Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-12-03

sIso eyi0ent that the sd " IN istra.,,S e., :,
meet Re mOre efficient than d "A N ,,,.s (.
.ne service IS 10 escape utter dcrsorsiix,tI,.r
TIE Internal revenues OF The ps.t -. !.
would have largely exceeded the e-t,to,t.. -.
for the failure OF The reveaue ofbc~ru a. 49,
the tsSss upon distilled liquoFs Thfs fs1In.s
wei knosn 20 the county. ara hAs e-.,
the eaBse OF otep regret ana not IIule a.
Commissioner
The duty upon distilled nqpor. 10 80 e,,,
thai there has BEEN temptation "a svoto 1ts
payment, which has. 20 q great extent a.
norshzsd oofh the manufacturers snd ths OF.
fcers ef the revenue tar OF tive dollar.
per gallon upon an article which csn b. IN AZ
Tor thirty cents would BE- difficult to collect
even in a small country. where appointments
To revenue positions depend upon NJ erlt alone
and where dishonesty Is promptly and Sc we're
ly punished. ~ - especially difficult IN q
conntry so vast rs the United States, wher,
politics are apt 10 influence, n not 20 cOutrol
seiecuone for ofi,ce. and where shilI IN evsdiar
the requirements % laws y not among ths
least d. cided characteristics of the people
The necessity of economy In me pool,c ex :
penoitures IN the present financial copdltioa
OF the country - so apparent hat nc suse~s-
lions from the Secretary are needed TO impress
II upon the attention OF Congress. Taxation
Is weigh ing heavily upon the people. and the
have night TO demand, and they Are q. mad
ing. that their necessary burdens shall not NJ
increased by unnecessary expep ditures- Pub
lie economy Is. IN all nations. a rare yirfup
and II 10 a singular truth that NAH which
are most deeply n debt. aud whoee Affairs
ought, the refore, 70 be most prRdently maa-
aged, the very nations whera ths least
economy is observed This truth, so interest
ing nd Instructive 10 the people OF the rnitea
able TO The well known facts thar the contract
ing OF large public debts is nnavoidahly At
ienoed with imprudent n NOT reckless expen-
ditures- and that when those Inrusted win OF
possessing governing power have once en-
loyed the luxury OF using or expendiag freely
the moneys under their control (and this "a
always the case during The progress OF eE-
pensise wars proper economy Is Afterwards
tx ,eedIpgly dim cult 20 be enforced Tins
national debts become chronic, and efforts %
reo1ce them are rarely successful
The debts OF nations the most heavily bar
dened, instead OF being stationary, or on the
increase. might be In the process OF rapid sx-
tinction IL The same economy were practic~d
now that was practced before their debts
lance that the debt Of the United Sisters shoulA
net. like that Of most other nations. be per
petuaied ey habits formed during the period
OF Its creatIon. II is large. but fortunately r
has not yet become chronic. II was Incurred
under the pressure of war 80 vast and so
momentous, that economy was. IN q large
degree, lost sight OF N the absor bling ubliC
interest which 10 excited. 1t IL undeniably
formidable IN amount, but the experiences ot
the past two years, during which, under the
most unpropitious circumstances. NJ has been
largely diminished, must satisfy the least ssn
guine hat the reduction Of IL caB be continued
and that, even with diminished taxation. AZ
be iOttlly eNllnEuls Leo WltntI the present
century, II rigId economy, which, perhaps,
could not ne practiced during the war, ssd.
NJ tortura tely, has not been prac'Iced siucr, -
hereafter faithfully enforced ia all -rsnch-s
OF The pubic service. ExtravagRnce IN the
&C n MS .Sation OF tie Government has NO,
become SO fixed as TO be beyond cJrrestton
There Is no substantial ifIiouIty in tue va.
OF public economy nov, but there may b.
lew years renee Il Is not proper, perhaps
iCr The Secretary OF the Treasury 10 advise -
Fssard 20 NE precise manner in which tnis
scononiy shAn be enforced, bot n ventures .
? aEgsst That the army. a. the earliest prar
'iuSi uUmsnt. b-reducea 70 the mintmum 70
Z uIred 10 garrison forts, ard preserve H.
eece on the trontIeTs ana along he lines "
he Pacific 9ds; Inst tie expenses Of ehe
ravy r. reduced. as fsrss can be done constf-
emily wi'h the protection OF our CON 10 cree asa
TIE maintenance OF our reputation a. EnSri-
lime power: thst retrencbmeLt bs N trod . c~d
n az branches % The ciyi service hat here n.
