Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1874-07-11
Corruption and Venality.


should fail to come up to the demands
of the times, il would be bound to 90
down. He farther said that there
was great probability that new
Party would soon arise to take its
place, and carry out its promises, and
fulfill its mission. This same party
boasts of its progressive tendencies
its unitarian principles, and its gov
crnmentai reforms. These are high
claims; and current history will show
them to be bare faced and impudent
assumptions. In the light of passing
events, we pronounce That party to be
full of corruption, venality, and oil
the political rottcnness, that could be
scraped up from the purlicus and
sinks O. the Old World Monarchies.
But to the proof: Its generally con-
coded tina. the Leaders of q movement.
impress it, or give character to it.
judging by the light of this moral
axiom, what shall we pronounce as TO
It's character Take three of its great
Apostles, Stephens, Butler and STAN
ton, and compare them with the three
old-time Leaders Of Whiggery and
Democracy, Webster, Clay and Cal
houn. In moral worth, in dignity, in
integrity, and in talent, how I'M
measurcably superior are the latter to
the former. Look at old Stephens as
be lived in base concubinage with
mulatto wench, and by secret fraud
and venality owned one twenty
seventh ofrhe Pacific Railroad. How
does this compare with the quiet
seclusion and the matrimonial bliss of
Ashland, the home of the incorrupti-
bic Clay? Buffers spoon thievery,
and bis military order" to have the
chaste, high-born ladies of New Or
leans treated rs common courtesans,
stand out in ugly contrast to the
political honesty and the noted gal
lantry of Daniel Webster, whose seat
in the Senate, that foul-bearted, squint-
eyed, woman-cnrsed spoon thief, af-
forwards disgraced And how could
we institute parallel between STAN
ton and the immortal Calhoun? it
could never be done upon any princi-
pie known to Rhetoric. Their cbarac-
tiers are all contrast-violent, dia-
metrical, irreconcilable, repugnant con-
trast. Stanton, after proving false to !
two Administrations; after commit
ting Unreasonable meanness, retiring
to unnotccd and unhonored obscuritv,
there died amid horrors uncomfortable,
nnwept even by his own party. But
Calhoun, after having fought CALAMITY
for years for the true Democratic code
in the Congress of the United States,
and during his brilliant career being
always honored and respected even
by his enemies, died with his harness
on, and in the very midst of his glory,
in the Capitol Of the Nation and a
very hecatomb of signs and tears
were poured out upon his grave by
ar entire people.
If then, the underlying principles,
and the administrative acts oca party,
are colored by the moral character of
its leading Apostles, we can easily
measure the standard of Radical
honesty, of Radical purity, Of Radi-
cal craftsmanship. 1t is then the
merest humbug-an empty twaddle
FOR the Disguised Radical to boast of
the holy mission Of the Republican
party, or to pretend that it ever had a
high purpose or q noble work to per-
form-eScept that it might he called
noble to destroy, to corrupt, to venal-
ize, to dcbauch the entire moral and
political sentiments of the American
People. But, the adage says, "Ac-
tons speak louder than words" How
do the acts of this same party cor
10 its lofty pretentions {?
Leaving out of view its war record,
what has it done to justify its high
claims to our reverence and esteem |?
1t coded away to an irresponsible,
corrupt and bloated railroad ring"
enough of the public domain to make
four or FIVE States the size of ours, or
rs large as the newly organized En-
pirc of Germany which supports a
population offorty-six millions. How
ust, how humane is this. to the work
ng men Of this and other lands 1t
las weighed down the people with
axes, onerous, heavy-a concate-