The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-03-29
President Johnson on the Finances

President Johnson on the Finances.
Miles 0 Reilly properly known as
Gen. Chas g. Halpine, lately had talk With
the President on which occasion the latter
expressed himself quite freely 10 regard to
the finances Of the country aud the fanati
cal cousc Of the last Congress. The talk
derives additional interest from the fact that
the radicals consider it fresh reason for
the Pre>ii. nt's Impeachment, and have
summoned the aforesaid @ REILLY to Wash
ington as a Hitness-the charge against the
President being that he advocates and en-
courages a Reputation OF the national debt.
We have only room for few extracts:
1.-The war Of finance is the next war we
will have to fight, and every blow struck
saaln-t ny efforts to uphold a strict con
strucuon OF the laws and the constitution IS
ia reality blow IN favor OF repudlatlng the
national debt The manufacturers and men
81 capital in the eastern states. and the
states along the Atlantic seaboard-a mere
strip or fringe on the broad mantle OF our
country, if you will examine the man-these
aIe in favor Of high protective, and IN fact
prohibitory tariffs and also favor con
traction Of the currency. But against both
measures the interests and votes OF the
great producing and non manufacturing
safes OF the west stand irreVocably arrayed;
and glance at the map aud the census
statistics of the last twenty years, Will tell
every one who Is open To conviction how
that war must end.
The history Of the world gives no ex-
ample OF whs ae-t that has ever been
paid but re have "A exceptional country
and present an excep sf sase, Our debt
might easily beSpsss rat fded the brakes
against excessiys. exp5atssa ures could ne
turned on quickly eaough; but now is the
appointed time; nTS TOW or never the work
must boF qpmmeHrA II that debt is ever
to be paid, we need ee1osany IN every branch
of the pablo serviee-the reduction, not an
increase Of salaries to congressman and
other officials the systematic reduction Of
our national debt; and not It's increase by
such monstrous bills as this demagegue
measure for the pretended equalization of
bOunties. The congress fOrsOOth, Is SO pat
riotic, 30 loyal, that it ''can refuse our gal
liant soldiers nothing but you must have
seen how promptly 1t rejected the names Of
nearly every gallant veteran sent III by me
for confirmation TO any civil otfice-a major
ity OF our extremely loyal senators" using
their gullotine without rcmorsc in nearly
every instance.
And whittier is all this drifting? To in
tellgent men there is but one answer. We
are drifting toward reputation, and the
moneyed arist0cracy Of the national debt
the very men whose interests are most
jeopardized-are so blind that they are
practically helping to accelerate, not check
our course In this downward direction.
we need the industry and enormous posi-
lie products Of the lately Tevoited states to
help Us in bearing eur heavy burden. We
need confidence and calm we need inter
nal harmony; and above all, we need re-
turn to the unquestloned supremacy Or the
civil laws and constitutional restraints, X
our debt Is not TO be repudlated within the
next half score OF years.
Financia, prosperity was secured up to
within a recent period but already the
delicate fabric of public credit-a house of
cards ut best-begiDs to totter under the
conclusion Of the various revolutionary
IDEAS which have recently exploited on the
floors Of congress. Who now talks of the
constitution with respect? Who Is not
now made a laughing stock in the papers
and speeches OF the violent revolutionary
party, if he shall be so hardy as to claim
that, being again at peace, the sway OF civil
over military law should be Immediately
resumed, If we desire to maintain our lib
critics? The constitution Is played out we
hear on every hand; and every effort to
advocate the Just ascendency Of the civil
law only furnishes fresh food for rldicule.
''No party as yet-and possibly no party
for some years-wil openly hoist the ban
ner Of reputation. But a majority of
those who shaped the legislation OF this
congress must knOw--unieSs they deceive |
themselves, are too ignorant to appreciate |
their own acis-that we are drifting in that I
direction, and that it is by their votes we
have been swung out into the downward
stream. Doubtless, some OF them would |
either be, Or affect to feel, hoTlhcd 1t to-
day branded as pudIatOnlsts-.iu just as in |
the infancy OF the free soil agitation, it I
was considered e bitter SANDER if the free |
Soiler should be styled an abolitionist. |
There are steps in everything; and the
term q reproach to day, vii! he worn as a
feather in the cap one year from now, un-
Jess the true conservative wisdom Of the
country can be awakened and rapidly
from its aSphyxiatng dream that our ma
tlonal debt is a national blessing.
And look at the effect Of the reconstruc- |
tion bill Just passed over my uuavaiing |
veto | mean It's peculiar effect as a step
ia the direction of reputation and not
its general effect as high handed meas !
IRE OF congressional usurpation, striking |
oat OF existence so many states and es- !
tablshng a military desPotism, over more
than one-third OF our geographical Union.
Tins bill suddenly adds four millions OF
ignorant and pennIless negroes TO the vo !
ting force OF the country--an accession
Of Just SO much strength to the party |
whose interest it is, aid must increasingly |
become, to favor reputation as policy. /
To secure the puplic creditor, our effort
shoua be-if that were posSible-to re- |
strict, rather than to extend the right of
suffrage for money rapidly aggregates in
a few hands aud whenever the men who
have an interest in seeing that our national
debt is paid shall have become out OF all
proportion few compared with those who |
have an interest III its reputation, the !
votes Of the many will carry it and the
debt of three thousand millions will be !
struck out of existence by ballots, just as