The Portland daily press., 1875-06-08

subject. but you cannot diminish its offensive
ness OF its frivolity, BY debating it. The Pres
ident is decidedly apt scholar in politics con-
sidering how lately he began, and he under.
stands them perfectly. His Pennsylvania let
ter contains in substance the identical views
which he has expressed on repeated occasions
during the past two years, and of which he
has made neither concealment nor parade. He
acts upon the very sensible idea that it is slight
ly ridiculous to decline thing not only before
it is offered, but long in advance of the time
when the offer of it is among the possibilities.
But the acme of absurdity is reached when
such hypothetical is declension in obedience g.
the demand of class of fellows who never
would make any such offer, and who have 70
shadow of right to the slightest interference in
the premises.
should not wonder at all if this contagou
should increase. 1t is great deal more aston
ishing that 1t should have run SO long than it
would be to find it gaining new impetus in its
progress. Conventions are naturally initiative.
Ohio catches the Infection as naturally as
school boys take the measles when they are GO
ing round. Maine is expected to follow suit.
Perhaps it will. But when you have all got
through humbling yourselves before this
Gessler's cap, watch and see if you are not
taunted for your cowardice and reminded with
many jeers how reluctantly you were forced TO
take position to which you were driven by the
resstless current of public opinion. The mas
ses pay profound Difference to pluck and are
rarely forgiving of those who yield to threats or
badgering. / don't believe it would have cost
the Republican party a vote to have preserved
70 oil bOt I have
the loss of many than to have feigued obeisanco
to such fantastic image.
Therefore am profoundly sorry the Presi-
dent did not suppress his disdain. But at any
rate he spoke to his friends and not at the dio-
tation of his foes. l do not believe 1t entered
into his thought that he could serve his party
by speech or harm it by silence. He undoubt-
edly meant to have the Pennsylvanans under
stand that he had had enough already Of pub
ic life; to remind them that bis exchange of
the highest military position in the country
with all its powers and emouments and its
life tenure, for civic station brief of duration
at best and subjecting its iucumbents, no mat
ter how exemplary, to continual detraction and
calumny. was matter of sacrifice as well as
Of glory; that he was abundantly salts fed with
the endorsement of the American people in the
election of 1872 and never had contemplated
the probability of denomination. But the
quiet, covert sarcasm which he 'weaves into
the suggestion that 'the people cannot be re-
stricted an their choice by resolution" and
that it is "a reflection upon their Intelligence
aud patriotism to suppose that any President
could elect or even re nominate himself" ought
not to be lost upon the insufferable bores who
al, oF off
zens with tedious drvel about third term.
The Ingersoll disclosures shocked those who
thought they knew the worst already. The per
centage of division of the stolen money was
worked out long ago by Mr. (at present Cover
nor) Tilden, but the recipients were merely
guessed at, and as it now turns out not always
accurately if the affidavit be true. The alleged
distribution to Peter b. Sweeneylstartled most
people who knew him aforetime. That he was
either fool or knave was proposition not uni
versally assented to, that he was both, as now
appears, would have found few believers up to
the publication of these revelations. These fell
lows all had a license from the people to steal
not to be sure absolutely expressed in Ian
guage but none the less binding for that
The democracy held the city and elected
them whenever they were candidates Every
body who knew any thing about municipal
affairs was perfectly aware that they had been
stealing for ten years. The proofs OF it were
furnished in public assemblages. recollect,
with distn ,tness that in 1865 robbery OF the
supervisor gang, of which Tweed was the chief
was exposed in all its details at large meet
ing in Cooper Institute and that the sum stolen
was S120, ,000l There were not thousand vot-
ers who remembered the story twenty-four
hours after. Just so long as they were content
ed with one or two millions year they wero 10
no very serious danger. The Press having
been completely subsidized-the Times only
excepted-and the largest tax payers silenced
partly by reduction made and partly By addi-
tions hinted at-they might have gone on to
another decade perhaps if their rapacity had
not proved their ruin. 1 gave Sweeney credit
for more sense than to suppose he would pur-
sue his course of pillage to such extremes that
detection was merely question of time. He
may have been overruled by his confederates or
he may have become drunk with impunity.
The catastrophe came suddenly. Within sixty
days from the fatal exposure, Tweed, Sweeney,
Connolly and Hail. were sitting at the same
council board with their associates, A. I.
Stewart, Jno. Taylor Johnston, Levi P. Nor
ton, VIM. I. Blodgett and other merchants,
bankers and gentlemen of high standing social
ly and financially.
Success is the test of recognition in New
York, if not of merit. This very day and hour
similar scene is being re-enacted. Jay Gould
stands upon the same dangerous pinnacle which
Tweed occupied four years ago. People are
gradually forgetting forgivirg his fearful
spiolaton of the innocent shareholders of Erie,
and speaking of him half apologetcally, half
admirlDgy d Smart" Nobody vetures quite
so far as to enter into personal companionship
with him, but some of the directors of the
Union Pacific are of scarcely less repute than
the opulent gentlemen who accepted fellowship
with the ''Rlng'' in 1871, and would be as 10th
/ to compromise themselves by being seen in bad
company. They trust to the statute of limita-
ton and the luck that turks in the proverb,
'that the ID is always good to his own, to
work out their publication from the contaml-
Mating influence. Still, the effect is frightfully
demorazing, and it is on the whole rather
wonder that there is so much honesty in COM
munity where any knave can find pardon for
his Offences if he steals enough to make him
ch and is ingenious to keep ont of the clutches
of the law. That is not so easy to do, now
|. that we have got rid of Barnard and Cardozo,
but while they were on the bench, it was only
question of money.
These things do not happen without an ear
nest protest in many quarters. All men have
not become insensible to the obligation of NOR
ality and the caDons of honesty. But fear
the remonstrants are growing weaker in num-
ber and feebler in voice. crisis, crash, a
great convusion in Wall street, would do more
to regenerate New York than several million
sermons. YARMOUTH.
News and Other Items.
The White House gilt to Mrs. Sheridan was
"seed pearl set, pin and earrings"
uIa.IeL:. :. .o.,o..oJ nc on;dapoic in Den-