Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-10-27
Joint Discussions Between Cobb and
PaSsmore.

n
from the Dodgville Chronicle, report
ed for that paper by some one pres
emit 1T one Of their joint discussions
at Avoca, is a pain account OF their
speaking:
The discussion was opened by Mr..
Passmore, who said that he had new
er found more perfect gentleman
than Gen, Cobb, and hoped that Tue
acquaintance that they had formed
would ripen as time rolled 90. lie
did no, wish to hurt any ones feels
ings If he said anything hat his
bearers dislilled, they were not 70
consider it personal. He rejolced
that slavery was over thrown and
destroyed. He had never believed
in the institution. But we were to
remember that it was not the Repub-
licans alone who overthrow the sys'
TEN. All parties expected that the
war would end in the abolition OF
slavery. All parties did their best
to put down the rebellion. The
speaker was stickler Tor the Cons
stitution he considered that it had
been grossly violated by the passage
Of the reconstruction acts, He in
formed his audience that white men
down South had no rights whatever.
They were even denied trial by jury.
Military officers were established all
over the land. The pardon power OF
the President was OVERRIDE and trod
down: the institutions of the South
were battered down commerce was
driven from the land free trade was
ruined, &c. He considered that the
Democratic party did right to fight
against such oppression. Why were
they right? Because this is a white
mans government; because the gov
eminent was and had been for the
benefit OF white men and white
mems rights had been, and still ought
TO be, respected by the government.
) Mr.. Passmore closed by saying that
he was blacksmith when al home,
but not much OF anything when
: away.
, Gen. Cobb confined himself parts
cularly to the finance question. lie
said the Democrats were trying to
make such of it that they regarded
it as all IN all. He wished to know
what kind of money we had under
, Democratic administration He had
! differed and did differ somewhat in
regard to the finances of the country
from some OF his Republican friends.
He considered it would be bad faith
! on the part of the government TO issue
more than four hundred millions, as
the promise had been made that there
should never be greater sum IN cir
: eulation at any one time, and this at
a time when the country vas ii dam
ger of falling into the the hands OF
;, !, rebels. The General read the law
authorizing the issue of bonds, and
y said that all Congress knew was the
y salvation of the country depended
upon their issue The very bonds
: that Democrats were going mad ov.
: er were issued in the country's dark
- est honr-just after the Mason anC
Slidel controversy with Great Brit
I" ain Our money was worth nothing
over the water was IA abs0lut
necessity to have something that y.
! c0aid Depend upon IGe bon ms
! Ibis necessity Ban two men rotet
: against the measure The sIenke
3 then alluded to the banking system
}, He thought it would not be wise for
/ the people to ego back" on the bes
Is system the country ever had. II
j mentioned several that existed be
Il fore the war-such rs stock banks
!. thefree banking system. the'wild cat
"a banks, and several others. They hat
: all failed. The National Banks, borl
j. in adversely, had proved safe and re
o. liable. Moses NJ. Strong had otter
e asked the question: What have 70,
:" done with the money? How hav,
n you squandered the funds? He woulC
answer, in part, at least The trai
tors Of the \ orth had added maSeri
Q ally to the expenses OF the nation
e The Indian war had been very ex
IL pensive. Before the war there wer,
. only 100 government clerks during
: the rebellion there were 800 Boun
r ties and pensions were not paid be-
e fore the war. but these trifies are new
3 er mentioned by Democratic speak
: ers. The expenses are daily getting
l. less. The Freedman's Bureau i.
e stopped. Many Of the soldiers are
o paid off, and everything is tending tC
! decrease the expenses. At the close
h of the wal the resources of the coun'
y try were very much crippled Taxes
n weigh heavily upon the people and
/ all things considered, we are in favo
: of putting off the payment of h,
J. principal of this debt. The comm.
generation can well afford to pay
little toward it, as they will receive
u the benefit
u The General wished to know wheI
= and how II had become proper fol
Is Democrats to rejoice in the downfall
: of their pet institution? The mer
9 who had fired on our Flag the mer
J who bombarded Fort Sumter; thu
? men who told us it was unconstitu-
q tional to suppress the rebellion; the
men who said we never could estab-
. lshed our rights; the men who
u laughed and sncered when the Presi-
0 dent was shot-THEsE men say that
;. they rejoice and are exceeding glad
at the destruction of slavery. twas
a puzzle to him. He could not un-
derstand it. He concluded by say
ing that we are all ''sticklers for the
! Constitution, " and that it had never
= been violated in the least under Re
, publican rule
l Mr. Passmore than made the con-
, GLIDING speech. He appeared her
. excited. Hetouched or the finances
} He proposed to pay the national debt
within 40 years at all risks. Was
t the tax payer Indifferent whether
/ the debt was paid or not? lie did
not agree with the General in regard
to the banking system, H wished
to entirely destroy the ureSt + meth.