70 pav ne Ct 81 damages which w-re uuavoid-
able irciGe ats of var:that there h no acdItios-
al sIerts 70 RAILROADS. and no considerable
or any chsTacter unless, IN conRsc-
ron with the appropriation. y special tar snail
he levied for their payment
Bur he pubic fatth does not depend siose
upon adequate revenue laws, nor upon econo-
nv IN the administration OF the Cioverpmen,
AZ fSsis also upOn The Observance OF contracts
IA the spirit well IN the letter In fact
without this there Will he neither efscieEt an
OF revenue laws nor ECONOMY IA
eNDer dltures Nothing but absolute Ia solvep-
cy Will save from the infamy of repudIatioa y
nation that does not pay its debts according to
ne understand ding at the time they were con
rscted: and when a ation voluntarily v,o-
iaies this understanding. ~ will soon h, una
bic, from the very effect OF Its own example TO
Will only be checked by it's Insbtiiry 20 Collect
how much Of the dem oralIzation " hics exists
N the revenue service OF the United Ststes iS
AprIeutaole to the failure OF the Government
redeem the legal tender notes according 70
ihtir tenor. would be an Interesting subject of
nqolry' but hardly appropriate 10 a comma
bieation like this. The Secretary queses from
hts report for the year lS,sS. sud goes on 10 10
Q uire TO " nat is the United States Dl.desa =,
regard TO the Public Debt,
lie IL rot that IL shall be paid according 20 tue
uBders iandIng between the Gov@rGment ana
lie subscribers TO Its loans NJ the time the enh-
criptions were solicited and obtaiued Aud
,an tbere be any QUESTION in regard 10 the na-
nre OF ihis understanding Was IL not that.
" bile the Interests bearing NOTES should ba
'cnyerted into bonds or paid in IL wful money
Ne tor as SHOULD be paio. principal as well as
interest. IN coinl Was not this the UNDER
,Ianolne OF the Congress which passed me
oan bills and OF The people who furnish tee
money! Did any membe of thr House or o.
ne S-raie. PRIOR TO 1854, an the exhaustive
DISCUSSIONS OF these bills, ever intimate that
ne bonds to b- issued IN accordance with their
provisions might be paio. when reo.emaple
m of preclated currency. Was there a etee gle
nhscriesr 10 the fve-twenty bonas or 20 the
even ana three tenth notes, which by their
erms were convertible INTO bonds who s,a
lot b. lievs. and who WAS not given 70 under
tand by the agents OF the Govern meut. thar
10th he principal and interest Of these bonds
we're pay able IN coin Does any one suppose
bat the people OF the United States. self..sc-
sholDR as they were In the supper; Of toe Gov
III mehi, WOULD have their stock. their lands.
he products OF their farms, OF their faetorfes
IA their shops. and invested the proceeds in
iNe-iwenty bonds and seven ano three -seuts
'oies- convertible into such bonds, a. thew had
lEoersiood that these bonds were TO % re-
Ire meo alter i've years from their respective
iates IN currency OF the value OF whsch
hey could form no reliable estimate Womb
he Secretary OF the Treasury. or would Coa-
-rsss-when the tate OF the nation was tr-m-
'bBg IN The balance, and when n failure 20
a'se money for the support OF Tie federal
Tmy Weuld have been success TO the rebel
lou and min 70 the Union cause-have DARED
o attempt the experiment of raising money on
'ords redeemAble at the pleasure Of the dow
IA ment after hve years. An q currency the
convertible value OF which might not depend
pom The solyency OF the Government but
ipos the amount an circulation No such
~ oerstsndtbg existed, and fortu nately no
uch experiment was tried. The bonds we're
II o'istsd with the definite understapdias
hat hey were payable In coin, and the Sc veS
nd ihree-tenth notes with an equally def
Iite understanding thai they were con ysrtlb,e
Z The option of the holder into bonds of n
in liar character or payable in lawful money.
The contracts were made in good fait b on boih
ides, psrtof them when the Government
A. an imminent peril and needed money 10
preserve ITS existence the balance when ITS
necessities Were scarcely hess urgent for the
'ay ment OF IT'S Just obligations 10 contractors