The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-07-02
THE DUTY OF THE HOUR.

1t is a promising sign of the times that in all
portions of the Union independent journals are
presenting the question of reconstruction to busi-
ness men, and urging them to look at it from the
standpoint of national and individual prosperity,
and not mere party success. Ia a late number OF
the Boston Herald we find the following, which
| is toe good to be overlooked:
'If the time has not yet come when the Amer
lean people attend to their material interests,
we are at loss to know when it will come. Two
years OF peace have been spent in experiment up
on the political reconstruction of the Southern
States, and the people of the South now seem to
be proceeding with eommendabIe promptness in
carrying out the plan prepared by Congress for
| their admission into the Union. They may safe
ly be left to themselves and the officers Of the Gov
eminent charged with experimenting the reor-
ganization Of society in that section, and the at
tention of the masses of the people, both North
and South, can be directed to the material inter-
ests of the country that have been SO long neg
lected. So far as the people are concerned we
are satisfied that they are ready to take this COM
! mon sense view of the question. They have had
enough of contention and strife to last them for
a generation. They have had enough of debt
and taxation to satisfy their widest aspirations
in that direction. They are sick and tired of the
warfare thatha been waged Oh abstract questions.
They know we'll enough that our material inter-
ests have been allowed to suffer, and the country
languishes under the oppressive burdens that i'm
practicable men have piled upon it. They now
want chance to use their capital and devote
their labor to the reparation of the damages sus-
tanned in the war. Why should they not be al
lowed to attend to their own affairs, and by the
exercise of an enlightened selfinteres:, go on de-
veloping the resources Of the country aud accu-
mulating wealth to tighten the burdens under
which we labor? The schemes of politicians are
all that prevent this desirable consummation.-
The country languishes for the want Of practical
statesmen in place of political mountebanks who
have wormed their way into Office. The great
question now to be met in this country is the
financial question:; but every body knows that
Congress takes hold of that question last and de-
votes to it the least of its time. The condition of
the currency, the rate of taxation, and the redemp
ton of the mortgaged wealth of the country from
the hands of its creditors, al subjects that have
never yet been handled as though they had any
thing to do with the material prosperity of the
country. Business men see that trade and pro-
duction languish, that money is scarce, though
the currency has been expanded to twice its nor
NAL volume, Ind that these two evils are driving
business out OF the country and retarding the de-
velopment of our resources If we 60 on in this
way, how shall We escape bankruptcy and ruin
We confess that the prospect is dark, and that it
is growing darker every day while we continue
on our present course. We see no hope except
in the good sense of the people, who are grow
ing restive under burdens, and who already man
ifest disposition to inquire what benefit they
are to receive for the lavish expenditure of their
money!