The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1868-02-15
HONESTY.

Would the American Natisn rerudlate her
national debt? This question admits in its
different bearings of arguments both pro and
con. To say that contracts and agreements
made fairly and in good faith, should not be
fulfilled, is incompatible with our knowledge
and teachings of truth and honor To argue
that nations are not just as responsible for the
fulflIment of compacts as individuals, would
bear fallaey In the face of IL
The nation has become bankrupt IN pursuing
the fancies of fanatacism and lighting tor an
idea. -. .s #, s.
". firmly believe that over one-haIf Of the
voting population Of the American nation are
ready to-day to declare the injueeice Of the
cause for which and manner y which the
South were subdued-
If the God-heads of modern corruption,
misnomered national representatives, declare
repudiation of a part we, the people, demand
reputation cf the whole. fFff
We find the above propositions and
assertions in an article under the caption
Republication" in the last issue of the
Democrat To the first assertion prop
osition, acknowledged to be q fallacy
and Incompatible with truth aud honor"
on one side will admit of argument, pre-
supposes that they who advocate that
side intend to ignore principle and main
tain their argument by appealing to
passion, partizanism and the vicious
ness of human nature. The second, that
the nation is bankrupt, or fought for
fanatical idea, is monstrously false. The
taxable valuation of the property of the
United States exceeds twenty thousand
million dollars the national debt of the
United States is twenty-five hundred
millions. With eight dollars assets to
every dollar of liabilities, the bankruptcy
of the nation is not demonstrGtable.
With a population of thirty Eve millions
there is pei. e.petu debt of 81 and a
per capita property of S570. Do you call
that nation or individual bankrupt, or
have they any plea tor insolvency whose
debt is only one-eighth of their actual
property possessions? 1t is asserted wet
fought for an idea. We did, but not a
fanatical one. When the assassin lays
his knife to the reck of his intended
victim and the later rising in his nigh
wards off the murderous blow and sub
dues the murdererSis hewho would else
have been slain, on that account charge
able with fanaticism.s The nation fought
for the nations life and the intended
assassins were the ten seeded States,who
struggled with a heroic determination
TO succeed, the only redeeming feature
in the great rebellion. The writer, (for
we do not believe the article emansted
from the editor,) next asserts that a ma
iority of the people believe now that the
suppression of the rebellion was wrong.
The same idea was entertained by
those who, to subserve personal inter
ests, plotted treason in the Councils of
the Republic, and by appealing to the
quick passions of the South led them to
believe it,and into the snareof rebellion.
They depended upon partizanism TO aid
sectionalism, and would have remorse-
lessly sacrificed the Democratic party OF
the North upon the alter of the Southern
oligarchy but we know from what a de
luded dream they awakened when with
a common impulse of ofpatriotism. men OF
all parties, with unanimity and deter
mination, the like of which the world
never before witnessed, rallied under the
starry banner, and formed a Gordon of a
million boys in blue. for the maintain
ance Ofnational unity, and through the
surges of shot and shell, beat against
them through the long night storm OF
war, il was preserved unimpared. the
grandest proof on record of the ability
of the people for selfgovernment.
Think not now, that, having battled fer
life, they viii sacrifice honor. Withall
the intensity of Democratic partizanisn
that pervades Montana, we have that
faith in them, strengthened by the avowed
position Of many good men of the party,
that were it to-day left to vote of the
Democratic party exclusively, a repudi-