The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-12-08
Tbo Court versus the Currency.

A writer in the last E'ty,e makes an
attack upon the Court for its charge
and the Jury for its fuling in a cNsp.
which was tried at tho late term. a
prominent Democrat q pillar in tho
Democratic temple, was prosecuted iol
receiving and buying stolen goods
valued at .torty.dre dollars, Under
the statute. to receive or buy sto.
len goods Of the value Of thirty fre
dollars or upwards, is felony; Under
tho value Of thiriy.iivc, the offence is
punishable by fine or Imprisonment in
tho county Jail, Or both Tho Court
held that the statute had reference to
gold and silver as the standard of val
ne, and therefore. the goods being val
ned Mt only forty.tve dollars in paper
currency of the United States, the
grade Of the offence was reduced from
grand larceny to petit larceny, The
jury accordingly found tho defendant
guilty Of the latter grade, or Of rccciv-
ing and buying stolen goods Of the
value of only $50 80 in golL True,
the EdglG writer, in making the attack
directs his shafts towards the. counsel
Cor tho defendant who raised the 1ucs
lion as TO the standard Of value, md
advises that thoy he arrested, but this
= Of course IN indirect mode of attack
ing tho Court. We agree with the
writer that something should DO done
with Judge Van Trump, t'ay, for in.
stance, that he DO scnt to Fort Lnfly,
eltc, and deprived OF English History,
opIam and waste paper Tor this effort
to dcprcciatc the currency aud impair
public confidence in the government.
Tho attack is not only upon tho cur.
rcncy bat upon the power OF Congress
TO say what shall be money. This
power, to all unbiased ard mpartzan
minds, is clearly given to Congress by
tho Constitution, in such words rs
Congress shall hqvo power to coin
money, regulate the value thereof,
&c, "lo regulate commerce with for
c'gn nations, and among the several
Statcs and with the Indian tribes.
(Which would be impossible without
the power to say what shall be money
between tho States aul to regulate the
value thcrcol) and, further, by the
limitation Of tho power Of the States
declaring that no State shall have
power to make any thing but gold
and silver coin tender in payment o
debts, thus onacting tina, this power
should reside exclusively in the Con
grcss, and implying that there coulC
be no question as TO such power
residing in tho sovereign legislature
BY act Of Congress United States
paper currency is mado lawful money
and is measure Of value between cit
izcps Of tho United States. The Leg
is)aIuro Of Ohio in fixing the amour
wAich should determine tho grade @
tho oiPcnse said nothing abont any stan
dfrl, but Of course meant thirty .iy
dollars in lawful money Therefor
tho Court holds that only gold an
silver aud not grccnbacks are lawfr
money, isnE this fiat burglary
And ought not tho ,Conrt to bo arrest
ed tor opposing the Government? Th
illustration qeed; That in Confederat
currency apair Of sltoes is worth on
hundred and nifty dollars, and that j
"o7~cquence Of depreciation, it migl
nc grand larceny to steal pa
oes, is not one of those illustrs
(which amount to an argnmon
fact ie, it ought to be grand larct
~ 0 steal a pair Of shoes, whom the,
articles arc as scarce as they ore IN Il