The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-02-19
A METALLIC CURRENCY.

|
metallic currency, says: at would seem
that serious effort is to be made to establish
4 mstallic currency in the District Of Colum-
bia, by driving out Of circulation all bank
notes Of u smaller denomination than fifty
dollars. Such at least, is the substance Of a
bill now before the Senate, and unanimously
reported by select committee. II success
ful in becoming law, Congress will be CON-
mitted to the policy of hard money curren.
cy for the whole country; for the principle
involved cannot be limited to the Maryland
part Of the ten miles square, which is oil that
remains subject to Federal Legislation.
The iupotency of legislating in advance Of
public sentiment on this subject is fully illus
trated, by the fact, that Congress has forbid
den any one offering to pass bank bill Of a
less denomination than Eve dollars, in the
District, for the last eight or ten years, and
added the restraint of pretty heavy fine; the
half to 20 to the informer; while the people
Of the District pay the least possible regard
to this uncalled for goyerDment interference
with the business of buying and selling bank
notes. Neither Maryland nor Virginia banks
issue small bank bills, but such bills form
large part of the circulating medium of the
seven millions of trading and travelling in
habi.ants Of New York and New England,
and are no less common in Georgia, South
Carolina and other southern States The
keepers of hotels and boarding houses in
Washington, often find il necessary to take
small bills; and those at par, or nearly so, in
New York and Boston, are sought after rath.
er than avoided, by all merchants having pay
ments to make in those cities. If Yankee
shoe-dealer in Washington, is willing TO sell
a pair of shoes for New England or New
York bank note OF less denomination than
FIVE dollars, what power has Congress to pre-
vent him? Why has not merchant of
Georgetown as much right to sell his goods
for notes of one dollar each, us for notes of
fifty dollars, or for tobacco, or coon-skins!
10 destroy all proper respect for the au-
thority Of law, Legislators have only to con-
tinue their present practice Of multiplying en-.
actments, uncaled for by public sentiment
till they become as numerous and disgusting
as were the frogs Of Egypt. Over legislation
is the ruling passion with race of quack
politicians, who claim the skill to cure all the
ills Of the body polite, and all the errors of
social life, BY the panacea of a statute. An
exclusive metallic currency is at best an un-
tried experiment in this country, whose only
claim to consideration is the bare possibility
Of its suiling, ultimately, the habits, wants
and interests Of ine people Of this young and
growing repub.ic,. Both men and women.
who have 100 much confidence in the future,
run into debt beyond their means of payment;
and the question is whether the exclusion
from circulation Of all bank notes under fifty
dollars will make them any wiser than they
now are! The disease is n detect of judg.
ment in the popular understanding; while tile
remedy is applied, not to The parties affected,
but to other parties who happen to live 10 the
same country, and must therefore take physic
for the public good If Senators in Congress
and State legislators really aim to make the
people wiser than they are in all matters of
business and credit let them avoid all useless
prohibitions, and make ample provision for
the proper education of the masses, so that
the latter may be able to manage their private
affairs successfully, and teach their public
servants at Washington and elsewhere, the
supreme folly of enac.lng laws which the
good sense Of the public refused to enforce.
Laws are bad propagandists, and should nev.
er be used to alter the opinions of men,
Such legislation does Infinite mischief by
bringing all laws, and those who administer
them, into contempt They ought to embody
the matured judgment of those who are to
uphold them, and live under them, or they
will either be set at naught and trampled un-
der foot, or cause civil discord. Sound moral
principles developed by proper home culture,
must govern free people more than legisla-
tive enactments. If the press of the United
States can so enlighten the public as to in
duce the general adoption of the Presidents
suggestion, not to use any bank bills under
twenty dollars a great point will be gained in
| favor of gold and silver money for the million
in their every day transactions. This is n
happy mean between extreme opinions; and
| il Congress is wise, it will not attempt TO go
beyond il, and thus fail to accomplish any
thing but n reaction in favor of small bank
notes. Overtrading is m evil of fearful may
nitude, TO which banks stand in the relation
of an effect rather than cause. Industrious,
en.erprising, hopeful and ambitious Young
America feels the want Of every means of
credit that the ingenuity of man affords. To
supply this want in part, banks Of discount
are called into existence; and they are just rs
good and just as necessary ms other institu-
tons for the promotion of production, labor,
trade and commerce. e."-Augusta Consiitu-
tionalisi.
The NATIosAL HorEL DIssAsE.-The
causes Of the malady at the National Hotel
at Washington, says an exchange, were fully
revealed when the new occupants undertook
the operation of cleansing. They found in
the enormous cellar decaying and poisonous
matter enough Of all sorts to have killed an
army Of men, if subject to its cxhalation.-
There were removed from this part Of the
house sixiy-seven cart loads ofputrid stuff;
A - a. l. l.t. IF