The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-03-20
ANOTHER TALK WITH THE PRESIDENT.


the President, in which that functionary predicts
financial crash and reputation of the national
debt The words of the President have significant
meaning at this juncture:
"And now, apart from the directly POLITICAL
continued the President, ''whht is the main issue
looming up in the immediate future? What issue
is clearly forcshadowcdto be the Aarons rod which
must swallow up all minor questions? 1t is the
great financial issue, the issue of the national dcbt
whether it shall be paid rcpudiacd2 THIS issue
has fibres extending into the pocket of every Cit
zen; for wherever n man has dollar, or cnn earn
q dollar, the Government is now compelled to go
for its portion of his substance, and with the vast
machinery under its control the money is fetched.
"And what has been the course of that Congress
which has just ended and which this blind aris-
tocracy of the national debt sustained in overriding
my efforts for return to sound principles of in
tcrnal government? Look at the bill giving from
four hundred and eighty to six hundred millions
of fdollars-nominally for back bounty,
equalization of bounies to the soldiers but really
as all intelligent men must be aware 10 be parccl
ed out as prey among the bounty sharks and
claim agents, who arc the most rccklcss and clam
orous adherents of the dominant majority in Con-
gress. Then look at appropriations amounting to
another hundred millions for internal Improvements,
which should properly be left to the laws govern
| ing private industry and the progress of our ma
tonal development. Look also at the increase of
all salaries with prodigal hand; this virtuous
Congress first setting an example against retrench
mcnt by voting TO themselves an increase of sala-
ries. Everywhere, and in ercr-increasing ratio,
the motto seems to be: 'AmaJs spend and never
spare;' fresh issue from the paper mill over yon-
der" Slightly pointing his pencil to the Treasury
Dcpartment,) 'being the panacea prescribed for
every evil of our present situation"
Every effort 10 increase oltl annual taxation is
resisted, for increased taxes might help to awaken
the people from their false dream Of prosperity
under the sway ofrcvolulionary and radical ideas;
but no addition to the national debt can be prvpos
cd, no further initiation of our inflated currency,
which the prcponderating votes of the Western
States will not be certain to favor. The war of fl
nance is the next war VIC have to fight and every
blow struck against my efforts to uphold strict
construction of the laws and the Constitution is in
reality blow in favor of repudiating tine national
debt. The manufacturers ard men Of capital in
the Eastern States and the States along the Allan
tic scaboard-a mere strip of fringe ON the broad
mantle of our country, if you will examine the map,
these are in favor of high protective, and in fact
prohbtory tariffs, and also favor contraction of
the currency. But against both measures the in
tercsts aud votes of the great producing and manu-
featuring States of the West stand irreyocahly ar
rayed, and glance at the map and the census sta
tistcs of the last twenty years will tell every one
who is open to conviction how the war must end.
"The history of the world gives no example of
war debt that has ever been pail but we
have an exceptional country, and present an excep-
tional case Our debt might easily be paid, pro-
vided the breaks against excessive expenditures
could be turned on quickly cnough-bui now is the
appointed time, and now or never the work must
bo commenced. lfihat debt is ever to be paid We
need economy in every branch OF the public
vice-thc reduction not al increase, OF salaiies to
Congressman and other officials the systematic
reduction of our national debt and not its increase
by such monstrous bills as this last dcmagogue
measure for the pretended equalization of bounlics.
.And whittier is all this drifting? To intelli-
gent men there can be but one answer We are
drifting TO reputation, and the moncyed aristoc
racy of the national dcbt-thc very men whose in
tcress arc most jeoparlizcJ are so blind that they
arc practically helping TO accelerate, not check,
/ \:
the Industry and enormous possible products Of the
lately revollcd States to help lis in bearing our
heaTy burden. We need confidence and caln.-
we need internal harmony; and, above all, We
need return 70 the unquesloned supremacy Of
the civil laws and constitutional restraints if our
debt is not to be repudialed within the NEXT half
score OF years
..Financial prosperity was secured up TO within
IL recent period; but already the delicate fabric Of
public crcdil-a house OF cards mt hcst-bcgns TO
lot,er under the concusson Of the various revolu-
tionary ideas which have been recently exploited
on the floors of Congress. Who now talks of the
Constitution with respect? Who is not now made
laughing stock in the papers and speeches of the
violent revolutionary party, if he sial be so hardy
as 10 claim that, being again at peace, the sway OF
civil over military law should be Immediately re-
sumed, if we desire to maintain our liberties =
The Constitution is played out, we hear every
hand and every effort to advocate The just asccn-
dancy of the ciYl law only furnishes fresh food for
ridcule.
'No party as yet, and possibly no party for some
years, will openly hoist the banner of population.
But majority Of those who shaped the legisla-
ton of this last Congress must know, unless they
deceive themselves too ignorant to appre-
eiate their own acts that We are drifting that lii
rection, and that it is by their votes that we have
been swung out into the downward stream. Doubt
less somc of them would either be- or affect 10 feel
horrifcd if to-day branded repudiationists, just