New-York tribune., 1868-12-31
ANOTHER LETTER FROM TREASURER SPIN
MFR
TREAsURY OF THE CNTED STATES,
WASHINGTON, Dec. -, lscs.

wAsHINGIoN, Dec. %. 1855
DEAR SIR: There are SO many good things
and true In your Of the oath inst just now received
that shouid perhaps let pass what do not approve
and thus friendly controversy as for the want
OF Time TO continue IT, hal intended To have done, when
last wrote yOu, but cannot retain TOh sa!h6 Jas' one
word more
You ssy that you "have been able 10 sec how we
could ask that contracts made WIN dollars. worm ohy
seyenty-hyc cents less. should be paid WIN tlo'e
worth one hundred any more Than all should that those
made with the dollar 40 one hundred should he p,ld WIN
there j. gross wrong the difference being that hen you
take half fum the clodtor You sull leave hat aia 90
tons of Tie debtor you break him down bccausc upon
average this Is more IN addition 10 hs i4hiie'' -
To this my answer f., though uiic, us true, " Two
wrongs can never make right"
some wear. since iy class of debtors II not good ,n-
why cass o debtors should no" do another nct OF
injustice 10 cSs, OF creditors. TINS irolg,luon. as d
general rule, would seem 20 plain hs scarce 10 require
another word. But whon ~ j. seen that e very leI-ol
that suffered by the rrrt wrong may bH the Same persons
on whom now proposed to put new Injustice, the
wrong becomes more c,hFy ailsIS,' 10 .s
yon complain Of become the debtor Of to-dJ' and rice
ANY two given men. having business relations then and
now may have reversed tLor several conditions oi dch
or aud creditor since. The injured party thcn may IL
your Theory be carried out bCCome tho injured party
again now ana Tho other party, bcithieh cIuaIy "
tie fret wrong, would be again benefited
Because q wrong done from the dreht necessity,
some years since D. mighty bad reason Why aholhe'
wrong should now be pcrrclratcd from mere ioness
There single oih,r consdrlauoh 10 Wmth v'sto IL
10 invite your attention. In your close scrutiny OF he
mere financial view Of tho question, yOu SEEM 10 some
extent TO have overlooked the morality thar h involved,
and 10 have entirely lost sight ~ tho political bearing
that the manner OF settling this question VIII nave upon
tie future OF the country.
The money that l. now represented by the national
debt was loaned 10 the GOvcrnmcnt Ht time when II
was i'm great peril But ijr the timely aid thus received,
our Government would have gone out ~ nee Most
OF lc loans were made 10 tho Government from patriotic
motives many ut their all INTO them TO save !bc ne oi
fhc nation Others, perhaps not 50 atriutlr, saw the
strait the Government was In. They saw the nation
danger and their own. They took inc rlsks. uad the
Government failed their whole Investment would haXe
been "A total losg Now that their money thus saved ~,
il night In that Government thus saved 10 turn on us
SayiOfs aId say our gains arc 'OO S'"' We WIZ 'V
pound the debtg
Dn tbis and let tho Governments needs dangers be
ever So great the future vii bc found VINO VIII
then lend single dollar, either from patl9tc motives
OF Interest whatever everybody WOulu SAY
The GOyeIneht failed 10 keep its faith ~ the past, what
assurance there for the present or Tie 1uluFof ana m
few would probably say q Government lnhl dOcs hot
Keen faith with ts citizens j. not worm saving II
the Government fathcss what nope Is lhttc IOt e
morality OF q nment may he assumed
10 be about the morality of the people thaI are
governed by Lower the standard OF the one ana the
otner sinks with a. Although agree with you IN many
of yonr views, due 10 cGndor and frankness That
sh6uld say thar dissent ~ tOO from all you IN!
m regard class sectional interests These shOuld DC
thrown entirely Ou OF the discussion o the nuhee qes
tiun. -. ...,, =, .
.oris Of one the candidates IN the late poltlcal cam
paign to array the West against the East on ths very
an, stiO and the verdict tncn rendered ny te htSt
the ssue then made aud decided had settled 1t 90 least 10
the satisfaction OF the East forever Rght isht, anu
WRONG is wrong. whether done by the creditor OF te
Jebior and IL matters not whether the ole of tho otrr
happcis have home either at the Last OF III INC
The whole country has destiny All should be
eanus OF lis GOOD name home and abroad Ihcrofore,
let ms bc inst and keep th with all without REGARD 10
loralitlos In haste. respectfully yours T. T. Sf1SSEl"
DAVID WILDER, ESQ, Boston, h"sS