The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1865-11-04

good as gold. Last year they paid me in
money that was worth from thirty-five
to forty cents on the dollar. When they
paid me off two months ago, it took
a dollar and fifty cents to make Il dollar
| don't hear any of you complaining OF
the violation of the plighted faith of the
Government in this. You, and such as
you, stayed at home and speculated, and
got tat Government contracts and got
these bonds; some of them you paid for
in currency worth thirty-fve cents on
the dollar, and from that up to ninety,
You know as we'll as do that the Gov.
ernment has not issued a bond since the
war commenced for which it received a
hundred cents ON the dollar in gold and
besides, many of You got these bonds by
selling worthless or inferior articles to the
Government for three or four prices. and
now you want to tax us, who have done
the fighting and sustained the losses, to
pay you their full amount in gold.
. l came home two months ago, after
having been absent four years. My young
est child, nearly four years cid, / saw for
the first time. found my wife looking
ten years older than when | left her. from
anxiety and her hard work to support her
self and the children, with the help |
could give her from my pay; aud even
with this, she had to sell most of our stock.
Before | went into the army we had the
comforts of life around us now, We have
but very little left us-but one little farm.
Four years Of hard work, exposure and
fighting have left mo less able TO work
than | would have been if | had STAYED
at home. You all say we have served the
country. and talk ard speak a great deal
of the gratitude of the country to US But
what have we saved And where IS the
gratitude ? All of us have lost property
many have lost life, and of those who
have returned, many have lost health and
limbs. What do We find We cannot
get work to do that will support our fam
lies. Ii we go into any business. we must
first pay license to the Government. II
we should, by good luck happen to make
IN year more than six hundred dollars
in any way, we must pay to the Govern
ment tax of five dollars on the hundred
for all ever six hundred dollars. though
all that make may not be enough to sup
port our families. We cannot eat or drink.
or wear anything but what is heavily tax
ed, aud when We die. our wives and child
rea cannot divide the little property we
leave without first paying to the Govern
ment one dollar on every hundred of its
value and then we have heavy State
and County taxes to pay besides. | do
not see how We are to i've. All this we
We are to suffer, that spectators and
thieves may be made rich off of our labor.
You all blow great deal about the glo-
ries and the benefits of the war. cannot
see it. / don't see what we. who have
done the fighting and the suffering have
made. or are likely 10 make BY II. There
is not one of the rank and file rho is not
worse off. / have suffered and lost enough
and for one. i am not willing that and
my children. and their children after
them, shall be ground into the dust and
made slaves, to make nabobs of men and
their children who did not strike blow
in the war;
/ did not think I was making anything
by this discussion, and | left | did not
know how to answer him; and, besides,
he was getting little excited. But We
must manage somehow to answer these
things, or to keep them out of the dis
cussion.
I write these things to you to let you
know how the thing is going. This must
be shown only to the intelligent heads OF
our party, and to those who are not over
" squeamish, for these things will have
their effect with the ignorant, and even
with some of the intelligent, who are
squeamish about what they call justice.
Perhaps [ may write again.
Yours, as ever, OILY CANNON.
An ABOLITION VIEw-The New
York Evening Post, one Of tho ablest
Abolition organs in the whole country
after discussing the policy of President
johnson on reconstruction, adds:
Should the policy of the President
then fail, the determination of matters
will be left to the Congress, which, after
such an experience, will not be in so fit
ting mood Many of the members Of
that body already hold to the theory that
the insurgent States have destroyed theil
State organizations, and reduced them
selves to the condition of Territories
Many others insist that the whole body
of the people, who took part in the war
became thereby, as our courts have de
eided, alien enemies, forfelting theil
rights, and putting themselves out of the
pale of citizenship, which can only b.
restored by an act of pardon or an act Of
naturalization. These theories are, per.
haps, not popular now; but they can bC
made so before November next. Let the
fair and kindly disposition of the NORTH
meet with no corresponding response
let it be turned back with insolence, ol
indifference, or hostility, and it is easy tt
see the result. Disappointment will pro
woke evaporation, and evaporation leac
to acts. The generous policy will cease
to find favor; doctrines of Federal su
prenacy and of the need of Federal in
terposition will get into vogue; the strong
arm of military force will be exerted
and for years to come, the Southern
States, which have now an opportunit,
of embarking on career of freedom ant
prosperity, will sink into mere territoria
dependencies, if not subjected to an igno
minious military yassalage.
A Greek maid being asked what fortun
she would bring her husband, replied "
will bring him what gold cannot purchase
heart unspotted, virtue without stain
which is all inherit from my parents. .
CHAMP FERGUsoa noted guerrill
chief has been executed. He pIoved to b
nearly as bad and brutal man as Stanton
The latter is not hung yet however.