New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-07-11
IN THE TREASURY.
rr.n On, sreclsl Correspondent

LEM Ienape Sac hens made the Lin Tree treaty.
"novcr sworn 10 and never broken All II the STOUT
old founder of Pennsylvania with his plump face ana
curling locks, could only come back to manage oar
Indian affairs!
The wampum which the painted chiefs then gave
20 the powdered Quaker still preserved in the quiet
Historical Rooms of quiet Philadelphia. Beads like
little sections Of slender pipe-sten, strung upon
buckskin thongs form belt three or four inches
wide by two feet in length. They are OF clam ana
muscle she'll white in the ground-work, blue and reu
in the three diagonal cross-bars. and IN the angular
eGieies of an Indian and European who staho
clasping hands in amity. Either hom satire, OF
through ignorance of the white human form euI'he
the savage artist placed the head OF inc pale-laco
nat over his neck but upon his left shoulder
That wampum band is rare specimen OF earliest
known American mOney-a currency long used be-
musce-shes are quite rs valuable rs paper PROMISES
20 pay in paper but how vast the dllerelce peIWocH
those rude beads, made labonously Win toois VI
stone and OuT half-eagies and lreaSlIy-hO'eS' Pio
duced Inv selfacting machinery which beats man at
everything but thinking! 1t is the measure OF INC
Long Bridge from baTbaFism TO civilization. ,,u
All the thirteen Colonies sooner or laier lssuea pllS
Of credit which passed as money Larry SoutI OlD
lima notes were four inches wide and halI doot In IN
warning " IT'S death to counterfeit curious
devices difficult of imitation were printed on
senarae paper and pasted on their backs, making the
Dotes as flick as playingcards. Some of these cX-
hbitcd as further terrors the All-Seelng Eye, inc
hangmans cart, coffin and glbbet But cOuhteri,
feiters who ever abound in new countries, laughed
at these admOnitOns, and reproduced CONN., gal0WS'
and All the other grim horrors, with marvellous
Continental money began in 1515 Our patriot
siras sighed and swore over over MS shinplastelse
each representing One-slXth, one-thlrd or olal VI
adOllaf The larger issues were in - denominations
ranging from 81 TO $50 and each bearing It's own pau
Iiotic vienette The lettering was IN common,
movable type the coarse ornamental devices were
traced npon and printed from ordinary type metal.
A clever boy of our day would whitte out with his
Se q ne as Gallant Paul Revere just as
eager to serve the good cause at engraving money,
making powder or printing eaTcaf1TeS a. Gy Is
vet hear his gathering hOOf in Charlestown streets
and soc MS streaming hair on Medford hills. 80 .
The square, dngy Continental note ceTtihed MS
bearer entitled to so many Spanish milled dollars
But war is vOraciOus monster; and by ltoO enough
had been nut forth to call for over 20O0OOOOO OF
Snansh niilcd dollars" or nearly $40 for every
woman and child in the IL Colonies Beside rms rus
genuine issue an enormous amopht on cO d ta h
vain legislators sought to limit prices; and patriots
exchanged silver for paper at par 81 zoo at time;
and Congress made 1T penal ohense TO deprecate
the currency The laws of demand and supply
proved unsentimental and inexOrabe. In llSl boots
sold for $500 pair and q IN gold was worth go III
render, gold never rose above $40 IN confederate
currency, within the insuTgent lines Inc Contmehtai
money fell OF its own weight III was never leueoSu.
But il enabled the country TO carry ON the war Tor
independence through its darkest years
Hogarth. the inimitabe, depicts poor fellow Whle
detained in prison because he cannot settle demand
of 200 celebrating good scheme for payingthe debt
of Great Britain The sketch mas been much prisea
merchant the NapoleOnic fiscal director OF the aed
cOlones-he who raised millions Tor Congress, Whleh
never turned to him in van--he whose tinancering
aided the struggling patriots as much as the dipO-
macy of Franklin the leadership of Washington-
spent his bitter old age in a debtors prison. Our
own day too has seen great national tnancioIs,
whose personal creditors sued III Valn and whose
family expenses were too mnch lCr thein' hogaItn
carioatured, not the poor debtor, but poor human
nature And, really, because one can condHct the
Bank Of England, must he necessarily SHINE IN a
Ry his personal credit Morris obtained the 600 in
specie which enabled Washington to pay his spies,
learn the strength of the advancing enemy, fight
tho battle of Trenton, and tighten up the very
gloomiest hour of the war; But 1t was with great
difficulty, and the cause OF lndePenG6ohce was Woli
supplied means for the campaign which ended in the
capture Of CORVALLIS. Biography delights to record
how ROthschilds drew q check Tor $0,OOOOOO
and again how he made 100000 in one forenoon
bv hearing the result of Waterloo eight hours ahead
Of the Government, and then circulating lies about
it, But Robert Morris, when all other resources
failed upon his personal credit and integrity raised
$4,000 at once for the poverty colonies
After the war; urging the speedy fulillment Of the
Government obligations, he uttered the golden
words: To pay debts may be expensive but not to
pay them is infinitely more expensive. The hrst
only costs money! the second destroys the source of
all mOney-the public credit - ,
Washington elected President, offered Morris the
charge of the disOrdered finances and when he
declined it, begged him to designate a substitute.
He named the young man whose praise in every
Secretary OF the Treasury. Finances had always
charmed him. When a boy of 10, commanding his
artillery company, by the bivOuac fires he filled his
notebook. not with records of forage, ratOns, or
topography, yet reflections on the girl he left be-
hind him, but with elaborate calculations upon com
merce currency and taxes, Slender and graceful,
with musical voice, ruddy check, light, waving hair,
and clear blue eye-friend and favorite of Washing
tOn-chicf author of the COnstitutOn-stTOng alike
with pen. tongue. and sword he was the foremost
man OF all his time. He resigned during Washing
toms second term, to fall, nine years later by tie
pistol of Burr But his fair winning, young face
will live always in our national galleries and
memories
With Jefferson came Albert Gallatn to administer
tho finances for twelve years. Hamilton, the great
FederaIist was born in the West Indies. Gaatin,
The great Democrat first saw the light among the
mountains of Switzerland: blood relative OF
Necker and of Madame De Stael he had something
of the abilities and accomplishments OF both. After
the war, Pennsylvania sent him to the Senate; but
the Federal majority, dreading the logic and hating
the foreign accent of the young orator. on very
doubtful assumption that he had not yet acquired
citizenship, rejected him by strict party vote Next
elected 10 the House, without his own knowledge,
he entered upon long career legislator diplomat,
fnancier. His able writings embraced wide range,
from political economy TO Indian languages Eating
the lotus Of office made him forget selfrespect
lie declined seats in two Cabinets, and the Vice
Presidency of the United States. Rare record for
politician and statesman And when Barring offered
him fortune for helping to negotiate successfully
great French loan, lie replied: Il thank you, but
cannot accept it. A man who has directed the
finances of his country as long as should not die
IichP go
out bitterness. without uneasy ambitions Gallatin
voluntarily retired, 10 spend calm wise old age, IN
the pleasant paths of literature His face is the most
noticeable of all our historic portraits Gilbert
Stnart could soften idealze it to prettness
Even Charles Wilson Peale failed to harden it into
commonplace. great noble head, massive, Shake
spearian forehead coarse black hair hanging ght
down to the coat collar from each side, and back of
the bald crown deep-set eyes, with brOws like COAL
large pointed Roman nose, broad firm mouth, i'm
mense ears every line fu OF pose sagacity craggy