New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-03
SECRgTARY BELKNAPS FALL.

SFCRETARY BELKNAFS FALL.
There is something III the fall of Secretary
Belknap, or rather in the discovery of his
misdoings, which Notwithstanding our I'M
happy familiarity with such disclosures seems
absolutely to stun the public sense. For this
man had not been distrusted. III an Ad-
ministration which seemed fated to sur
round itself with an atmosphere OF
scandal, and at n time when almost every
department of the Government was under
greater or less cloud of suspicion, his bureau
had escaped. Secretary RObesOn's administra-
ton of the navy had been subjected to severe
criticism, and investigation of his management
had disclosed at least very strange system OF
lack of system in il which, so far from alaying
the public disquiet, tended only to prepare people
for worse things than had been discovered
Acknowledgement Williams had carried on the
Department of Public Justice in such way as
to draw down upon his head popular censuIe
and seriously damage the party responsible Tor
his appointment Secretary DelanO had made
the Department Of the Interior bywOrd and
reprOach to honest citizens by the extensive
system Of fraud and corruption which under
his management ramfed through every
branch Of tho public service of which his de-
nartment was the head. POstmasteT-General
Creswell had not escaped suspicion on account
of loose administration and an accumulation OF
fraudulent contracts. The Treasury Depart
ment under Richardson and Sawyer had fOs-
tered the Sanborn contracts, winked at Custom
house corruption and Internal Revenue robbie
ries, and allowed vast network OF fraud
to be organized and effectively worked under
it and in almost every department there had
been so much corruption unearthed and so
much more hidden deviltry suspected that the
public had ceased TO be surprised at exposures
of official venality, and had settled itself to
receive with calmness each new discovery
in the Inc of peculatiOn and robbery
The public sense was deadened TO 1T all.
Grants administration had discounted discov-
cry. Il seemed as though there was nothing
left to complete our national shame; nothing
to be uncovered that could add to our dis
grace. And yet this man Belknap had gone on
so well, there was so little talk about him and
his department. indeed so little opportunity for
fraud and theft, that he was not suspected OF
anything more than the prevailing weakness
which it was President Grants habit to call
to his counsels. He was not great, but we
pointment of President Grants which was
merely weak and was not absolutely and posi-
lively disgraceful.
! And so there was shock OF surprise when
| it came out chat this man, Cabinet Minister,
adviser of the Executive, head of a bureau
whose subordinates are prOverbially careful OF
| their honor and integrity, and proverblally
sensitive to anything like stain of the sort that
he has covered himself all over witll-that this
man had been prOstituting his Office and selling
the places ut his disposal. And yet 1t was
not such a shock as such discovery would
! have brought five or six or eight years ago.
! For-lct us confess it with shame-President
| Grant has dropped us by easy stages to these
depths of shame. He has parenthesized in
! history eight years which will I've marked
| hereafter as the era Of personal government
and the period Of greed; eight years Of such
official corruption and dishonesty, such selfish
ness and shamelcssnesS, such low aims and
/ base purposes, such g1asping avarice and eager
oyeIrcachng such specializing in official infor-
nation. such bribery aud such barter and sale
of Offices, and such degradation Of all things
which the nation has held to be high and
| holy and worthy an honest pride, that to-day
the country hangs its head and holds its nose
and waits for this Administration to pass.
That Belknap has been discovered trading in
offices does shock us. And yet why should
! itY Should not Delano and Williams
and Scbencl and Boss Shepherd and the
suddenly enriched Babcock, in fact all the
surroundings of the President, the character
of his intimacies, his associations, his frend-
ships. his gayitations, have prepared us for II
Was there no meaning in that strange eom-
snent upon Chander's appointment to the
Interior Department which went through all
the press OF the country with the various
changes rung upon it" Well, he's honest,
"Well he won't steal and Wen, with
call old Zack's faults, he is not tibet
cat any rate ETC., etc, always with
the accent upon "he," Us though he was
an exception, and always with sort
of tone of congratulation- though the
chances were in favor OF y worse appointment
and we had great reason to be satisfied with q
Secretary who did not have the reputation OF
being personally dshonesti Or did these COM
ments coming from the Administration press