The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-07-11
Our National Obligations.

The solemn faith Of d nation once pleu@eu
10 any portion Of IL people must be Aep'
lnviola;e. No matter what was ne are
necessity that called out the promise Il
INNS. he fulfilled or the future OF tnat IA
,ion will Re insecure, and lis final end not
far distant A. tbe man who violates All
PROMISES. finally becomes destitute Oh a.!
selr-espect . vel - The respect o. hls
friends and neigh5ors-s0 nation iorge'
fnl M oaths. made q he hour Of danger,
becomes the by-word ana reproach Of other
nations. and .oses the power 10 the world
which il could have retained by ai1lh-ment
Of obligations.
Tie only hope Of TIE solidarity q our
Government. and TIE perpetu,ty OF our r.
publican institutions, : IN 'be iulhlment
Of national obligations. IN TIE hour OF dis
tress. the nation called upOn her citizens,
through 10Y erumeHtai AZ hor.;y, for money,
and Congress pledged TIA. al the wealth
Of tie country should remain forever as Sc
CURLY for the payment Of tbs national
debt. A. lovers of our County, We must
provide for the safety OF this debt, ana lis
certain payment, Is FAST as he accommodating
revenues received IN excess Of national eX-
penditures can he applied for that purpose
While our soldiers who fought battles, and
maintained tie unity Of the republic, will
ever be remembered, no less praise Is due
10 those who saved the republic, BY freely
and often from scanty means furnishing the
sineWs Of war, When success seemed by no
means sure. and conflicting elements stood
ready 70 sunder the loyal States, should
victory perch on the banner Of the rebel
cOnfederacy While our success was in
manner due to the exhaustion OF the South
in her physical resOurces-it was also due
TO her want OF funds and credit In the
end, as a rule the nation which has the
largest purse will win. Our national bonds
were but a little below par at any time dur
ing the war, and ROW stand much better
than at the close Of the rebellion. The ma
tional debt has been decreased O1e hundred
millions during the first year OF peace.
The effect OF the exhibit made Of our fnan-
cial strength as a nation, has established
our national credit il Europe beyond q con-
tingency in the future
Tie present quotations Of national bonds
is due 10 The implicit faith reposed Dy the
people 10 The Government The safety OF
this debt must not be made doubtful in he
future. Without some stipulation 10 tha, e.
feet, the late rebel states must not be per-
mitted to repudiate il il Congress.
Another national obligation which can
not be forgotten, is the solemn faith pledged
to the freedmen. The necessity Of our
condition compelled the President of the
United States 70 declare the emancipation
Of the slave. This was not done hastily,
but with deliberatlon, aud only when the
sense Of the loyal people demanded il; We
needed the aid Of 2C0, 600 black soldiers VINO
have fought the battles Of the republic,
and the final issue Of the contest, both in
physical and financial point Of view, would
have been extremely doubtful without that
aid. We declared that they should be truly
and forever free Congress attempted 10
carry out this promise by charging the
powers OF the Freedmen's Bureau, which
was vetoed by Andrew Johnson. A second
attempt was made in the Civil Rights bin.
which was also vetoed, but cOnstitutiOnalIv
passed both Houses Of Congress over the
veto. Again through the proposed Constitu-
tional Amendment, which is the platform Of
the Republican party to-day, Congress has
taken direct issue and the President with
them appeals to The people II impartial
suffrage, the real vital question Of the
whole struggle IS postponed through the
mulish Obstinacy Of Andrew johnson. and
bis failure TO sympathize and cooperate
with the representatives Of the peOp.e;-let
US take the proposed amendment and sustain
II, and return men 10 Congress who viii
convince The President that when the peo-
pie will, rulers must obey, or be forever
buried beneath the waves Of popular indip-
nation. Then shut the doors of the Capi-
tol against the rebel members who claim
admittance until freedom, if not this wear
yet the next, shall triumph by the adoption
OF the proposed amendment in three-fourths
OF the states. Then with the ban removed
rom ah-with equal rights 10 all, the ma
ton viii step hopefully forward into the
future