Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-08-22
THE PUBLIC DEBT.

a VI PuJIhg Ihe interest and prlncipt
falls heavily upon the people. Bu
that bebt, being the price of our ma
tlonaI existence, will be paid wit
i all possible cheerfulness by all pa
triotic citizens, and the Govern
. ment will, we trust, always be stron,
enough to compel the rebellious ant
! unpatriotic to contribute their pro
portion.
1 Judge Thurman says that crying
'traitor' and "Copperhead' will
t never pay it. We agree to that
Neither will traitors and Copper
heads pay it, or allow it to be paid
if they can help themselves. W.
further hint to Judge Thurman
Judge Ranney, The Enquirer
Statesman, Democratic papers and
orators in general, that wilful, ma
licious and premeditated lying
about the debt-the purposes for
which it was created, its amount,
the interest paid upon it, &c-will
not pay it; neither will it cause the
people to bear their inevitable bur
den Of taxation with greater cheer
fulncss. The discussion of this
matter Of finances and the public
bebt is a serious business. Honest.
elrnestmen,publicists and statesmen
will tell the truth about these things.
A faIlacious and absurd theory can
not be supported by a false state
ment of facts. You might as well
attempt to make water flow up hill,
or an empty meal bag stand on end
And it should not be forgotten that
lies come home to trouble their in
ventors even in this world, to say
nothing of the uncomfortable warm
quarters provided for "all liars" and
other infamous characters, in the
great hereafter.
These persons and presses above
spoken of are in the habit of saying
that the public debt is already over
50, 100000, and that it is daily
increasing. They know that this
is false; that they overstate the
amount of the debt by about $780,
100000; and that during the past
year, Notwithstanding the extraor-
dinary expenses of the Government
in paying extra bounties, DC, the
bebt has been reduced, in the aggre-
gate, 1921 ,792,S40, or an average
of over sl0,000,OOO per month. On
the fist of August, 1866, the debt of
the United States, less cash in the
Treasury, was S2,633, ,099, ,276; and
on the first of August, 1867, it had
been reduced to 80, 1856, 40
With the same revenue it will be re-
duced over s2OO,OOO,OOO during the
ensuing year, for the current expen-
litures will be near 100000, 900 ,
ess.
The Enquirer asserts about six t
lines a week, and the "editOrs of {
he county printing" and the Dem c
'cratic stumpers, from Judge Thur {
nan all the way down to Vallandig- 7
lam, reiterate the assertion that we t
re paying ovsr 100000, 900 a year e
S interest on the bonded debt-a a
listake, or lying misstateme1t, of +
yer S60,000,000. The entire bond Y
d debt, in round numbers, is as t
blows: Five per cent. bonds,
19S,000,000; six per cent bonds, T
/, 1,603, 3,000,000,; thirty notes p
451, 900, ,0O0-total bonded debt, p
:, ,252, 100000. The interest paid i,
as follows: On the five per cent
onds, $9,900,0O0; on the six per
snt. bonds S96,1SO, 900; on the
80 notes, s32, ,OOO-total in .
,rest, s139,003,OOO. c.
Notwithstanding the enormous
ygregate Of the debt, these figures .
'e encouraging. They show that s
'eat as the debt is, it is within our
sources, and under our control.
he Indian disturbance and the, as
t, unsettled condition of the o. :!
,uth, diminish the revenue and
gment the expenses of the gov W
nment; yet even now we are able be
meet the current expenses, both -
dinary and extraordinary, pay the or
crest on the public debt and re- ar
ce the principal between $780, it
5000, and $2OO,OOO,OOO per an
m. Within two months, it is do
ped, we shall be at peace with the ha
lian tribes; all, or nearly all the Th
uthern States will within less Is
IN year, be restored to their re-
ions with the Union, and in a say