The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-08
Bought with a Price!"--lnfamy
of the Public Ofnclai who
Betrays a Trust !--Poetic
View Of B ribe-T aking.

- 49,
Has blackened and dciied the human
heart:
Tne meauest meanness. and the vilest
vile,
The basest hasepess, and the deepest
guile,
That ever tinged the conscious cheek
with shame,
Destroyed a sharacter, or damned a
name,
The crime Of crimes-is clearly that
which must
Result, PR 81, from VIOLATED TRUST
Though trusts are various, Gas Ill
agree,
In Observation-Disclosures and
degree,
Yet still the principle involved in each,
We care. not what dishonesty may
The prnci1lt recognized as Just,
That ere y ally delegated trust,
despite sll arguments which waive,
The scruples from The conscIcnc, Of a
knuye,
However deep in subtl tactics skilled
.S4"nW be IL teutt un}ho,c sfy fulfilled!
!h!s : the doctrine EIIf : pr.ciaims,
Sustained 10y learned and venerated
names,
And this the doctriae, to VIII ch Truth
has given
The broad. approving seal Of righteous
Heaven.
Destroy tie :. cred principle-and then
AN Justice dwell among the sons of
men?
OF all the trusts, which can to mtn
be given.
Not to include the ministry Of Heaven
Those trusts are clearly greatest, which
relate
To man = considered in his social state;
TEose puLitc frusts, which always must
embrace,
The veal or woe Of thousands IF his
These trusts are truly sacred. and as
such,
Corruption s vile, concentrating touch
Cannot p~ervert them, without spread
ing i'll,
Beyond the tslsest purpose of the will
The stat official who receives a BRlBE.
Dtrect-or ISDIRLCT-though all the
tribe
" Nooouio'iS iuipofis ohouid uhiAt
Their deepest skill-''tO prove that
black is white"
That pubic agent violates his trust,
Becomes deti!ed, and ceases to be just!
Ills true, no man can deem it strange
When mere opinions undergo a change:
But when opinions plainly manifest
The facts and pranclples on which they
rest,
And trusts are thus contided-clearly
then,
Opinions test the honesty of men!ll
lis true, the bribed apostate may pro
claim,
Facts we'll PREPARED, to meet his
wretched case,
And mitigate the horrors Of disgrace.
Yes-he may prove-ol Try in vain to
prove,
That sciupkes rose reluctantly to move
~artless mind (which had alas
to strive
: gairst the fact tina. TWO and TWO
IKE FIvEl
To prove h., conscience is not made
Of flint,
lie drops u sly preliminary hint:
his doubts" which fnally
prevail.
And then he halts in matters OF de
tail"
dep~recates the spirit Of the times,
And speaks of party" as he should
Of crimes,
He modifies his motions, day by day,
~, for a total change, he paves the
way,
is anxious still to justify his views.
And still dtfeuds himself, though none
Gus
And when lie hears the biting, tauntins
jibus,
This seaS,ttre recipient Of brides
Ret, rts, and plunges deeperi in the tolls,
AID proudly BEARS his inGamy anu
spoi!sl
If that base man detc~tible appears,
On whom the orphans cries and wild
Make no impression; from whose cal
luus heart,
Who basely cheats the mute c~ontiding
dead,
And orives the orphans forth To tsg
their bread,
~ sorrow and IN wrctt h~clnrss 10 roam, |
10y Fraud, fivm happiness
and home,
II raltry cheating ever nc i tSpised. |
Can greater frauds, though a"rtiully ais. |
guised,
BE less ictesicd, less ahhorrcti? -l,ccauss
The fraud in m~uktag-Lo, liz {reuLtnr |
laws
Has been committed? Then, i. tbs l.,
tue,
The weird may bid Integrity adieu!
lsthat base man the guiltlest of men.
WI" fires some cottage, in the lonely
glen?
Is he not baser7 Equity excIaims.
Who wraps a city in ~devouling flames ?
And II Il a~crtchmdn, who his Guilt can
tell |
That Hahts the TORCH sud utters, Al
IS UeH!'
And SO the Legislator. II he would
Take every i'll, and countervailins good
Which man enjoys, or suffers here be-
low,
And justly balance human veal and woe
We must proclaim that man to be the |
worst,
The most detestible-The most accursed,
The bribcd apostate, who on State:
would draw,
The greatest curses in the forms of law
The sad eF,cts his ~villainy imparts,
May reach ten thousand times ten
thousand hearts
All, think OF this, in weighing public
crimes,
Which injure ether men, in otte,
times