The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-10
The National Disgrace.

The following Is an extract from the re-
marks made by Mr.. Olymer, of Pennsyl-
vania, chairman of the committee on ex
penditures in the war department, in pre-
senting to the house the report of the tes-
timony against Secretary Belknap:
sin this hour If one sentiment of pity, one word
of sympathy could find utterance from me it would
be because feel that the late secretary of is
but the proper outgrowth of, and true exponent Of
the corruption and extravaganza of misgovernment
that have cursed this land for years past"
This is the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth. The man who has
brought irretrievable ruin upon himself
and ineffable disgrace upon his country is
not an exceptional criminal, driven into
crime by the inherent forces of his own in
dividual depravity. He is as much le-
Ultimate and inevitable outgrowth of gov
ernmental iniquity as the flower is of the
bud. Had William W. Belknap been
secretary of war twenty-five years ago he
would no more have thought of selling
place than OF striking his mother. The
vast majority Of mankind are instinctively
good rather than instinctively bad. Those
of them who fall from their high estate,
for the most part, undermined by evil
associations, poisoned by foul moral at
mosphere, infected by a disease which
surrounds them on every side; and so,
swiftly or slowly as the case may be. they
sink to the level OF the common corruption
There must always bemore or less intrigue
and roguery directly or indirectly connect
ed with the administration of public affairs,
no matter what party has control of that
administration, or how intrinsically pure
that party may be. But from the out
break of the war to the present time
Washington has been political Sodom
and Gomorrah. If ever the inside history
of the last fifteen years is written
by bold and impartial pen, it
will be seen that during this period the
capital of the republic has rivalled in
every species of rottenness Rome under
the last of the Caesars. The political
metropolis ola nation not yet a century
old has displayed in the rankest luxuriance
those deep and deadly vices which are
usually found only at the centre of nations
that have lived out their allotted term, and
are perlshing by the corrosive forces OF
wickedness planted ages before. Some
strictly honest and honorable men in
authority there haye been and are, but not
enough to save the mass from sweeping
condemnation. The whole tone and
temper of public opinion at Washington, in
congress and out, has been moulded by the
predominating and irresistible scoundrel-
ism. The quantity and quality of the sin
were of no consequence, providing the sin
itself was decently concealed. and was able
to strut abroad inpurple and fine linen and
flaunt its ill-gotten wealth in the face Of
the world. All the checks and restraints
which usually prevent the scum of society
from rising to the surface, and compel O
proper regard for appearances, have
seemingly been withdrawn, and in that
city where the embiems of popular power
are lodged, and where the principles and
purposes of a great, free and intelligent
people should find their noblest expression,
patriotic Americans have been obliged to
bow their heads in shame, while strangers
from foreign lands turned away in amaze
ment and disgust.
lis it any wonder that, nurtured by such
vile influences and examples as these, a
cabinet minister and cabinet minister s
wife should barter their good name for
filthy lucre? Is it any wonder that this
man, the head of an important department
of government, the const tutional adviser
of the executive, should put his patronage
in the market and sell it to the highest
bidder? Is it any wonder that this
woman, brilliant, beautiful, and at
tractive, on whose fair fame the
breath of scandal had left no stain
should yield to a golden temptation anG
share with her husband the fruits of bri-
bery2 They could go to the halls of con
gress and see senators aud representatives
sitting in bought seats, and engaged in the
work of legislation while their hands still
dripped with corruption. They could see
these same senators and Representatives
voting at the dictates of the lobby and
pocketing the proceeds of their votes with
hardly a show of reluctance. They could
90 to the White House and see a private
secretary who was the confidential friend
OF whiskey thieves, and whose narrow
escape from the penitentiary did not lessen
him In the estimation Of his master. They