Year: 1871




There is one aspect Of the popular rieing
against thieves and cmbczzlcrs which deserves
more thoughtful study than has yet been given
it. We have been used to speak of the swim
dlers who rob the City Treasury corrupt the
Legislature and the Courts, and tampcr with
the suffrage, as band Of vulgar rulfians who
have risen to power on the shoulders of the
mob. If the coarse ostcntation of a Tweed or
a Fisk offend our sight. we satisfy ourselves
with the reflection that these men are not
representatives of American society, but crca-
lures of an ignorant and dcbascd mass of
naturalizcd voters, the drrgs of Europe who
remain in our great seaport after the better class
of immigrants have been drained off into the
interior. Ncw-YOrk, in short, according to this
view, is divided between respectable tax-pay-
ing citizens, who are all honest, and the dis
soutc mob who are all thieves or the friends
of thieves. If this were true, New-lOrk
would be Il phenomenon among cltics-a thriv-
ing commercial and manufacturing mart in
which, while wealth steadily increases the
great body of the people are idle. vicious, and
disordcrly, and the Government is controlled
by those who have no interest III public order
There is large constituency of corrupt
voters ; but it will not do TO assume that they
are the majority. On the contrary, as the
secrets of the City Hall are dragged to light
it becomes more and more clear that the
Tweed gangs have received constant active
support from the best class of our citizens
and but for this they would have fallen long
ago. 1t is well known that the municipal
Ring has been in the habit of buying
the adhesion Of rich and respectable
property-Owncrs through the medium of the
tax Office leading merchant whose assess
mcnt has been reduced, by favor of the Boss
from 100000 to $4,000, shuts his eyes while
his neighbOr is robbed, and processes to be
quite satisfied with the condition of the local
government. A manufacturer who succeeds in
getting seventy-five per cent OF his tax bill
rcmitted excuses the frauds in the new Court
House, and urges all his wOrkmen to vote the
Tammany ticket. Democratic politicians whom
the world accounts honorable gentlemen, thank
fully accept Tweed's bogus ballots, and keep
him in power 80 long as his dishonesty is
profitable to the party. The Ring has bought
these men, as absolutely as it buys the bar
room striker and the Sixth Ward repeater.


The consequences of this species of cOrrup-
tion reach far beyond the men whom it origin
ally attacks. Destroy the moral sense of the
leaders of society, and you lower the tone of
the whole community. 1t seems as if we are
destined to find the blight of the Ring in all
ranks of our people, the taint of dishonesty
on the very men to whom we ought to look for
examples of the strctcst integrity When Fisk
and Gould made their bargain with Tammany,
and set the Infamous Erie conspiracy in opera
ton, they found no difficulty in securing the
cooperation of one of the foremost men Of the
NewYork bar, - not to defend them on trial,
but to help their schemes of plunder. The
most liberal view of the duties and privileges
of counsel could not justify the services rem
dered to Fisks Ring by this eminent lawyer
We do not charge him with dishonesty; but
how sadly his sense of honor must have been
debased before he could accept such employ
ment The attention of the Bar Association
was invited to his professional conduct. Per-
haps the prevalent moral relaxation had af-
fccted the whole of that body; at any rate
the charges were smothered and it was one
of the most distinguished of American lawyers
who seems to have been chiefly instrumental
in supprcssing them. Another leader of the
bar Is known to have expressed himself
short time ago with great plainncsS against
the reelection Of Gen. Grant. Within IA
few weeks. at public muctiug. ho