St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-03-10
Our New York Letter.

/ RIVER.
NEW IokK. March 3, 1876.
To the Editor Of the CdleaOniun
No thunderb"lt from ii clear sky
could have fallen with mole unexpected
violence upon the community than have
the late kilograms from Washington,
revealing the most startling instance of
corruption i'll high places which the
country has yet been called upon to
witness. For the moment political dit
fereInes vanish like smoke before i;
whiIlwind. Our citizens are neither Re
puhlicans nor Democrats, Contraction
lists nor lntiationist>, but only heart sick
Americans, us they look blankly into
each others faces, like men who see
that the ground upon which they stand
is the bubblug crust of il volcano.
'I'ndrr whose feet will the next ex
plosion take place ? is the question
is already more than hiuted at in the
threatened exposure of another of Hie
Cabinet of the President of the United
, Statesmen whose positions are higher
in power and dignity than the SOW
ereignty of many Il foreign State. The
whole affair thus far is like horrible
dream, nightmare, the reality of which
one hardly dares to admit. There were
none of the usual preparations of the
public mind-no vague suspicious, no
lumors, NO gathering of the storm. 1t
first" The accusation. the trial, and
the sentence were announced i'll one
breath and that terrible word I'm
, parchment headed the column that
gave Us the first intimation of this new
Z shame.
. At this moment the events are too
4 recent for IN, one to foretell their exact
results. but it is hardly doubtful that
impeachment will now. for the first
time, he successful at the national cap
e ital. And for how pititul mess of
= pottage was this splendid hirtIright
5 sold What amazing, what Incredible
II weakness must he his who would ruin
Il himself, his family. aud an honored
It name. would spread decentralization
: through the army of one of the greatest
Il nations of the earth. and force his coun-
y try into the dust and ashes of bitter
u humiliation for IL few thousand dollars
II 1t seems impossible that all this could
e have been done with any intention
Il but what shall We say of Il man VIII,
> walks upon the edge of such Il precipict
: and realizes no danger? He has not
II even the excuse of the ostrich. which
I plunging its head into the desert sand
Y believes itself safely hidden from lis
' pur>uer>.
Is But one explanation of these things
+. remains. and that is. that the atmo>-
phelc of public life has in some way he
e come poisonous, and that like the fumes
f of charcoal, it So dulls and stuprties the
h scnse> of those who breathe it that they
u succumb to influences which their nor
>. NAL strength would easily throw off,
and the country itself is like Il man Who
). nearly sutfocated 10y the same masnIa
t has to bc roughly handled. and even to
il suffer some cruel blows. to he saved
t from Il sleep which might prove endless
, Trul the Centennial year brings with
it abundant cause to moderate national
transports and humble, national pride
But if its tempestS have the result OF
Il clearing this deadly atmosphere, and
= letting III the fresh air OF rugged honest y
e to aid in ieNiving the nation from its
e moral lethargN, the devastation which
1 they work Is is nothing to the hesetit>
!, they will confer.
= With 81 memorial an Ash "Wednesday
II as the last. Lent ought to he we'll and
/. m"uIntully kept. In New York, how
{ ever, the effect of the Lcntou season il
rather weak, r&rtPtlng among the eX-
urmrly lIigh-churcb communities. and
p even such people Will occasionally III
l. dulge in II solemn and decuroIi> little
thri foot in = and it might he difficult
to prove now much they are spiritually
:, damaged Thereby.
\ really useful and valuable enter.
! prise i the CARTONS new monthly,
. 'RccaId of the Year" of which they are
, Just about to issue the first number
:, scrap-b"ok. containing Il record of every
event of the month worth preserving
u, together with il careful selection of real
II ~ good current miscellany. ali properly
mdcNed. 1t will also contain IL series
OF tine engravings, the first being Il steel
q portrait of the late William b. Aston
= The editor is Nj. Frank Moore famous
us the protector of The Rebellion Rec
" ord" Any one can see at a glance how
exactly this new periodical meets Il real
u want -how much trouble and fruitless
II search after facts and dates it will save,
i and how Indispensable il resume of the
I" months doings it will be to many a
L busy man. 1t will he II great success
II There have been two incidents of the
Tweed suit this week which served to
recall public attention To 1t for Il time.
One MAS the reappealance Ill court OF
= Charles D'ConOr who, as he wouldn't
q die and leave this suit in its then con
dition. shook of the Tightening grasp OF
the old chap with the scythe. and came
stalking back int" the court room the
L 4 a