, 1873-11-24
THE SENTENCE OF TWEED,

pensation that no accorded to Great Britain.
| -
THE SENTENCE OF TWEED. J..
Tho swift and inexorablo operations Of Justice
have made It possible to apeak today Of Tweed
az convict, and whateyor sympathy might un-
dor ordinary circumstances bo felt for an old
man, condemned to spena Ills few remaining
Tweed has not only boon giant malofactor, but
has hauntod his guilt In tho eyes Of honest peo.
plo with most brazen inaolenco, md deGcd tho
law to punish him. In tho words Of tho Court
which paassd the sentence: "Through tho
"holo OF this trial you remainod up to tho very
moment Of your conviction, aa calm and aorono
~ though you roliod upon your innocence, whom
1t "as overwhelmingly apparent to all that what
was your acrcnity was only your audacity,-you
confidence In tho omuipoteuco Of cor
ruptlon rashor than reliance upon yonr
| Innocence" The fact therefore, that. Tyeed
has boen fined $12, TOO and sentenced to twelve
| yoars' tmprsonmont In tho County Jail, which,
moans on Blackwell's Island, will bo received
with tho heartiost Satisfaction by all honest poo
po, and they will breathe moro frcely now that
it Ia definitely settled that official nsarco, rapac-
ity, and plundor can DO pupished. Mr. Twoedis
| already an old man, being In his Goth year.
With tho opportunities he has had, and Lis OK
ocutivo and buAinoss qualifications, ho might to-
day have enjoyed tho honor and respect not only
OF Now York City, but Of tho wholo country.
Ho has reached an ago when moat men
prepare to retro from tho active work
OF lfa aud to enjoy tho fruits Of thoir
labors, surrounded by troops OF friends, and
happy in the enjoyment Of an honorable dignity
aud the lawful acoumnlationa Of their years Of
toll. Mr. Tweed, howovor, must now exchange
tho woalth ho has dishonesty acquired, and the
lu1uries with which he has surrounded himself.
for tho aeclusiou Of oonviot'a coll and tho $780,
citation Of othor criminals, and spend tho re-
mainder of his days with Lis own wrotohod
thoughts for company, as ho contrasts his sur
roundnge with what they wore, aud remembers
the disgrace hc has brought upon all who bear
his name,
Thero is ono feature In the trial Of Tweed
which viii inpresB overy reader, and tbet ia tho
utterly crushing ofroct which tho verdict and
sontonco had upon him. This effect. however
ia not surprising, when ono recalls tho behavior
OF the man from the timo that the charges wcro
first brought against him, oven to tho rendering
Of tho verdict. That verdict was undoubtedly
IN overwhelming surprlae to him. Ho believed
hlmseK to DO SO strong In money, influence, and
friends, that lc could dofy tho law, and ho
manifested this bslief In his eotion. With amp1o
opportunities to leage Now York, NJ others Of |
the Ring thievos did, he remained there, die-
Played himself In public moro than over, and |
oponly jcered at tho accusations against him,
In public and in private, On the streets and in all
his placea OF resort, ho boaated his immunity
from punishment, and he wont into court. uoyer
doubling Tor an Instant that he would be &C.
Quilted. But neither his money nor his in
auenco, neither his bravado nor his threats.
'Sere OF any avail. When tho verdict camo.
therefore, It stunned him "a If he had boon
struck on tho head with an az, and, when tho
sentence followed 1t, tho cool braggart broke
DOWN and was led away to the TombB, whining
Ind snivellhg like any convicted sneak-thief.
Ho at last found himself where ho could not boa
or bEibo; whore his noisy braggadooio was ae
do aH tho wind and whero he had no o.
'ortunity to threaten or command. Outraged
uatice ut last had this prince Of plupdorors In
lor clutches, and tho man who had stolen
1000, QUO, and boaBted Of it and deaad tha LAW,
Taa as poworlees as roed IN storm,
Tho cen-doors which closed upon M1. Tweed
'esterday shut him ou' from tho public Wow,
md there IL no reason to suppose that no shall
loar any moro Of him. He is whore he can do
lomore harm. Eycn II heBhould live to finish out
lis term. which is o1ooodlngly doubtful, ho will
lave reached An age at which it will bo hardly
Forth his while to como out again, But ho
oaves behind him d story with q moral, His
ute ls solemn warning to othor corrupt pol.-
lolans aud public thievcs. that, sooner or later,
ustico Avenges herself.