Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1868-08-26
Historical Parallels.

any people, no matter how remote the oc-
casions for its manifestation, possesses
sameness truely remarkable. No country
furnishes better evidence of this truth than
our own Along the highway of its history
and especially where the deepest cuts have
been made through conservative barriers,
may be seen the same inimical strata. Ihelr
edges are rough and unsightly, but they
furnish to the student valuable lessons, and
their very prominence makes them impress
i've warning posts for the future.
Scarcely had system of finance been
propounded during the Revolutionary war,
when it was seized jy the enemies OF the
colonies as one Of the weakest points The
onset was not less furious than that made
by British bayonets. However ardent the
desire of the tories to cooperate with the
enemy, active armed service was withheld,
But when the tactics were originated which
looked tc the subversion of the S stem which
paid, fed, and clothed our armies, held
was opened for the successful exercise OF
tory hate. They ente red it unhesitatingly,
and the aid rendered the troops of England
/ proved most in-spiriting while the de-
preston among the ranks of the patriots
was more damaging to the cause of liberty
than a series of defeats in campaign. The
manner of attack was a systematic deprecia-
/ ton OF the currency provided by the then
/ existing authorities The prominence and
wealth of the tories, assisted by the counsel
/ they received from officers of the English
army, made of them enemies against whom
herosm could feebly contend. How
/ much hope the British drew from this
/ source of attack may be inferred from a
letter written by W hich Washington in No
| vember, 1879. in which he says "1he enemy
are IN great hopes Of terminating the acor
inthejrt tdror IN another campaign, osttcy &c
pect confidently the entire rain ofOur money,
and failure of provisions for the supply Of
the army"
In the following month he again wrote ::
Il find our prospects are infinitely worse
than they have been at any period OF the
war, and unless some expedient can be in
stantly adopted dissolution of the army
for the want of subsistence, is unavoidable. !"
The arts of the enemies were piled with the
utmost assiduity, and no one can doubt that
two Of the seven years of war must be credi-
ted to hopes based upon the bankruptcy of
the struggling patrio;s.
Recall now the maneuvres of the rebels
during the rebellion, and those of their CO.
adjutors, the Democrats of the North. At
the time when our national currency was
resolved upon, the opposition 10 the meas
ure by that party was most frantic To sub
vert it was a settled purpose. They lacked
the manly qualities which should have car
ried them into the ranks of the rebel army
/ just as the tories of the Revolution did,
but they did not hesitate to undermine the
only system of credit then available to Sc
cure tor our soldiers their pay, clothing, and
share their fendish ingenuity could devise.
With every onslaught made upon the ma
tonal credit the rebel hopes revived, and
days and weeks were added TO the war.
Every refusal to contract in that currency
sent battalion of Boys in Blue" to their
graves The hopes of bankruptcy in the
North did more to sustain the armies of re-
bellion than all the issues of Confederate
scrip. They added two years to the dura-
ton Of the war, and one hundred and fifty
thousand lives TO the holocaust for freedom.
They increased our debt two billions of dol
/ lars With that increase we must measure
the results of Democratic enmity to the
means taken by the country TO preserve her
| hot
ciprocal of the inspiration rebels drew from
/ it.
The parallel between the tories of the
/ Revolution and the Democratic party of the
present is complete in this respect. Their
action. arose from the same motive. and
Were directed to the same end-the assist
ance OF the enemy by insidious attacks upon
the credit of Government.
/ And these modern torres have not ceased
their malignant opposition to the national
faith. They have jollowed it through all
Its mutations, from its inception to the pres
ent. No word Of censure has escaped them
that has not directly or indirectly encouraged
the rebels. A. their armies were assured of
success by speedy collapse in Mort hern
finances, so now they are emboidened to a
new attack by the hope of Reputation or
probable assumption of their war debt. The
nation s laws and the nations honor stand
not IN their way. These violated in the
acts OF secession and war by Southern Dem
ocrats, and were equally violated by North
ern Democrats in the efforts they made to
bring on early financial ruin. The Repub-
can party has from them no retraction of
their crime, no promise on their part not to
repeat 1t. Hence the necessity of constant
ly guarding the approaches to reputation
against such men. 1t is duty the people
owe to themselves no less than to their
country, and it grows more imperative as the
campaign progresses for no design of the
Democratic party has thus far been made
more prominent than that which aims at
the total subVersion of our securities.
Then, the only guarantee the people have
that the credit OF the government and the |
integrity of our national obligations will be
maintained, Is in the election of Grant and |
[ oifaY o. Ill To- IL