The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1868-06-24
THE NATION AT VENUE.


We trust that the campaign for the
Presidency is not to degenerate into d
strife to see which party shall take
most benefit from the narrow preju-
dices and penuriousness of the Ameri-
can people. 1t is too late to sell the
republic to the lowest bidders-the
last purchase having been made with
millions of money and seas Of blood.
This republic can never sell for less
than the cost Of its last purchase; and
we commend this proposition to those
vain and noisy politicians who lately
talk so much about appealing from the
ballot to the bullet, No party ever
sacrificed fundamental principle and
lived to win victory. No party in
the field to-day can hope to succeed by
any such sacrifice. The Republican
party began its life with the demand
that this generation should act in good
faith toward succeeding generations.
1t demanded that no man should be
privileged to carry local laws wherever
he migrated; Or innict a system of
compulsory labor without compensa-
ton upon virgin territories. Its birth
cry was Il demand foruniversal freedom
and equal and exact justice. When it
weakly recedes from that invulnerable
position, and trades off its principles
for tcmporizing policy, its days WILDE
numbered, and of the whole number
of honorable men in its ranks, few will
appear as mourners.
We see it stated that the popular
vote will be with the party which pro-
poses to make the public burden light
est. If that be true, reputation of
every dollar of the public debt, State
and National, is the key to success.
But unless the American people be
thoroughly demoralizcd and emascu-
lated, the party which would invite
success by such a proposition would be
thrice damned. We do not choose to
measure the people by such base
standard. IF they deserve it, they
assembled the height of folly when they
gave their lives and treasure to rescue
the nation from the tolls of treason.
The fact that they elected to incur the
debt rather than suffer the triumph of
the Southern armies, ought to exempt
them from so mean suspicion. The
people have earight todemand retrench-
ment, now that the necessity for extra
ordinary expenditures has passed away.
And as an earnest of this determina-
ton on the part of the Republican
party, we have the action of Congress
upon the estimates submitted by the
heads of departments, cutting down
the appropriations many millions
below where the Administration de-
sired them to be placed. The burden
of taxation must be heavy enough to
pay the interest on the public debt
and pay the current expenses of gov
ernment. Heavier than that they
must not be, and heavier than that, in
our opinion, they will not be during
the year 1868, and thereafter.
We hope the Republican party will
stand firmly by its demand for the full
and complete performance of the con-
tracts between the Government and
its creditors. 1t must insist on the
redemption of every dollar of the fund
ed debt, at some time in future, in the
money of the world. And if the
American people cannot abide by that
high toned business honor, let them
take the infamy which must attach to
such bad faith. That the people, as a
body, do not propose Reputation as a
remedy for the evils to which we are
temporarily subjected, is clear enough
to any man who takes the pains to
inquire; for the majority of men
regard the payment Of just debts as a
religious duty. The debt of the na-
tion, in chief part, was incurred for the
, common good and in the common
defense. 1t is a lien upon all the real
and personal estate of the Republic
Every citizen is morally, as we'll as
legally, bound to assist in lifting the
debt as it natures. The only escape
from this is in bankruptcy, and bank
ruptcy in a nation is ruin to every
citizen. There are some men so blind
as to imagine that they could live and
prosper though political ruin were
utter. But the more intelligent either
understands that reputation by 8
government of debt owed to its citi.
zens is repudiation Of every debt be.
tween citizens. To this point tn,
popular mind must be trained assidu
ously. Come what may come, thu
E credit of this nation must not suffer by
the action of the great party which ha.
just conducted it through great and
exacting war for life.
We must afford to do just right; We