Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-10-02

glSlative halls majority of the party who
acted IN opposition to the State administra-
ton That Legislature, for some reason best
known to themselyes-tor desire TO impnte.
! as DO impute, no impure or Improper motives
to any one--lnterfered with the laws estab-
llshing the fund for the payment of the pub
lie debt, so that the receipts into that fund,
during the year 1850 fell so low as to enable
us to purchase only 100000 Indebtedness.
The law itself required, for wise purposes,
that on the 1st of September, after the estab-
llshment OF the Singing Fund, the Commits
sloners OF that Fund should make a report to
The Executive OF the amount of stocks of the
Commonwealth which bad been purchased,
and required the Executive to issue procla-
nation stating that fact to the people.
The object of fixing this date was to
separate the operations of that fund from
the general settlement of financial affairs,
which takes place in November. This
was done for the express purpose of show
ing to the people the operations of this
system. On the lst of September, the
Commissioners of that fund, consisting Of
the State Treasurer, the Auditor General
and the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
made their report to the Executive depart
ment, and have the pleasure now of an
nouncing, what was declared by Procla-
nation the people of Pennsylvania, that
the operation Of that system, thus far, has
been to extinguish and forever discharge
from the property and the labor of the cit
izens of this Commonwealth, $3.50, 900 of
your public debt. (Applause)
All the Procalamations heretofore which
have issued from that department since
the commencement of your system of In
ternal Improvement, have been invitations
to the people to come forward and pay
their taxes or lend their money to the
Commonwealth, and take bond upon
the property and industry fthe State
For the first time in the history of your
State, since she commenced her system Of
Internal Improvements, have you paper
: emanating from that department of the
Government declaring to you that. por
tion of your liabilities has been discharged.
You have also in the operations of this
system for the last two years and half,
an assurance thatifit remains undisturbed,
it must result in the entire payment and
liquidation of the enormous burthens that
now hang over the industry and prosper
ity of the people. 1t has been said that
but a very small portion of the people
have an interest in the payment of the
debt-that only those who are called up
on to pay heavy taxes have ever COM
planned of the amount Observation-Disclosures
| hold different opinion. believe that
every man in the community is deeply in
terested in the matter. However para
doxical it may seem, believe that that
portion Of my fellow citizens who pay a
f very small amount of tax, because they
have not been blessed with much proper
ty, are more deeply affected, if possible,
by the payment or non-payment of the
public debt, than that class who pay hea-
Wy taxes. | will give you, in few words,
my reasons for this opinion. The man
of property and the man without property
are equally interested in the education of
. their children. The man OF means can
send his children to school and secure
| them an education, whether the State does
anything for the aid of public instruction
OF not. The man who unfortunately has
not means, unless there be some provision
for education made by public authority,
is deprived of the peculiar pleasure that
: must fill the heart of a parent when he
finds his offspring receiving the benefits it
: bestows.
The payment of the public debt Of the
State, inmy Judgment, affects directly our
present system of popular education. |
f do not speak particularly with reference
| to the city and county of Philadelphia,
, because | know that you have school
system peculiar to yourselves. But ont
of Philadelphia you will cal in vain upon
the tax payer to pay that amount of tax
necessary to support system of COM
mon school education, while you, press
him to pay large amount OF tax IN or
der to pay the interest upon the public
: debt. If your public debt were paid, L
, ask you, and l ask every citizen of this
| Commonwealth, what amount might not
be safely spared from the Treasury for
the purpose of establishing general sys-
TEN of education? You pay now s., ,OOO,-
600 year interest on the public debt
, Appropriate that ammount topopular edu-
, cation, and you will have established such
system as exists in no other country.
(Applause.) If results so important to
the community as The enlightenment OF
the rising generation and the education OF
the masses, are to be effected by the pay
6 ment of the public debt, is there citizen
of Pennsy ylyainia who would not rejoice at
the adoption of means which would pro-
t duce its entire liquidation.
know that it has been said that we
have destiny to perform. lbelieve the
American nation has destiny toperiormi
but do not believe, with some, that Gun
! destiny consists in extending our borders
by the force of the sword or by purchase
:. Aok ,,ol;ax,a fbot II consists in fOTcing