Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-06-04

Saiy .IuS Ia the hlIIsry Of 10 ssssIFy
did. A. ~"
Tho idea thatthe generation Of to-day
has not the right for purpe0sa of self pres
eFVAtiOn, and sySn for lesser purposes, to
entail debt ON It's successors, is theory
worthy OF the brain Of man who kuelt at
bust of Voltaire 10 his study instead of
at the foOtstool of bis own and voltaire's
Maker. sE
Common sense teaches men that such an
idea is . Vagary. Take the Situstiou of
ibis country as an example. Suppose We
succeed 10 preserving to posterity the IN
ion Of these States, the liberties OF our form
of government, and in making the nation
homogeneous and cordial in all its parts and
relatiouSi Is 1t worth anything to posterity2
ls it worth say the three or Eve per cent on
incomes and the other taxes which posleri.
" will be called upon to pay2 Would it
be better in pursuance of Jetferson's idea
and the N. 7. Worlds inculcatious, that
we should, in order TO avoid q national debt
surrender to the rebels, disintegrste the
country, remit every interest to condition
of Mexican anarchy, and makethe whole
question turn on the money that self.pre.
servation may cost.
We make no argument out of the fact that
the future Of this country, if preserved, is
bound TO develope a plethora of. resources
never dreamed of even by Utopiaus.-
Thirty Millions Of debt at the close of the
Revolution was immeasurably more to this
country then, than two thousand millions
would be now. But no man fifty years ago
could have predicted the difference in the
proportion. And it is not any more in the
power of any one now to calculate the vasl
wealth of this country fifty years hence
This confederation is no part of the ar.
gumeut, save only as the argument re-
SPects the ability of this country to easily
pay its debt after this war. Tho rightfuI,
ness, and the binding obligation of the
debt, would be just as sac.ed, even though
it should Cypress US many more times than
it will. The day has come when national
honor too closely aProzimates the status Of
individual honor and responsibility, to b.
triAed with. An example of this was seer
the other day in the State of New York
when proposition to pay the debt of thai
State in legal tender-papsr money-iu.
stead of gold, as had been pledged, was mel
by people and papers of all parties with
scOrn, and the interest of the debt of the
State of New York will be paid in coin, even
though that coin is to go into the hands oil
our enemies. the English, and even though
it will be bought at the present extravaKap,
premium. 5a-s..
National aud municipal reputation il
not . cheap thiuE-WhAteveri t may appear
on its face. Look at the name of the State
of Mississippi. Look, coming closer home,
At the shadow that rested upon Allegheny
and Washington counties, in Peunsylvauis
for an attempted, or at least mooted, repu.
diatton there. Tho shadow still rests upon
those two counties and will for long time
to come, and, hard as it may appear, it at
tacheS in some degree to every citizen who
is met away from home.
The power of this nation, as the powe,
OF any nation, would be gone were she to
seriously canvass such thing as the non.
payment Of the interest on her debt. She
would then, indeed, be at the mercy of re
belltons in future times, and her name
would be such q one az would ever after.
wards drive Americans homo from their
pleasure tonrs In Europe with crimsoned
cheeks.
Mol this nation, il she lives, and WI
count that as being as much certainty a,
anything future can be, will pay her debt
She can no more afford then to foreRo be,
payments than she can now afford to fore
go all things necessary to her preservation
She will. after very few years, have ne
serious temptation to forego such paw
uents, for her means will be abundant
Including the public lands her assetts will
be sufficient to commence at once the ex
tluguishmeut of the principal of the deb
through sinking fund. Once peace in 1
full measure comes to US, our tariffs, auc
our taxes upon the incomes of those abl,
to pay, will amply provide for the interest
GOLD still continues firm around 30, not
withstapding the favorable look Of thu
news and people wonder why. A good
many reasons are given, and frat and priu
ciPahy 1t is the expansion of the currenc,
which keeps itup. This brought it up il
the hrst place and we need not expect i
will go down as long as the present volum,
OF currency continues except spasmodically
and under the Influence of positive victo
RES Some of the New York papers try t.
give reasons for the rise of the last few