Collusion, corruption — U.S. eye-poppers from the 19th century
If you think that the controversy surrounding the White House over collusion with Russians in the 2016 election to defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton is a big story — well, you haven’t heard anything yet. In 19th- century America, there is a complicated incident that involves collusion with foreign governments, even a trial for treason and unprecedented corruption by one federal government official that’s almost too astounding to believe.
The story begins with one Samuel Swartwout (1783-1856) of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., not exactly a household word even in the homes of historians. A soldier, sleazy land speculator and merchant, Swartwout became an active participant in former Vice President Aaron Burr’s conspiracy dealings in 1806. Both men plotted with the ministers of two of America’s enemies — Great Britain and Spain — to create an independent nation of sorts in the West and Southwest. Burr, Swartwout and two others were arrested for treason, but only Burr went to trial and was acquitted because the bar for conviction as outlined in the Constitution was high: “two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.”
Swarthwout was so incensed that he was arrested, he challenged his accuser, Gen. James Wilkinson, to a duel. Wilkinson refused and was dubbed a coward by Swartwout. Word of the event attracted the favorable attention of another dueler, Gen. Andrew Jackson, and Swartwout became a life-long, self-seeking flatterer of Jackson. But the story gets worse. Shortly after Jackson became president, Jackson appointed Swartwout to the best position in the land, the collector of customs of the port of New York City, where nearly two-thirds of all imports entered the nation. Jackson’s secretary of state, Martin Van Buren, thought the president was out of his mind for hiring such damaged goods: “It is my clear and decided opinion (and a firmer or better grounded conviction I never entered in my life) that the appointment of Mr. Swartwout ... would not be in accordance with public sentiment, the interests of the Country or to the credit of the administration .... ” Van Buren couldn’t stop his indictment: “I feel it my duty to add that his [Swartwout’s] selection would in my judgment be a measure that in the end would be deeply lamented by every sincere and intelligent friend of your administration throughout the Union.”
Jackson replied that Swartwout “is a warm hearted, zealous and generous man, strictly honest and correct in all his dealings and conduct; none have impugned his integrity or honor. He is reputed to be poor, but as an honest man is ‘the noblest work of God,’ I cannot recognize this as an objection to any man.”
Although suspicions about corruption abounded during Swartwout’s first four-year term, Jackson nevertheless reappointed him for a second one. But Jackson’s successor, Van Buren, refused to appoint him again. Six months after leaving office, Swartwout took off for England. Within weeks, it was revealed that he had stolen $1,225,705.69 during his eightyear tenure. That was — get this — about 4 percent of what the federal government received in a typical year.
Of course, there were investigations galore by the Treasury Department and House of Representatives, which revealed that Swartwout’s clerks knew all about his thievery. The party line of his aides was clear-cut: “We clerks of the custom-house,” said one, “consider ourselves as in the service of the collector, and not in the service of the United States.”
As for Swartwout, he copped a plea, and a federal court reduced the amount he stole by $435,052.21 on condition that he forfeit all his personal property, which was still woefully short in terms of the remaining dough he owed. But in return he was assured that he would not be prosecuted. So he came back to America in 1841 and lived happily ever after until his death 15 years later.
Of course, by this time Andrew Jackson had long been dead and wouldn’t find a respectable home in Washington again — at least, not until his portrait was placed in the Oval Office by President Donald Trump.