New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-05

moro honest than Tweed, but his rascality was
40 long concealed that reputable citizens were
not ashamed to he seen in his company. lie
had no taste for pot house politics and no in
Aueuce over the rank and file of the Tammany
followers. lie was cold, shrewd, treacherOus
and sclf-contained. His vice was plain avaricc.
While il was sometimes doubtful whether
Tweed oftener sought power for the sake OF
its opportunitics for theft, or stole in order
that he might moro fully indulge a coarse and
brutal sort of ambition for personal power,
nobody doubts that Connolly was simply pill
ferer. who cared for nothing but money, had
no particular liking for his associates, and
would have sold them out at any time II he
could have made five dollars more by brcak7
ing faith with them than by keeping it. The
holder and more dashing conspirators valued
his services because he was an adept at decep-
tive figures and bewildering accounts; but
they were probably not at all surprised when
the crash came to find him bargaining for his
own safety and Offering to turn States EVIL
dence.
The lesser members of the Ring, such as
FiaLls, Genet Conan. and Norton. were men
of too common q stamp to repay analysis.
What they were was patent to every man III
New York. But there was one OF the gang
who seems to have been strangely misiinder-
stood Potter B. Swccny was a rogue, but nc
bore the appearance of a rogue OF nuch
HIGHER stamp than the others. He was person
of some native intellectual force, and the world
gave him credit for n political ambition which
was not altogether ignobe. He was an adrolt
manager of men, while Tweed merely bought
them. He avoided the reckless ostcntation
..l;i of
and wrapped himself up in an afecta-
ton of craftsmanship so well carried
ont that though We all know him
to be the partner OF thieves, many OF us
hesitated to believe that he was literally
thief himself-at least thief of the same vul-
gar variety which fills our prisons. Yet after
all. according to Ingersoll's confession, Swceny
was precisely like the rest AS sordld as
Connolly, ~ vulgar and greedy as Tweed
"Pretty much alike" says Rip Van Winkl";
.'they were all tho same kind of fellows"
For Swceny's craftsmanship his polite re-
serve. his skilful manipulation OF factions, his
adroiincSs ~ Il party manager, bhs oyclruling
influence in convention and caucus. meant
nothing after all but ten per ccnt on the pay
mcnts to supply -mcn. He had no ambition
except 10 he rich. The business 81 his lie was
nothing but plundcr.
What a picture of .iusiicc, human and divine,
docs.thc fate of all these men present to-day
Tweed gray and broken, wears out his heart
behind the bars OF the peniicniary, struggling
yainly for release which viii probably never
come till il comes with death. Swecny, IA sol
itary exile in the French capital, shuns the
face of those whom ne may never NOR" call
4 IL IN, han -
the Issue of the suits by which the plandcrcd
Civ OF Ncw-Noik attempts 10 seize his Ill
gotten property. Connolly, after squandeiipS
large share of his money. sits cvc.y day on
the piazza of an African hotel, Stunned
"by everybody, with trembling hands and va
"cant eyes.n "Prncc Harry Genet" wanders
about Spain. occasionally attempting suicide.
Fields is not only fugitive but a pauprr OF
the mcaner ass0ciatcs of the fallen Directory,
MANY have sunk into q happy oblivion. and
several are dead. We published yesterday an
account of some of the supply men WHO used
to "put up" bill fOT the joint benefit of them
selves and the city officers. One died IN the Insane
ASYLUM. Another is still confined rs unatic.
Nearly all are gone in one way or another.
Net q dollar of the stolen money has proiitcd
its poSseSSOr. and We doubt whether there Il a
man of the Whole band who wou!d not Willingly
change places to-day with an honest laborer on
the Ncw-York parks.