The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-20

The London Times sends US an interesting
homily upon our national characteristics,
based upon the Message Of Governor Tilden
10 the Legislature on the canal question. The
Times attributes the rise of the corruptions
thus exposed to the indifference Of Americans
about local politics. "They have" says our
contemporary, ''their own private Affairs to
look alter, and unless the nuisance becomes
excessive" it is allowed to run its course. 1t
informs US that 'the solemn league which
our citizens at one time formed for ''the effec-
tual reform of New York" 'swas first neglected
By its most trustworthy MEMBERS" and
FINALLY betrayed TO the enemy by its own
paid officials" 1t is difficult to understand
what this means, unless it is that the majority
of the Committee Of Seventy we're glad enough
to steal when they could do SO with impunity
in quiet days and are seeking new opportuni-
ties. The Times thinks the exposure Of the
Canal Ring viii do some temporary good, but
that it will not be permanent At the same
time it cannot fail to remark 'the quiet cyn-
cism" with which Americans regard pecula-
ton, and We have the assurance that these
Tammany and canal frauds will be perennial.
But all this time the Americans IRE a great
wickedness OF New York.
1t is not pleasant to read these criticisms in
foreign journal, especially when We see
their injustice but this is one Of the troubles
OF our excessive frankness in dealing with
public affairs. An American writer reports
Wordsworth, the poet as expressing his won
der that in America Congressman were charged
by the journals with actually stealing spoons
That was in another generation, when Martin
Van Buien was President But VIC have not
tempered our criticisms. Suppose upon the
next Centennial Of Lexington one Of our de-
scendants was to open file Of the journals Of
the present day. What would be think of our
society, our politics, our municipality, our
President? He could not but blush for his
ancestors. And yet we know that this fury
Of criticism and defamation is not sincere
that it is meant to serve party ends and per-
sonal malice, and that many Of the best men
now IN public life are among those who are
most severely assailed. How, therefore,
can we expect a different opinion from
the London press, whose editors look at us
with something Of the eye Of posterity? They
only see the surface Of society here and hear
its clamor. They see many things that we
wish we're otherwise. They see the chief of our
city power prisoner in JAIL like common
vagabond They see at the head OF Wall street
q financier who, after he had been ousted from
the control Of large railway, returned nine
millions Of its money, which he had taken for
his own uses, to avoid suit. 1t is hard to
expect much commentator for city which
has produced the two men who have brought
more discredit upon the American name
than any other two since Aaron Burr and
Benedict Arnold. American credit has been
injured TO the extent Of hundreds of millions
by their practices.
But there are other influences in America.
It is unfair for the Times to select
men Of this stamp and their confederates as
representatives Of American character. We
might as well take Wapole and Pelham as
types Of purity in English public life, and
George ~. as . model King. The Tammany
conspiracy was sad enough This Canal Ring
is not much better. But when we find these
corruptons we expose them. How long could
there continue such system Of bribery as
was known in the Parliament which glories
in the presence Of Pitt and Burke? How
much corruption attended the union of Ire
land and England? How many members Of
Parliament are unseated from time to time,
even IN the present day, for bribery and i'm
proper practices in the FRANCHISE? How long
would America submit to king like George
IV.2 What picture Of American life, even if
painted in the darkest colors Of our partisan
press, will rival the Memoirs Of Greville9
Even in our own profession there has been no