Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1857-07-21
Spirit nf geff9r5un.
CHARLESTON N
Tuesday Morning. July 81, 1851.
&c. LFor the Spirit of Jefferson.
TO THE PEOPLE OE VIRGINIA.

:
The concerted Glamour for the repeal Of the
usuTy laws, generally, aud now IpaFliGUlaFly
IN THIS State, should aiuuse aud Gp The Sc Iiuls
attention Of every thinking lnfgd: Ave aad
minds not IN The habit Of lhiuklhgi aud shich,
(too mGch to their pwl inIpfg and soriety1
permit % hers 10 Il shanl le i'm.
ptoIed sxciled. gad sihIe 10 bear tfNbat
once !hetr 80 9ila a. lnesti3h THEA
aesr iasigus q npsn bteh
{ We eIsIli so sopesto shfihis.
b9an ilii iI3i6 VI Dean dfs IS afiil
Particles upon iigdteds indie ed, in
snns me IN the frslD tis
tatgd 19f ette coed 10 saae and
which a9d save lhe people OF 4feiapd ffb4n p,e
cursesot Woods copper mcney-l would address
you. auG say:
"BretEeren, friends, counuymen, and felloW.cit-
izens -
The question now bring before you sis, next
to your uty TO God aud the care of yuur salvation
OF the greatest CODcetn 10 yourselves and your
chIdTeu:; your 6IcGd aud ekdktiHg, aud every com
mon necessity OF lite entirety depend upon it,"
Such :Sas S"itts language, and such were his
opinions OF he evils and ruin 10 be appTFhended
from Wnods copper money: And such my own
OI-IEe repeal OF the uSuIY laws III a country Whpie
something not rniuGbic as copper, G0 wit paper.
is to ali practical purposes made money by Stale
authority: To pay an Interest such money al
all is a heavy Incubus and draw back upon all
useful la6or and its prOGu, Is bnt TO remove the
restraint OF the usurV laws where such medium
exists, and to permit its manufacturers TO charge
upon, and pare oil tr m labor and its products wst
office ot exchanging that labor and It's products,
is, to puI labor and its products into the vice and
screw them as hard they can be screwed and,
Then 10 screw them once more!
The dueSliun OF the u>ury laws involves, of
course, the consideration ut money: its nature ana
Offices and, therefore take up money the first
question:
Whal.is money, what creates it, for what object
is il created and how does il affect labor, qucS
t0ns that cannot BE- loCrUIren r. htcIed upon by all
who t"Il and Pruducc any thing valuable anu ne
ccS,aIy 20 The wants Ut men? II they do UOt pom
der these questions, those who toll not Will get The
labor and products Ui those who DO toll, aud the
adage will continue to be verifed-'lhose who
think will govern those who toll" And, let it be
borne 10 mind too, tha oi all the thinkers in tins
world, our money mOnger, OurusuEcr, your Shy
lock. is he must active and constant thinker !
Labor ies down and suInb.rs in the Plough
mans bones :" not SO ShyiUyk: Like his own cen
suminG usuIy day and night are alike 10 him: II
he sleeps at all it is y [!S anNstartsi and, then
he dreams about his usuTIeS
ask and entreat, then those who toll, to pause
momeul whether from Ihr loom the anvil or the
plou2h--io rest their SlueWS-aTu 10 put their
rain Ii woik-tO IhinH llIIle TOO, II they expect
To cope with hose who, by doing all The thinking,
are, and ar0Sate TO be, their masters and TO con-
What then is money! The diclionarics-'lhe
books fine fI-"a piece OF meta s'an'p'd with
the effigir> Uf p:Ince arms OF Stale, which
makes cWTFtRt and authentic 10 pass at common
rate /" bailey
Itis the "etieies of the Pnnce"-"imase and
snppTSclipIiOu g. Caesar Or, ItIv arms vi stale,
alone, that make anu create money! Cnill $"
stampsu" II is merely metal, were II gold Or sill
VeI a a i not more current and auIhvnVIc 10
pass a 4 common ate" ,haH wheat or corn, 0T cat
lie OF huTsts, o! any other products OF human la
Dor. (gn il il is stamped aud thus made mo
new if a man were TO bind hIm ecit 10 " III or Pa'
10 another any given amount or quantity OF II. ana
tail to fl So he could only he required to IIruIsb
ether TcdMctiO"S in lieu ii lhe gold or SltveT, as
he and his cTeuIIOr could agree between teen, OF
other aGd impartial men would aruIlraie aud de
teruln6 for them II would be exactly on foot.
ing with other products, and w"uld have no au-
vantage over them haIcVrT, IN valuation, or IN
any other respect But, when made money, j! has
qualities arted by The consent "i The ate
that il did not naturally possess.
