The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1862-04-09
COMMUNICATIONS.
[FoI THE LANCASTER LEDGER
No Y /.


l, is the prerog.tive Of sovereignty 10
coin money; and, as the precious metals
are the only materials Of the money Of
the civilized world, this is the form, in
which the right Of establishing the meas
ure Of value, among psople,is expressed,
as belonging 20 The supreme authority Of
State. Wherever society exists, there
must be some measure ofjus.ice, 10y which
the exchange Of commodities are regula
ted, and their values are shsWn, and that
is money. Every right Of the sovereignty
is held for the public good; aud there
should he correspondent exercise OF
power. Hence il is the duty Of every
government, rs the agent Of sovereignty,
to establish the measure Of values through,
out its sphere, or to make money for the
use OF the people. If circumstances pre-
ven, the employment Of gold and silver,
for this purpose, government should find
a substitute and the material, whatever
it he, should be made current, hv some
authentic sanction OF law as readily per
ceived, and understood by the coinmuni.
ty, as would be the stamp upon COIN
The connect on between the material OF
money, and the authority of the State,
which establishes it, aEdgives i. currency,
"a the circulating medium oftrade, should
be intimate, certain, palpable.
Hence it is manifes,ly inconsistent with
principle, that SO important function Of
government should be delegated to any
other powers whether individuals. or
corporate budies,-than the official organs
of the State. The public and private loss
and confusion, which characterize the
present system Of paper money, may, in
. great degree. be attributed to this cause
That, which Of all things most requires
regulation-the measure Of jns,ice-hs.
been left to the imperfsctions OF privat,
judgment. and the essential unity OF sosi
ETY., dependent on the supremacy Of i'll
sovereignty, has been undermined.
Where the Lacdemoman legislator, and
reformer Of the Spartan common wealth
banishsl gold and silver, and substituted
iron, as the material Of money, it WAS he
cause he designed to destroy foreign com.
merce, and check the spirit Of trade, as
inconsistent with the institutions Of biz
people. When war, snch as that now
raging against the Southern people. hat
shattered our trade with foreign nations
gold and silver are banished, to the ex
tent Of the injury inflicted on that trade
The Southern Confederacy has within it.
sell, however. 3 large commerce; and th,
consumption OF its armies, and the expen
ses Of our complex system Of govern men
require . substitute, less clumsy than tn,
Spartan iron, The sovereign States. eacl
within its own domain, and the Confsde
rate government. over the territory oi al
its constituent sovereigoties, have tn
right TO make the money Of the people
and It is their duty 10 exercise the powe
of doing SO, exclusively. The people hav,
the right to some stable. well established
measure OF value, whck every one CAT
understand and which shal. hays tn.
certificate Of legal authority, as palpaLly
as coin bears the stamp Of sovereignty.
I, is respectfully suggested to the con
s,ituted authorities OF The Confsdsraey
and Of ths States. that they should issue
scrip, in sll the most convenient denomij
nations; TO be given in exchange for
slslsysr they may appropriate for the