The Indianapolis daily herald., 1865-11-20


Are tie Republicans In favor n repudisiions
GERRIT SMITH. one q the most distinguished
men ofihat party g. 80. l. h. indor a by the
party generality We make few cxtraei- BE-
low from a ~ e.ch 4 Mr.. SMITH. We CON-
mend thrm - cur Republican friends gene-
rally; al.o Whist he say On The Necessity Il
war.
And. Just herr. sir. ! would .ay few word.
on national debt. ~ such debt. are in the
main. war debt. there can ~ NO a~-txnable
/ thought % b. necesssTy-f0r. 80 long. there
VIII h. war~-and. until war j. abandoned h
Will D. held o. - unjust aud di,honurable q
repudlatc war debit. no matfer how crushing
and Increasingly crushing. from aye b. age.
may D. the burden of such dcbts- - com
mandng , The influence ~ war. anil - world
wide and mighty the -ntiment. which IL ha.
BEEN aDir o. create in favor ~ itsflf that no
deists ara deemed more sacred aud obligatory
| than war dehi-. And vet. - far from such
! debts being. in truth. sacred and obligatory.
I there j. the most urgent and imperative duty
o. repudiafe them. No doctrine should De
more Indignantly secuted than the doctrine
that one generation may anticipate and waste
the earning- and wealth - another geueration.
Nothing j. palmer than that the great Impair
/ tial Father n us all would have every genera
| ton enter upon it, course. unmortgagcd and
unloaded by prior generations. Nothing j.
/ palmer than that In those ~tate~ Of Europe.
here the war debt il 80 great that fh.. very
lifc-blCod II the masses must De- squeezed out
10 pay the annual interest upon II. reputation
must take place ere those masses can ri~s. into
even "a tolerable existence. II l. a very com
mon remark, AZ the present tme that Europe
needs a revolution. she does need rcvolu-
/ tuition. But she needs population more.
4 However, there never viii be- a decided and
Wholesome revolution In Europe. that doe.
not inv olive population. II "A people. on whom
the war and crimes Of past generations have
cntailed an overwhelming burden II debt
shall achieve a revolution. II which repudia-
/ ton J. not q part. their labor and sacrifice will
be- lost-iheir revolution will be spurious and
vain.
was about 80 say. when interrupted. that
Il j. absurd 10 claim that the people Of ing
/ land and Holland are morally bound to con-
/ tiuue 10 dig from the earth, and 10 produce by
other forms OF toll. the means for paving the
/ interest on their enormous war debt They
are morally bound TO refuse 60 pay both inter
| ct and principal. They are morally bound
10 break Loose from thu load, and drag IL no
longer. For. 50 long A. they drag il. they can
not exercise the right Of manhood, nor enjoy
! the blessings, nor fulfill the high purposes Of
human existence. Is il said, that the Govern
ment. for whose wars they are now paying.
would have been OyerthrOwn, but for these
J wars | answer, that the Government, which
| involved it, subjects i'm those wars was the
4 L.
| greatest curse Of their successors. The main
tenancc Of such Government j. loss It-
overthrow is gain.
/ would incidently remark that civil Govern
| ment will be neither honest nor frugal, SO long
the practice Of warts continued. say 80 for the
| reason that the extensive means necessary IL
carry ON wars. or pay war debts, cannot be OBJ
tanned by direct taxation. The people will
consent TO their being obtained only by indirect
taxation, and no Government ever was. or ever
will bc. either honest or frugal, whose eX.
pcnscs are betrayed by indirect taxation. foI
no Government, whose expenses are thus de-
| frayed, ever was or ever will be, held ~
strict responsibility by the people; and ne
Government. not held 10 such RESPONSE.
bility, ever was, or ever will be. either honest
or frugal.
have referred To the loss of life and property
| by war-of life, that l. 80 precious-Ofproperty
that j. 80 Indispensable 10 the enjoyment and
| usefulness Of life. But there is an unspeak.
ably greater loss than this, with which war i,
also chargeable. | refer 20 the damage which
morals and religion suffer from il. All need
add on this point, i, thatthe power of war to de-
m0ralize the world, and 10 corrupt the puresi
religion in the world. j. abundantly manifest
in the fact that the moral and religious sens,
Of even good men il not shocked by war. Nc
stronger argument can be- brought against wal
than the fact Of it, power 20 conform the moral,
and religion Of the world TO war.
The doctrine that war Is a necessity. is the
| greatest Of all libels on man. The confidence
which. i'm private life, we manifest i'm each
other. proves that il is such "A libel. We walk
the streets unarmed. We 90 To bed without
fear. and with unlocked doors; and we thu,
prove that we regard our felow-men as our
friends. and not our foes--as disposed to pro
tcct. and not 10 harm W..
| Whilst, for the reason. that | believe thai
there j. no need of war. believe there is nc
need Of making preparation against il. I
nevertheless, admit that there l. need of Gov
eminent. Of prisons, an of AN armed police
Whilst I hold that nation lrhOSe GOrerH-
meRt IS Just ia oil It's dealings nth its Ori
subjects. and with foreigners, and which ;,
far coniides in, and honOrs human nature. a.
70 trust. that even nations are capable of tn,
rcciprocatiOnS Of justice-ay. and the reciprO
| cations Of love, alsO--I say, whilst l hold. tina
such nation needs 20 make no provision
against war, still admit, that it is bound, il
| common with every other nation. 10 have evel
in readiness. both on sea and land, a coneider
able armed force. 10 be welded. a. occasion,
may require. against the hOSteS humdRi gene
rfS-the enemies Of the human race-th,
pirates. that both on land and sea, - Turk priv