The State makes certain quantity of il--as in
the gold dollars, tot larger 1hau the 'huub-na'l-
'.auJheHtic to pass at common rae; II IS, Oy
Stare Authority, dollar. whether To pay debts Ur
taxes; and is The only thing receivable lieTeiUI;
aud, any other properly 1bHh0at rG4"attH", may
be- ana is often sacrifice d " produce that dDiaT.-
These are manitesiy great advantages over all
other producis, impaired to meial OF TO anything
eIse-ss tobacco, or the bark OF trees, or raPer,-
that Ihg Slate may choose to constitute and Ordalh
money by its stamp: Aud III these things have
been constituted and used as money. lax" away
these ptcu ia qualities impaired by The stare as
receIvahIlIty lur debIS, auUa&es, or, say nSt any
CIhet products al valuation shall he received IVS
debs I'D taxes; and. them The uWneIs OF money
may calm 10 put their own Prise or II, as DINERS
do on corn aud Rheat, and ca tie and horses, or
ahy other products; but not till then.
have shown, then; what money IS that no.
thing is of itself money; but that II IS created mo-
ney by she Supreme poweri OF the State. Let us
c. Dsitef the OBJECT OF creating money III me heA
place, and its connection wan 'aoor anu lfs pro
ducts.
Labor and It's products existed ng before, and
preceded money Labor aRd lis pro1ucts Isre the
works df nature--are natural tliBgs and necessary
To the wants OF men,money il hui mere con fvanee
and convenience Tor exchangi ng sanon ing hsms the
things that are OF haIuEa and @ 70
lheif wants Labor and its PROD dueIs are So
lbInPs They are food, raj tmeH mt she eltsrs and
edueatjSn; moral intel and L. -
And, without labor and its none 9ts stess
can have heingsor be supplied al 1ne gems s9h
llJFYnns oil OF ind. OF he oceaHg ihe
ver oi Perm. The old Sof old op1ig or
mia. without labo. and lis pr are NqtAaltss
as sea .AveedS; and it men, az s ~
colId turn every Thing theY inio lls G
hIfn ith the very meat III tir teeth IaEnea @ !o
e,,Id IheX would sIarge and die. La snd lls
products mutually pay for each otheF sfey ar aie
Inc values ia every exchange aud alone pay InI
evpry thing Money, on The other shand. rs Tue Tue
mere shadow of exchanges and pays t0f coming,
II be gold or silver ii lt be pa u - ths
ow OF the shade of exchanges mere btseea "a ! I
aud ernpty echo, which makes pLona,ses 81,
DIV as echo iIseii unless they are d
and rad off and discharged By labor ana us pr E
SlncIsI Ihe real and substantial PaymasteTs OF e7-
ety ba reain and contract, aud for every thsng ne
cessary and usctuIia human aHalTs anu at tt's
Rnt{fmay be asked II such be the pteselntnence
nj Iabor and It's products comPaTed with lnoney-
he rneTe naent of exchanging 'hem-4What es
sir Won assign money! Ihis instrument ol
exchaseine iheml I My replyIis, that, whfn, used
ss n was intended TO be simpA as an lGssi unsn
of exchanging labor and its pr9dacls ana ny sness
Who latof and have products 70 excnahste, - a. {
,beTelare have an interest in 10th, regard lhen
suu ~ ;,srsbsneiny yariea aud diffefsnt pro
ls t.et ~ ,E;r ysTiE producers. In law, and
~ ,ss Sjesdiags cions have been resisted 70
az his notion of money his been in trade or ex
SssasSs as acngeaience but whei used Y "a "a Y
II is principle that the sna .ar
The ficnonp money psea 20, 20, sa s. susss's
~ in shoha fide' tFade;-hnt slsil ia nesiel
erttb1s s,se of bona ide trade shout be sota sp
ed to stich trade and thus limited oy t5s
oT;ne;s sle-ihat ii slwOrk no iwEof'g' II.
z IS s,he etinht of This nc 9oneT
.lIsg,SS were iabourefs Spd prldnfes, tel