The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1840-10-09

gress to take from HIM, by law, powers over the
public moneys which he then held, and to lodge
those powers elsewhere. And for this he has been
denounced, on the floor of Congress, by The press,
and by political en.issaries and haranguers OF the
people throughout the country, as a man wishing
to concentrate all power in himself to the subver-
sion of our liberties, thus, (to use the popular
phrase,) showing himself ga despot." his kind
of logic may suit some, but, to my mind, is quite
unsatisfactory.
Another effect attributed to the system is equally |
honorable to its projectors. aude to the thread
bare, ridiculous charge, so often reiterated, that
sit makes one kind Of currency for the Govern
ment, and another for the People" had been in
the habit of regarding 'rhe people," in this coun-
try, as being ''lhe government" But, yielding TO
the refinement of the distinction, for the present
purpose let it pass that the government and the
people are two distinct things. The treasury law,
it is true, requires fourth part forthwith, and at
the expiration of three years the whole, OF the pay
ments 10 the government to be made In specie on
w. 1t Is with reference to this feature OF the law
that the charge is made. But those who urge this
objection forget, (no-they do not forget---they
know better; but they hope TO make the people
iorge,) that ''ihe government pays out identi-
cally the same currency which il receives, and no
Other whether it be gold and silver con or bank
bills and pays it to "the people" too. 1t is first
paid to the individuals to whom the government is
indebted, from whose hands it passes into general
circulation among the people. Instead OF a dDer-
emf, the law makes precisely the same currency for
''thc people" that it does for 'he government
so far as the General Government has any thing to
do with the currency. If, whilst the General Gov
ernmen, deals only in gold & silver coin the people
of the several States, by their respective lcgisIa-
lures, adopt, each State for itself, currency of
bank bills, .slhe people" have then made for them
selves different currency from that used bv the
government But no one has right to say in such
case that the General Government, much less the
President, is responsible for the act, since they
have no authority or control over The State I,eqS
la,ues on the subject of their curreDcy. All that
.phc government can do is to collect It's dues in
such currency as will nav its debts. The only sure
one is specie. Individuals, in their private bust
ness who are supposed to exercise a constant care
over their affairs. nav, with con paraiiyc safety,
dispcnsc with spccie and receive and pay on, bank
bill shay deal in stocks. and actively engage in
nh the snecul,ions of the doy. But these are all
subject 10 fluctuations and losses and ,.thc govern
mont (bop, i,s,iru,cd C,r certain sncciic pprpo-
SOS only y sbouLl keen clear Of Them. II should
dc,l in currency only 90 far ns is necessary TO de-
Cpy the oyncu:cs of Government. III sneak not
now If he constitutional mower and duty of "coin-
incn money. concerning which there is no COM
nlnintN If shoud raise money sufficient for that
nurnose. ond there s,op. This course enables the
Goycrpment 70 extend general care and protec-
lion oyer tho vbolc country and NIL lis interests
sccnros cvcrv ci,izGn in The cuu cnioyncu, of his
..nnnlienohlc rcb,s'' Of .ira liberty and the pur
sn;, If bnnni,oIs, IN elevate Inv Legislative
croc,mcnis. no class ormcn above their fellows
loovcs tho road 10 wealth eouoIly omen TO aIl-in-
70, G,rcs with The business Of none II is course.
ton mos, in conformity with the intentions of the
r,,,,crs IF ,he c,rs,i,uiior And had il pcycrkcen
donortcd had the letter MS we'll as the true
sn!, Of ,b,, ;rs,rrrep, Lcon s,oodilv adhered IN
in orr ,n,;onol Icoislo,;on ,ythou, n,lcnptiny ns
noor,o IN no, rich and nanny too C,s, he cnns,rpc
,in, ,ho cor,try n,;ab, b,,n Lnon lnnrj in n morc
nros,nrcus cnnj;,ion Than i, roy il
,,,.
W "uno' i" nr '''"h. "oS"'a enr''s a', n nnG
ci GS"2 5r csc, non" ,bc mamie ne npt oc
tho n,c,r, ,,scd IN nut down tho nrrsont odnnis-
,rn,ion ,hcrc orc MANY other m;.rrnroscntnions ne
well os dircr, G,lschocds. circulated against the
President. which can ADM, of no polliaiion or ex
cuse. There is the famous, or rather Infamous
snccch of Oglc. nrip,ed and distributed in every
section Of the country. by which the pcople are
asked in hccyc iha, oll the expcndilprcs mon and
nbopt the .prcsidrpt's bousc Under ollthr presi-
Van Ruren The stn,nn of f,lscbood wos ,t tho
lima or lis dolivorv nm Tho Hnor oc Con.rcss fyed
unor il bv Mr. Iincoln ma warm an cinnamon, or
NIr Van pnrcn ma himself I'm, wbo WINS n man oc
,oo much nrrine onic,Iy to sit and bcnr the iru,b
so ,rcssly ,oo,ed wi,bon, liCiipg his yocc AGAINST
!, sin ,hc sncccb Of Orlc il circulated FIR the
,ru,h os iri,s accuracy had meyer boen oucstiopcd
And il has had clIact pnnn the minds If some How
stands the matter, Opr ancestors couscd 10 he
erected nj the public eypcusp for the residence oc
thc Presidents of ,hi. rppublic in nll pGcr times.
a costly. snrcrdid cdiGce. such ne lhcv though,
wou'J in the owes If surrounding rn,ions amidst
their rorrcous pouccs and ulittcrirr coroncts he
-, lrns, rcsncc,nhlc, such os would do honor =,
nation If rromcn where MI nrc lo,ds and none nfe
.crr. and such ms thew thought the Chief Mnpis-
,ro,c or sucb peonle for Tho honor or tho nn,;nr
ougb, IN inbobi, rboy go, nhon, rurni.bir, !, md
from, tho ,Jmn;s,r,,;cn Of Vnshrn,nn ,n Tho nros
ON, limo unIcr cycry ,,rcsiler, ,y;,bnu distinction
or marry ,hc sovoroI Cnrrresscs ba,c com limo
IN lima vn,od l,,ae ,nnron,;,,;,ns and d;rec,od
the money to be expended upon the ''President's
house." and for decorating the public grounds and
gardens around and for furniture corresponding in
cost and elcgnncc with the buildng itself The