The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-03-07
Our New York Letter.
The Fall of Bellsnap-A SOLITARY In
stance-Newspaper Literature.

NEW YORK, March 4, 1876.
The fall of Belknap is one of the saddest
chapters in American history. Not that offences
of equal turpitude have not been committed
before, but no man so high in office and with
so good record ever threw himself away so
recklessly and for SO small consideration.
To New Yorker, acts of venality and COR
rupton in official life have been of such fre-
quent occurrence that there was a time when
they ceased to excite surprise. Happily there
has been change for the better within the
past four years, and we are not scandalized as
we used to be with details of the sale of places
and contracts. But New York was always an
exceptional community in regard to such mat
ters. The federal service has been as general
thing exempted from such offensive practices,
and never more SO than under the adninistra-
ton of Gen. Grant, whose own personal in
tegrity has been an example to all he;servants
of the government
In selecting Gen. Belknap as the head of the
War Department the President had in mind
his record as soldier rather than as a poll
tician. In fact he never had been Republi-
can. Connected by marriage with Kentucky
family every member of which sympathized
influence of loyal society at the Capital to
make him tolerant of the views of the domi-
nant party. And the conversion of the fe-
males of his household was work of still
greater time and missionary effort. 1t is
doubtful in fact if 1t ever was effectually &C
complished.
The rise of Gen. Belknap owing to the gen.
erous preference of his former general and COM
rade in arms was sudden and notable. The
elev alton proved greater than he was able to
bear manfully, and in the commission of the
mean offense which has destroyed him be ex-
hibited as much weakness of character, as he
did of ingratitude towards his benefactor. The
whole transaction is marked by as much want
of shrewdness as of principle. Nobody had
any suspicion of him, because the thing itself
seemed 30 monstrously improbable. 1t turns
out now that the facts were all rected in q
newspaper years ago, but then newspapers of
that class are so full of just such narratives
that are altogether fabulous that no attention
was paid to this particular statement, which
happened, as subsequent events have shown, to
be true
That is the worst of our newspaper litera-
ture. 1t deals in fiction to such an extent that
it has lost all power as moral agent for ex-
posing and correcting abuses, simply because it
can no longer obtain credence. And here was
great outrage perpetuated for more than three
years after the publication of the particulars of
it, for the reason that the accusing witness had
no standing before the public.
1t is no slight compliment to the Republican
party that one instance of derection in its
ranks shocks the moral sense of the whole ma
ton. And yet this is as it should be. The Re-
publican who violates public trust or dishon-
ors the standard to which his allegiance is due
sins against greater light, and deserves bitterer
execration than any other man OF any other
party ever did. The punishment of his trans
gresson should be sure, swift and unrelenting.
An example should be made of him that will
serve as an effectual warning against borrow
ing cloak of virtue to cover a career of ini-
auity. YARMOUTH.