New-York tribune., 1868-08-13
THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT And THE
PUBLIC DEBT.

| IMPORTANT CHARGE OF CHlEF-JUSIlCE ChASE'
In PaTkersburg, w. Va, the Chief-Justice,
who holding court there, delivered the following im-
portant charge:
" Gentlemen Of The Grand Jry-You have been selected
among your fellOw-clZeEs for your intelligence, your
lmparIialty, and your integrity to inquire concerning
West Virginia. Your general duties are sufficiently de-
fined by your oath, which binds you under the mos
solemn obligations, TO present from envy hatred,
or w and leave no one unpresentcd from eariayOr
and affection Tie same oath binds you TO dihgent IN
Qury as well as true presentment You will not acqult
yourselves Of these Obligations by slight or careless lhNe
tgauon You must not ne satisfied by acting upon hnt
trict Attorney by members Of your body, TO whom
knowlpd0s III noriicular Oenscs NAV have come Your
authority and your duty should go much further You
may and you should summon before you officers oi tho
Government and others whom you may nave reason 10
believe possess information proper for your action ana
examine them fully. Officers connected with the colec
ton OF Internal Revenue, collectors and assessors anu
their suburdinacs may with peculiar poprey, be thus
examined In respect to the mode and extent OF your IN
quirics, your own good will be your best guide.
The District Attorney will always be ready TO aid you
with Information matters Of law, and the Court, alsO
viii a,ure M responding to any inquiries you may
see III to make There three subjects and, so far as
We are at present advised, only three subjects 10 Nlch
u Is necessary to direct your particular attention.
The first OF these the faithful execution Of the Internal
ReVonne laws. Tho war IN which the nation mas peen
recently engaged for the preservation 2i the n",,on
Union and Government, endangered by RcDclhOh, iho
INC contracting of large debt inevitable lhls uoDI 10
the price OF national existence and binds lTeNocAuy
The good faith Of the people Its invioaole OblSa'Qn
mas DeCu recognized by solemn act OF inc H"ti"i III
adopting the Fourteenth Amendment Of the Constitution
of the United States which declares that "the validity
OF the public debt Of the United States authorized by
Jaw, including debts incurred for the payment ol DOun
Ties Tor services in supplcasng instruction auu tpcoh
shall he questioned" ThcrC differences oil Opu
the mode Of payment required by the contracts
of the American people made through their GOYerhncIi
but nobody questions openly # any body questions at all
that the dcbt contracted must be paid ana pdd III per
.cct GOOD faith The law of the amendment that the
validity OF the national debt shall not De ques
toned was already written upon the hearts Of the peo
pie before they made II part of the Constitution To pro
vide Tor the reduction and Dual payment of this doDt
ana for the annual expenses Of the Government taxes
necessarily imposed In other words, the equal pro-
portion 90 Do contributed by each ciilzen ls atStcu
iy law lie who wituolds his just proportion deprives
the rest the people Of exactly the amount Withheld
lis fraud operates as theft Tie sum tola necessary 10
meet the obligations OF the nation must be raised Fraud
upon the revenue does not reduce that sum- II merely
shifts the burdens Cyadcd by te fraudulent upon others
WHO pay their fun proportion besides All honest men,
therefore, have q common cause against the dis-
honest. You, gentlemen, represent the honest men,
and il is your duty to sec that no Gcfrauder
capcs McuCd punishment The higher IN ONCE ana the
higher in social position the delinquent may be- the
uUrcuttuc and searching should bc your diligence IN
inquiry aud preseumeut Some Of the Observations Just
ucXt tonic TO which must invite your attention. refer
10 couuicrieug IL is 10 be regretted that the currency
of the country consists wholly or almost wholly, OF
paper but II is not the less important on That account
That tine people should De protected, as ar rs possible
against c0unicrfCtug. Whatever the currency OF any
country may Doe, payments must be made in t aud eX-
tbe common measure ~ value. Whoever im-
poses counterfeit dollar ON the public roh'
successivcly all VINO take IN payment 1o.EleI- &
who are least able TO bear tie lose Occasionally luen
are dcfauded by counterfeit money n alg" transactions
but the principal sufferers lahorng men, whom 10
the peculiar duty Of Government 70 protect from wrong
You will hc vglaut, gentlemen, IN your lh'r.i- -'uoAs
concerning th- class What remains 10 De tad
concerns Oter-e- ognst the POstOrc laws. Under uul
bencnau system Of Government the means oi cheap ana
frequent intercourse between tue most distant pFb oI
the Republic are provided; D., atvcs aud lncAds tcVa
at.d ~ tie breadth OF tho continent correspond freely
with each other Correspondence De ncaIl! a- chs" "a.
talk And not only do the mails convey messages "i aet
ti0n science and business hut they ore also ihc aF s o
immense uecuuary IarracJn' 10y rcmitahee' %, n, oi
exchange and small Government money orders. 1"u rec
t once now important it's that thc laws which regulate
fhi, vast Interchange should De liHinly executed auu
we are confident that nothing more - httdcd 70 lh-u
vour best cudcayors 20 detect and bring 10 justice "
those whose crimes and odcu-rs deprive tie people oI
the great benefits which these laws are ihtndtd 10 tt
cure There seems 10 Dc 10 necessity al I'M. bh' Iv'
further observation, from the COurt hou Will retire to
yOur room, gentlemen, carrying with you, We doubt nos
IN your retirement, profound sense oi the serious un
cations You have taken upon yourselves to your country
aud TO your God