Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-05-09
THE EXPOSURE OF PRIVATE CORRE-
SP0NDENCE.

In an anolher column viii be found an
interview with the Hon. ". ". Stow, of
San Francisco, one of the chief attorneys OF
the Central Pacific Railroad Company. \
perusal of the interview will show that
Mr. Stow believes W. 5. Leake 10 have
been the party who betrayed confidential
correspondence. and makes that distinct
charge We give Mr. Leakc however, the
benefit of his personal denial in advance OF
any other response that may he made by
him. But Nr Leakc, we take il, will lind
ii more than difficult Ia explain his treat
ment OF Nr. LaRues letter. a transaction
referred To in the interview to
which We call attention. Whether
the charge concerning the Stow-cor-
re-pondeucc exposure may justly be
laid at the door Of Mr. Leakc or any other
party, II still remains evident that the gen
tleman who would betray confidence OF
this character, or the publisher who would
publish it, ale neither entitled to that con-
idcnce nor that respect which is duc from
one gentleman 10 another
OF all the men whose betrayal Of the
confidence repo~ed in them are most en-
titled to he Stunned and dcspi,ed, the
despicahle snave who hetrays to exposure
confidential correspondence i, entitled 10
prc-cminence. All correspondence is neces-
sarily responsive, and when one side Of a
serie- only H. diyulged there is not only
the prc>mupjiye evidence that the other
side was perfectly reciprocal in all It's mo-
lives and attributes, but il is entirely GER
tain that this must have been 50. If there
is anything in Il confidential correspond
eucc, one side of which being divulged
will hold the writer up to contempt or
scorn, it is entirely certain that an equal
odium would attach to the other side
upon like exposure. The confidence
which induces private and confidential re-
lations between correspondents is pro-
duced only through mutual confidence,
committed 10 paper Whatever of vice
or of virtue its publication may ex-
pose both parties to it are necessarily
equal sharers in lis merit or dcmerit The
thief who turns States evidence to escape
the penalties Of the crimes in which he
himself was q sharer still remains the
meanest thief of the gang, as his exposure
Is not prompted by motives OF virtue, by
sentiment, Of penitence or by an awakened
sense of justice. On the contrary, he is
prompted only by the low motive of COW
ardly self-preservation.
In the interest of the exposure OF crime,
the statutes of civil society declare that
this meanest Of thieves shall escape pun
ishment Society sets this value upon
treason among thieves, but il doe, not and
Cannot make honorable the treachery. We
do not mean 10 be understood Is declaring
that the correspondence between two gem
tlcmcn who choose to exercise the I'M
doubted right belonging to every citizen OF
taking part in the political affairs Of the
country is or the same plane with crime,
committed against the property or the per-
sons of citizens. But if one party to such
a correspondence exposes the letters writ
ten to himself or promote, that exposure,
he manifests the same attributes and the
same deSpicable traits of the criminal,
who sharing the full moral accountable
ity of the crime, accepts the bride of the
law and betrays his fellow-criminals. 1t
would require but a slight readjustment of
the circumstances to have the betrayer of
such confidence share the plumber of the
crime, aud, by turning States evidence,