Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-01-23


says 81 returned from that mission (mis.
sion to France,) in that first year of the
new government, having landed in Vir-
ginia in December, 1889, and proceeded
to New York in March, 1890, to enter on
the Office of Secretary of State. Here,
certainly, l found state of things which
of all | bad ever contemplated, the least
expected. Courteses of dinner
parties given me, as a stranger newly ar.
rived among them, placed me at once in
their familiar society. But / cannot des.
cribe the wonder and notification with
which the table conversation filled me-
Politics were the chief topics, and pref.
erence of kingly over republican govern.
ment, was evidently the favorite sentiment.
An apostate l could not be, nor yet
hypocrte; and l found myself, for the
most part, the only advocate on the repub-
lican side of Che question, unless among
the guests there chanced to be some men,
Der of that party from the legislative hous-
es. Hamilton's financial system had them
passed. 1t had two objects--l:t, as a
puzzle 10 exclude popular understanding
and inquiry; 2nd, a machine for the cor.
ruption Of the legislature he avowed
the opinion that men could be governed by
one of two motives only, force or interest !;
lorcc, he observed, in this country was out
Of the question, and the interest, therefore,
Of the members must be laid hold of. to
keep the legislature in unison with the ex-
ecutive. And with grief and shame it
must be acknowledged that this point was
not without its effect; that even in this the
birth of our government, some members
were found sordid enough to lend their
interest, and to look after personal rathe
than public goods"
Here we have the fact staring US in the
face, that our government was inaugura-
ted in corruption, and that by the very
same party who have always been the
loudest in denouncing the Democratic
party for corruption.
1t is very hard, l know,to Gee the fault,
OF our friends, whether political or social
and even at the present day we hear per.
sons exclaim that Hamilton was one of the
tfreatest men We ever had in the country.
But according 10 Mr.. Jefferson, who knew
him well, his greatnes consisted mostly in
his being able to rob the treasury of the
United States out of largo sums of money
to bestow upon his friends, "It is we'll
known (Says Mr.. Jetferson,) that during
the wal, the greatest difficulty We encoun-
tered, was tho want of money or means
to pay our soldiers who fought, or our
farmers, manufacturers, and merchants,
who furnished the necessary supplies of
food and clothing for them. After the
expedient Of paper money had exhausted
itself, certificates of debt were given to the
individual creditor, with assurance of pay
ment, 30 soon as the United States should
be able. But the dstresses of these peo-
pie often obliged them TO part with these
for the half, the filth, and even tenth of
their value, and speculalors had made a
trade of cozening them from the holders,
by the most fraudulent practices and per.
suasions thai they would never be paid
In the bill for funding and paying these,
/ Hamilton made no difference between the
original holders and the fraudulent pur-
chasers Of this paper. Great and Just re-
pugnance arose at putting these two classes
OF creditors on the sam. footing, and great
exertions were used to pay the former the
full value, and to the latter the price only
which they had paid, with interest. But
this would have prevented the game which
was to be played, and for which was to be
played, aud for which the mids Of greedy
members were already tutored and pre-.
pared. When the trial of strength on the
several efforts had indicated the form in
which the bill wound finally pass, this
being known within dOrs sooner than with.
out, and especially by those who were in
distant parts of the Union, the base scram-
Bile began. Couriers and relay horses by
land and swift sailing pilot boats by sea
were plying in all directions, Active part.
ners and agents were associated and EN-.
ployed in every State, town and country
neighborhocd, and this paper was brought
up for five shillings, and even as low as
two shillingS on the pound, before the
holder knew that Congress had already
provided for its redemption at par.
= Men thus enriched by the dex
terity Of leader, would follow, of course
the chief who was leading them to fortune
and become the jealous instrument of all