Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-12-03
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TWEED BEHIND THE BARS.

In the midst of the Cuban excitement, it
is well enough to reflect for a moment up
on the spectacle of the notorious thief of
the Western Continent-Boss Tweed-be-
hind prison bars. We look upon his con-
victon and punishment rs one of the most
striking and conclusive evidences of the
power of an incorruptble press. When we
think of the powerful position in which
Tweed had intrenched himself through
gigantic corruption, his final overthrow is
very assuring to.the friends of republican
institutions. In city containing
an unusually large foreign ele-
ment, large part of which
is ignorant Tweed, had the political
power of an autocrat. His stealings
amounted to millions, and he used it un-
scrupulously to protect himself and friends
from punishment. He constructed his
entertainments so that they took in the
courts of justice, including the corrupt
selection of jurors and the entire admin
istration of public affairs in New York
City. The man behind this citadel the New
York Times assailed. For nearly year, day
after day, its unassailable array of facts was
presented, backed by editorials, which, for
force and vehemence and superb wrath,
surpassed any We have ever read. If Mr..
Jennings were never to write another edi-
torial his fame would be established. PEG.
pie read the Times leaders and said they
were very powerful, but they would never
avail anything. But still the Times, con.
scious of its own power, persevered until
the honest and intelligent people, native
and foreign, became thoroughly aroused
That was all that was needed. Since they
determined that punishment adequate to
the offense should be melted out, the battle
of justice has been increasingly prosecuted.
In the conviction and Imprisonment OF
Tweed the power of the press and the wis
dom of the trial by jury have been dem.
onstrated, so that hereafter corrupt men
will have a greater fear and respect for
both. Tweed behind the prison bars, is
the most satisfactory demonstration of the
vitality and strength of our institutions
that has been given to the world since the
close of the great rebellion.
His trial was impartial and his counsel
contended for him with all their zeal and
ability. Judge Davis in his sentence adj
ministered this scathing rebuke to the
guilty wretch:
With all the opportunity you had, had
you faithfully performed your duties to the
public, to win the honor and respect of the
whole community, you saw fit to pervert
the opportunity you possessed and the
power with which you were clothed in q
manner more wicked, more infamous, and
more outrageous than any instance of like
character which the whole history of the
civilized world contains. Instead of pro.
tecting tie public, you plumber it instead
of standing guard where the law placed
you, over the treasury of your county, YOU
threw that treasury open, not only to your
own rapacity, but also to the avarice of your
associates, under circumstances which
make it transparent that you were engag.
ed in concerted conspiracy to plumber the
treasury of this county, in which yourself
and your associates in crime were princi
pally 10 be benefited. The evidence or
this subject can leave no manner of doub
in the minds of any.
Through the whole Of this trial you re
manned, up to the very moment of you
conviction, as calm and serene as though
YOU relied upon your innocence, when i
was overwhelmingly apparent to all tina
your serenity was only audacity, that con
fidence in the omnipOtence of corruption
rather than reliance upon your limo
ence.p
The Judge emphasized this sentence by
bringing his clenched hands down upol
his desk.