The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

OF All governments under the sun q
popular government has most need to
guard the purity Of its administration. A
despotic monarchy can reward Its faithful
servants and crush the unfsithiul; an
aristocrscy is by its wealth and power
comparatively free from the temptation to
vulgar ENLIGHTENMENT and peculstion; but
a republic in which the functions and
powers of administration are in many
hands, Is necessarily EXPOSED to
the evils of malfesssnce snd cor
ruption in exact proportion to the
number of persons whose public
offices afford the opportunity of mslverss-
ton. Nothing but the stern virtue OF the
people, and remorseless punishment of
the offenders, will suffice to put down,
or to keep down, public robbery by the
innumerable functionaries of a great
popular government.
The history of England at the time when
she became, in effect, republican mon
archy, and for more than hundred years
aiterwsrds, eptly illustrates the danger to
which we ourselves are now msnifestly
exposed, and, unless the government OF
the United States shall forthwith be thor
oughly purged of the denominations which
have shsmed us before the civil
lied world, 1t may be more than
hundred years before the rotten
ness is expelled from our administration.
the pages of English history from 1865 to
1880.
In the age of the revolution a man who
did not use official advantages to his own
profit was regarded as awonder. Thus,
Dryden reluctantly admits that Skates
bury's hands were clean, as If that had
been an extraordinary circumstance.
Lord Jeffreys bought and sold justice
with the boldest effrontery. and not only
the couItleIs of King James, but the
queen herself and her maids of honor traf-
licked in pardons for the victims of JEFF
freys "Bloody Circuit"
The psrdon-broker OF the queen In these
nefarious transactions was no other than
William Penn.
AT the same time and afterwar1 Candy
carried most important measures through
parliament by systematic bribery and cor
ruption.
When the throne was bestowed on Will
liam of Orange he found the public service
utterly corrupt. The supplies for army
and navy were rotten and even poisonous,
and the feet was absolutely paralyzed by
the embezzlement which universally pre-
vailed. The most illustrous English
soldier of that age, the Duke of Marl-
borough began life by conn'ving at the Sc
duction of his own sister, and laid the
foundation OF his fortune by receiving a
sum of 95, 900 rom one OF the kings mis-
tresses by whom he was kept. His whole
life was spent in smassing money by
embezzlement, and he was at last driven
to retirement by vote of the House OF
Commons, which declared him guilty OF
innumerable populations.
George the First seemed to care for moth
ing connected with the nation, except the
opportunities which 1t afforded 70 enrich
himself aud his favorites.
The corruption practiced for fifty years
by the Wings was systematic and uni
FofSoi. 1noii Bh0ae hintsSoi, NopcIt val
pole, laughed at purity in government.
He was personally untainted, but he
bribed others on all hands. "I am no re-
former" he said, land every man has his
price" u atet eesea 3ti
The Pelhams were worse than walpole,
and William Pitt, afterwards the honored
Earl of Chatham, was obliged to con-
nive at their practices. "Pitt," said
Horace Walpole, "does everything, and
the duke pelham, Duke of Newcastle)
gives everything" and so the government
was carried on. = gooar n~f
George the Third. assisted by Lord
North, used the whole wealth, power and
patronage of the crown and church and
state to sustain party which should be