, 1868-01-31


tlemen who receive gold and silver in pay;
ment Of their bonds and the socruingiuter-
est. OF these two classes you Are'the sspe>
cial champion. '..s.. 80.
There can be no possible reason founded
in justice why the bondholder should be
be paid either principal or interest Of his
debt in any other currency than that which
BY law is declared legal tender in payment
Of all other debts.
The greeubacks either are or they are not
a legal tender in the payment of debts. II
they are not legal tender 10 the payment
Of debts, then the Congress which enacted
the courts which sustain the enactments and
the party which enforced this legislation at
the point Of the bayouet, have, by legislative
usurpation, judicial corruption aud arbitrary
power, committed a crime upon the laboring
poor for the benefit Of the idle rich, for
which wholesale swindling' and National
villainy' are terms of but faint expression.
In this legislation you and your ilk have re-
pudiated a large proportion Of the dedts
due between man and man in the ordinary
business of the country, and have begotten
a system of 'swindling' compared with which
wildcat banks, Mississippi poker and faro
gamblers are genteel and honest. Nor does
it add any thing to your honor OF mitigate
your crime that this 'swindling' and will
lainy' Of yours soaked in the best blood Of
the land out Of which you have coined the
gold accruing interest and the bonds which
bear it, which has metamorphosed you from
plain Horace Greeley, the printer, into his
LOrdship, Hon. Horace Greeley, the bond
holder; from the defender Of the negro slave
into the oppressor Of the white free man.
Bat if these Treasury-notes are legal tens
der, then the Government cannot refuse to
take its own paper in payment of its own
debts; and there can be no apology founded
in justice for the demand on any other cur
rency than greenbacks in the payment of
duties or any other debt due The Govorn-
ment.
The same reasons make it obligatory upon
the bondholder to take this money in pay
ment Of his accruing interest, and finally, in
payment Of his bonds; also, if this money is
a legal tender, gold and silver can be no more
than a legal tender. If it was a legal tender
in the purchase Of bonds, so it is a legal tens
der 10 the payment Of bonds. If this money
is BY law a legal tender, then any discrimin-
ation made by the Government in the pay.
meht Of its creditors is unjust and invidous-
that the laborer who works in uavy>yards
and forts, and the soldier who perils his life
in battle shall be paid in lamp black and rags
and the bankers, bondholders, usurers, eI.
tortioners and brokers shall be paid in gold
and silver bought up b. the greenbacks sac.
ri6ced in the hands of other Government
is an ofense against justice for
which no pretsxt can be offered, and invol.
res the Government in every possible crime
included in the .euphoneous terms employed
by yourself of Wholesale swindling' and
NATIONAL VIbLAINY.
1t places the government in the attitude
of swindling bankrupt who involves him
self in debts which he is unable to pay and
then, to rid himself Of his obligations, buys
up bis own notes at such discount as is in
1uced by a knowledge of its bal character
and insolvency, that he may repeat his swim
lie as often as he may renew his bankruptcy
BY proAigacy and extravsgance.
This very thing the Secretary of the Treas.
1ry of the United States has been doing for
The last several years. The pitisble and dis.
graceful spectacle has been presented to the
people of the United States, Of the Govern
nent agent sitting 10 Wall street, buying
lp Government obligations in competition |
Nth The sharpers of Europe and the swind- |
ers of America, including the bondholders |
Who, taking advantage Of the poverty of the
Government, bought up her certificates of
credit in their manifold forms. In this wise
,he Government assumed position invovl
nc one Of these two notifying conclusions: |
First-that it was unable to pay its debts,
public confession of bankruptcy, or that it
vas squandering the public moneys in an
Unjust discrimination in currencies of equal
Talue.
The payment of bonds in'greeubacks is neth-
II "wholesale swindling," or "Natioual viii
amy" if greenbacks are a legal tender in pay
nent of debts; and if greenbacks are not legal
euder in the payment Of debts, then the pay
nent of bonds in this pretended currency is not
alf SO moustrous a wholesale swindle or Ma
ioual villainy as the imposition of this paper
urrency upon the laboring and producing clas-
es of this country in exchange for their toll:
nd the fruits of the earth, and the liquidation
f gold and silver created debts due to honest
reditors, uutainted with 1sury or fraud. Indeed,
+ as you assume, that the payment Of debts IN
reenbacks is National villaiuy and wholesale
winding, then with what name will you detig-
ate those who have based the whole public and
riyate property and business Of the country
pom this "wholesale swiudling" and "National
illainy," refusing even to recognize the differ
nee in exchange consequent upon the deprecia-
ion Of paper money.
The extent Of this swindle and villainy-tf it
e swindle and villainy to pay debts in green
acks-can be measured only BY the aggregate
realth and business of the whole country, which
DR. Eve years have been involved in the action
the Federal Government
To pay off the bonds in greenbacks either is
Z is not "National villainy" and "wholesale
windle."
If it is then pray what apology can you make
0 the civilized world for your participation In
bis crime and what atonement can you make for
be priTstion, poverty, bankruptcy and robbery
the poor-the crime and degradation OF the
eople consequent upon the unnatural imitation
{ the currency And how can you excuse the
reation Of an aristocracy irresponsible to the
rdinary laws of taxation, and building up
ystem Of monopoly which absorbs the labor OF