incu-
pated in the Irregularities to fun aud unquestiOn-
able exculpation but fail 10 see how any claim TO re-
iustatement can hold. The executive Commissioners
nolc with vow few exceptons uLtcry unit ior The po-