The Portland daily press., 1868-12-14
A IN .,us for sSaih n 4 hem.

Co,oress w 10 not warranted in putting en-
On n,nr o;rs when The blind Old Samson,
w,o WISHES to pull down upon the rum OF DIS
own I fe the infinitely greater ruin oil the con
mon wealth, proposed the other day to confs-
cite the debt which the government owes to
its creditors. 1t has been three years now
d since the demagogueS and blacklegs began 10
p ,lLer about the payment of the national debt,
and to make declarations which brought dis.
credit upon our financial standing in eve Y
civilized country in the world. Andrew
Johnson at the end of these three years pro
poses repudation of the debt and damns him
self to eternal infamy. But what shall 'e
said OF the Gov gress that all the WINE 'nis
sha neful agitation has been going on HAS ho'
set the matter forever at rest by one pam, eW-
phatic, uneuuiyocal declaration that the deit
shall be paid ia coin? This declaration would
have been enough. 1t is not the Executive
but the Legislative department of the govern
ment that has authority 10 this matter. 1t is
not the Executive ont the Legislature that
could have sent cur bonds almost ID to par in
Europe 1t is Congress from which one plain
word would have neutIalized oil the evil effect
upon our credit abroad that either the Presi-
dent or the Pendle:onians could have said or
written
The delay of our Congressman on this point
has been the one crime that has tarn shed the
fame aud good repute OF the body that with
exemplary fidelity has devoted itself during
the two years of its existence to securing civil
and politicalrights. The delay has been IRA.
tionai. IT has cost us millions aud millions of
dollars every year The business men of the
country, who are oppressed by the burdens OF
the debt ifany one is, have given not the
slightest oosntouauoc 10 sn5- &c homo thae CON
templated anything but the payment of the
national creditors dollar for dollar in c)in Tor
what they had lent the government -
The manufacturing and the mercantile in
terests of the country are now organized and
have met by their representatives several
times within the past year TO take counsel to-
gether. These organizations are the National
Manufacturers Association and the National
Board of Trade. Contrast tho manly, honora-
able, straightforward declarations of these two
bodies with the open villaii Of The Executive
and the vacillation and waveripg of Congress!
Until the necessary declaration is made BY
Congress 1t is not enough that Edm iuds n
the Senate and Schenck ami others in the
House endeavor to ward off the effects of Il Q
barbarous proposals of the man who has given
the country no opportunity to forget the blu
that sufused the faces of its citizens when q
made his drunken debut member OF the
Executive branch OF the government. 1t is
not enough that all the members of the Cabi-
net disciaim any responsibility for the co IFS
cation clause of the message, and that Nc
Culloch pronounces it Infamous" Nothing
but prompt action, giving legislative express
sion to the almost uncomfortable indignation
OF the people nothing but placing such q
mark on Andrew Johnson's forehead as shall
make him an autcast forever-wil save Il Q
Republic from sharing his baseness he
echoes of the voice Of the clerk who read The
message ought not fairly TO lave died before
the representatives of the people had given
expression to the peoples honest will,