New-York tribune., 1868-07-29
THE OPINIONS OF SENATOR MORTON ON
RRPUDIATION

In his speech on the Funding bill, deliversa
in the Senate July IS, Senator Morton tOOL
ground, side by side with Pendleton and But.
ler, that it is lawful and right for the Goyeru.
ment to pay the fve-twenty bonds in legal
tender notes "In matters of such immens.
magnitude" said he, the nation can only h
"bound by the law !" and laying aside con-
science and common sense, he proceeded, ia
justification of the financial plank in the Dem
Ocratic platform, to quote from the various acts
authorizing the issue of legal-ienders a number
of declarations identical in substance with the
following:
aThe notes herein authorized shall be received IN nav
ment of all axes internal duties. eXcises debts and G
mands Of every kind due the United States except da
ties on imports and all claims and demands against As
limited States OF any kind whatsoever except nte,
upon bonds and notes, which shall be paid in coin and
shall also be lawful money and egaltender 10 meut
OF ali debts public aud private, within the United stass
except duties on imports and interest AFORESAID"
Neither the provision above quoted, nor
any of the Others produced by the Indiana
Senator makes any exception in favor Of
greenbaclls. GreeDbacks, he declares, are
therefore to be paid in legal-ten nder notes
For, to use the argument and the very word,
of the Senator, eff you prove that the Gov.
ernment is bound to pay these lgreenbackl
A." in coin, you do it in the face Of four
"direct and plain statutes. as unequiV
local as any statutes that ever were
written.7 Every greenback carries on h
face promise on the part of the United States
to pay a certain number of dollars to ,he
bearer. What of thatl The people OF the
United States, upon Senator MOrtOn's inter.
probation of the acts of Congress, are at liberty
forever to repudate those promises. They are
furthermore at liberty to keep them depressed
thirty per cent below their par value. And il
thirty per cent, why not ninety -ninef On
the plea of relieving taxpayers and keeping
to the letter of the law, Pendleton, Morton,
Butler, and Stevens, in company with The Ia
Crosse Democrat and the main body of those
who will vote the Democratic ticket in. No
vember, propose to perpetrate this swindle on
the creditors of the Government until the en-
tire national debt disappears-paid without the
departure of a single gold dollar from TIE
| Treasury
What revolution has swept over the fnsn.
cial opinions of Senator Morton since August
81, 1867, may be gathered from the following
extracts from a speech of his made in COlum-
bus, Ohio, at that time:
"The Democratic leaders oY the North intend 70 make
their final and desperate stand for existence and power
upon that question repudiation They will appeal 70
the basest passions of the people. 10 their cupdy 70
their seshness, TO the satanic temptation OF eXempt0a
from taxes to the poor against the rich and 20 labor
against capital One of the latest forms In EhleA
reputation has shown its hOrrd front Is the propool
to pay off the whole national debt in green6acks
IS rery absurd 10 talk about paying debt by girisl
another obligation for Uhich is not 10 be paid nd =.
ice hiS proposition as cedk dertoe OF NE enemy by ~A
they approach direct reIJndiGtiOn."