Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1866-12-12


frlshtful outrages that darkened the early
history of Kansas have been transcended
in magnitude and iDiquity all over the
south. The reign of terror is everywhere
south fully established, and there is re-
ally no protection there for northern men
OF loyalists or freedom.
The President rehearses his reconstIuc-
ton efforts, for the purpose of again med
ding with a matter of which Congress
alone has constitutional jurisdiction-the
admission Of members from the reoel
States. The triumphant manner in which
the people have sustained Congress is
cooly disregarded BY his message. 1t is
not necessary to traverse this portion OF
the document, and we notice it now only
to call attention to the fact that all the 1T
tempts at a new basis Of arrangement
have failed, and that the President yields
nothing whatever to public opinion as de-
elared in the elections The PresiSent
does net even attempt 10 present a reason
able excuse for interfering with the rolls
Of members of Congress, aud it is not
likely that either House will pay any at
tenton to what ae says on the subject
1t is plain that it was written for the pub
lie and not for Congress, and hence the
moderate language used. The Secretary
of the Treasury goes out Of his way in his
report to medde with the same matter,
and to give it az one Of the measures in
dispensable to the proper regulations of
our finances. lie makes the attempt to
induce people TO believe that the policy
Of Congress on reconstruction impairs the
value of our public securities. OF course
this argument is intended only to create
opinion among the people hostile to Con-
gress.
The condensation of the departmental
reports contained in the message is quite
interesting to these who have not time to
persue the full reports. They show
very prosperous state Of affairs IN most of
the Departments. The Treasury figures
have already been published SO generally
as to be quite familiar. They exhibit
niscalculaton last year on the part of the
Treasury Department which is li,tle short
of marvellous. The Secretary's estimates
footed up an increase of SIP, 2,19t.947 of
the national debt for the fiscal year, in
stead Of wtich there was a surplus reve-
nue. of S37,2S1 $50, and he debt was re-
duced S31, ,l96,3S7. The miscaculatiou
was so extraordinary that we are tempted
to call attention to its details. Mr. Ne
Cu!loch's estimates entirely omitted the
receipts from direct tax, and this produced
81, ,943,6 ,643. He set down the receipts
from customs at sIO0,000,O00, and they
went $50, ,037 ,06S beyond that sum lie
underra,ed the internal revenue in like
manner s37, ,607 ,927, and the miscellane-
Gus revenue slS,2S5, ,125. 1t may be
urged that his idea in this was to restrain
Congress from making large appropria-
tions, but, if so,he has now destroyed his
reputation with Congress, and his esti-
mates will no longer be depended upon
The reduction of s206,379, ,565 of the
national debt in fourteen months is un-
doubtedly greatly to his credit as pru>
den: manager, and as he estimates sur
plus of s15s ,633 sos for the year ending
June 80, 1867, we may look for the con-
tiuuation of the same policy. The Pres
idect and Secretary recommend gradual
reduction of the taxes as the country ad-
vances in wealth and population.
The report Of the Treasury Depart
ment goes at great length into the ques-
ton of contraction of the currency, spe-
Gle basis and the tariff, and on these heads
the President and not repeated his views,
or indorsed them further than to COM
mend them to the careful consideration of
Congress. The Secretary wants to have
auth ority to cancel six millions Of green
backs month during the present fiscal
year, ten millions mouth thereafter, and
70 continue this until the whole volume
If government currency is extinguished.
lie admits the saving Of interest to the
government by the use of this currency,
md also the favor in which it is held by
he people: but ke opposes it altogether,
md urges thar the circulation be aban- /
loned wholly to the banks, whereby We
hould have no government currency at
ii. We need not reiterate our opposi-
ion to this.
In regard to the national banks, though
he Secretary considers them an immense
Improvement upon all previous systems