Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1865-10-19
~ Me Editor GqNipolis Journol.:

/ SIR:-W were under
the impression that the political bob6le
Of State taxation on Government
tonds would collapse when the cleo
tioneering gass which inflated it had
ceased TO be generated We find
however that writer for the Dispatch
over the symbolic emblem of the Lone
Star, still clings to the one idea
Previous to the election we consid
cred it a mere political clap trap, un-
worthy ofnotce, his persistence now
may justify us in giving it a little at
tention. We will give his text entire
and then comment on his sermon.
1T is not always in time of actual
war that money may be most needed
to support Governments, for it as fire.
quently as any other way happens
that the greatest crisis of a Govern
ment to meet its liabilities occurs
when the war is over"
We will not say that this is false
(that would De discourteous) but we
will say that it is a misapprehension
or Misrepresentation of truth, and we
can scarcely believe that so able a
writer as he of astorisk & could be
ignorant of the fallacy of his premises
and conclusions.
Let US look to facts, potent to all
for the last five years.
/ "It is not always in time of war
that money may be most needed to
support Governments. This is as
much a mistake in theory as it is in
fact. Money or credit are the very
muscles and sinews of war No war
can exist without one or the other.
This is fact so self evident that it
would be an insult to the most obtuse
understanding to try to enforce it
by argument. AS an exemplificatlon
of this fact let us look to the history
of our country for the last five years.
In 1861 Mr.. Lincoln was inaugu-
rated President of the United States.
Under the criminal or imbecile ad
ministration of his predecessor, Mr..
Buchanan, the treasury had been de
pleted to the verge of bankruptcy.
The army had been scattered broad
cast over the country, so that scarce
ly a corporals guard could be made
available at any given point. The
Navy was dispersed over the four
quarters of the globe, so chat it too
was unavailable for the defence of
the Government which created and
sustained it. Many of the officers OF
both Navy and Army were perjured,
God forsaken Traitors. Treason ey-
listed every where, in the Legislative,
in the executive, in the army, in the
navy and even in the ranks of the
people. The muniments and muni
tions of war had been so distributed,
with coGnivance of Mr.. Buchanan
that they were completely within the
grasp of the Southern Confederacy.
This is faint outline of the state
of the country when Mr.. Lincoln was
inaugurated President of the United
States, with, virtually, no navy, no
army, no arms, no munitions of war,
unarmed and almost alone, he had to
front the most gigantic and best con-
cocted rebellion that ever disgraced
the history of the world; and man
fully, nay, almost Godlike he stood
up to the task that had been imposed
upon him.
General Scott it is said, demanded
100000 men, Mr.. Lincoln even if
he had the men, could not have
armed and equipped 10000. But
neither men, arms, or equipments
could be had without money, and
Mr.. Lincoln had no money. There
was but one source; to borrow money
on the faith of the Government
The disasters that happened to our
: army at the commencement of the
war had very materially intimidated
foreign capitalists. Our prospects
were indeed most gloomy. The only
means then left to Mr.. Lincoln tC
obtain money, was manly sppea
to the patriotism Of the capitalists o.
, our own Country. and nobly they re
; sponded to the appeal. "A much bet
ter interest could he obtained by
private enterprise, or in public
:, stocks, than that offered by the Gov
3 ernment. The only inducement helC
, out to the loaners was the exemp
ton CT the loans from State taxa
ton. This pledge Of the Govern
{ ment to its creditors, this exemption
e from State plunder. the writer owe
? the symbolic device of an asteric
lone star, would now repudiate b.
State Legislation. A fit emblem b
has hoisted at his masthead, a
D emblem of bad faith, ingra6tude ant
t reckless dishonesty that has but fei
+ parallels even in our State prisons o
out of Texas. We are an old Demo
crat, an Eleve of the jackson schoc
: and it makes our blood boil to Sc
:. in pretender to the title, such a
: abandonment of good faith as he @
9 the lone star would inculcate.