The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-03-21
the people, sufficient to support three

"All property is based upon and
can only be sustained by law; and it is
for a return to law and the guide Of
fixed constitutional principles that my
whole course has been contending. But
so short sighted is this aristocracy of
bonds and paper currency--this Plu-
tocracy Of the national debt---that my
efforts in behalf Of their true interests
| (which are certainly involved in the
maintenance of law and the Constitu
tion) have been everywhere encounter
ed, and almost everywhere oycrwhelm
ed by the prepondering influence which
they have acquired from the natural
force of capital and the agency Of our
national banks.
"And what has been the course Of
that Congress which has just ended,
and which this blind alistocracy Of ma
tional debt sustained in overriding my
efforts for return to sound principles
Of internal government? Look at the
bill giving from tour hundred and
eighty to six hundred millions of dol
lars--nominally for back bounties, or
as an equalization of bounties to the
soldier, but really, as all intelligent men
must be aware, to be parcelled out as n
prey among the bounty sharks and
claim agents, who are the most reckless
and clamorous adherents OF the domi
nant majority in Congress. Then look
at appropriations amounting to an 9th
er hundred millions for internal i'm
provcments, which should properly be
left to the laws governing private IN
dustry and the progress of our national
development. Look also at the increase
of all salaries with n prodigrl hand
this virtuous Congress first setting an
example against rctrcnchment by voting
to themselves an increase Of salaries.--
Everywhere, and in an ever increasing
ratio, the motto seems to be: : Always
spend and never sparc' fresh issue
from the paper mill over yondcr (slight-
ly pointing his pencil to the Treasury
Department. being the panacea pre-
scribcd for every evil of our present
situation.
"Every effort to increase our annual
taxati IN is sisted, for increased taxes
might help to awaken the people from
their false dream ofposterity under the
sway of revolutionary and Radical
ideas butno addition to the national
debt can be proposed, no further inila-
ton of ovr4nhated currency, which the
preponderatieg votes of the Western
States will not be certain to favor. The
war finance is the next war we 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
the national debt The manufacturers
and men ofcapital in the Eastern States
and the States along the Atlantic sea-
boarl--a mere strip or fringe ON the
broad mantle Of onr country, il you
will examine the map-thcsc are in IA
vor ofhigh ,frotective, and, in fact, pro-
hibitory tariffs, and also favor con-
traction of the currency. But against
both measures the interests and votes
of the great producing and norman
ufacturing States of the West stand
irrevocable arrayed, and Il glance at the
map and the census statistics of the
last twenty years will tell every one
who is open to conviction how that
war must end.
"The History Oft the world gives no
example of war debt that has ever
been paid; but we have an exceptional
country, and present an exceptional
case Our debt might easily be paid,
provided the brakes against excessive
expenditures could be turned on quick
ly cnough-but now is the appointed
time, and now or ncve: the work must
be commenced. If that debt is ever to
be paid we need economy in every
branch of the public servicc-the re
duction, not an increase of salaries tC
Congressman and other officials: thu
systematic reduction of our nationa
debt; and not its increase by such mon
strous bills as this last demagogue mca
sure for the pretended equalization Of
bountics. The Congress, forsooth, i
so patriotic, so loyal, that it 'can rcius
our gallant soldiers nothing but yo
must have seen how promptly it &c
jectcd the names of nearly every gal
liant veteran sent in by me for confr
nation to any civil oflice-a majorit
of our extremely loyal Senator'S usin'
their guillotine, without remorse, i
nearly every instance.
"And wither is all this drifting? T
intelligent men there can be but one ar
swcr: We are drifting towards repudi
alton, and the moneyed aristocracy o
the national debt--the very men who's
interests are most jeopardized--are s
blind that they are practically helping t
accelerate, not check our course in thi
l downward direction. We need the in
, dustry and enormous possible product
3 of the lately revolted States to help Il
| in bearing our heavy burden. We nee
} confidence and caln-wc need ,lnterni
i, harmony; and above all, we need re
turn to the unquestioned supremacy q
thecivil laws and constitutional RI
: straints if our debt is not to be repud
', ated within the next half score Of year.
"Finaucial prosperity was secure
up to within q recent period; but a
r really the delicate fabric ofpublic cree
l. it-a house of cards at best--begins
Y totter under the conclusion Of the VI
4 rious revolutionary ideas which la,
It been recently exploited on the floors I
Congress. Who now talks of the Coz