Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-02-14
lcorrespondsncs Of the American.
LETTER FROM INDIANAPOLIS.
INDIANAPOLIS, Fen. 4, Isl


where political parties have "changed
base" and reversed their position at differ
ent times on the same issue; but nowhere
can ii be found that any party, on any is
sue, ever changed so radically" as the
Copperhead party Of the present day. If
Gen. Jackson or Tom Benton were to rise
Up from their graves and be confronted
with the principles of that party, they
would be utterly horrifed, especially if it
should be insisted upon that the princi-
pies Of the latter-day Democracy were
genuine.
In Jackson's aud Benton's day specie
was considered the only sort of money fit
for the use and purposes Of circulating
medium among the people, and particu-
larly the members of the Democratic par
ty. Then the Democratic party asserted
that "hsrd money" was the only "consti-
tutional currency; that the Federal Con-
stitution allowed and recognized nothing
else. Paper currency was out Of the ques-
tion. There was no way to make it legal,
and the whole thing was con5titutioually
impossible. 1t was never thought Of by
the trainers of the Government never
dreamed of by them, unwarrantabe, and
utterly repugnant and offensive to .he OBJ
jccts and purposes for which the Federal
Union was created.
But now How is il now? Benton
declared that paper drove cut specie,
and then paper died for the want oil spe-
Gle; but paper-currency, currency, IRE
deemabIe aud unconvertible paper-is the
cry Of tbe Modern Democracy in this day!
More siafhers Of greenbacks
lis proclaimed and demasded by every
Democratic Convention in the West If
the Democratic party, in its better days
was distinguished for one thing more than
another, il was its firm and constant posi-
ti0n for "hard money" Ii there is one
issue distnguishable more than another
ia the platform of the democratic party of
to-day, it is the clamor for more paper
money Such radical change has no
precedent in fable. Let us quote few
words from Benton on the evils of uncon.
vertible paper money. lie said:
al do not go into the moral view of this
question. II is too obvious, too impres.
Give, too grave. &c escape .he observation
OF any one. Decentralization follows in
the train Of an unconyertible paper mo-
ney. The whole community becomes ex
posed TO moral pestileuce. Every Indi
vidua becomes the victim Of some impo
sition; and, in self defense, imposes upon
some one else. The weak, the ignorant,
the uniniormed, the necessitous. arc the
sufferers the crafty aud the opuleut arc
the gamers. The evil uugments until the
-s-~--s--~-.>- the community. reyolting
at the frightful accumulation OF fsaud aud
misery, applies the radical remedy OF total
reform"
Clearly, from this, the modern Demo
crat has no business to quote Jacksonian
principles. Paper money is ruinous-
specie the only safety OF the nation -
That's Jacksonian Democracy. There is
no similarity ia the doctrines of the two
parties. Tho Denocrat who votes for
Hendricks aud Edgerton. and yet thinks
he Is carrying cut the teachings of Jack
son aud Benton, will fnd himself iu a
muddle. aud the "victim of misplaced
confidence"
But observe what "muss" tho Demo-
Gratis are getting into by the advocacy of
inhiiion. They made fair and square
fight, in the Eighth Congressional District
OF Ohio. on this issue. What was the Ie.
suit? They we're defeated. The history
OF the party which they claim to have in-
herited was against them. The New ork
Democracy was against them. The New
York Democrats did not want more green
backs. nor did they desire to repudiate
the debt. But Pendeton & Co. said they
would 90 for more paper money, and
thereby carry the people with them. The
issue was fairly made-as fairly made be-
tween the Eastern and Western Demo
Gratis as between anybody else-apd they
went squarely to the wall on it. The En-
quirer Printing Company of Cincinnati
issued beautiful greenback bills with Pen
dleton's bust on them, aud circulated them
broadcast. Thurman and others canvass
ed the battle ground faithfully aud ear
nestly, but all to no purpose-the Repub-
licans triumphed And now behold the
''pickle !" The N. Y. World, the highest
Democratic authority, in commenting on
the result Of that election, says: "The
first and most obvious inference from Gen.
Beatty's election is, that Mr.. Pendleton's
financial policy did not contribute to
Democratic success"
Here is the Western Democracy "laid
out" completely. The history of their
party is against them, aud the Eastern
portion Of their present organization piled
on top Of that. What can party expect
to accomplish against the history and the
bulk and brains of its own organization =?
That the Republicans should have sue
ceeded in the recent election in the Dis
trict named, in Ohio, is quite natural
The Republican party is the father of the
greenbacks and Of the present financial
measures before the country; and if the
people demanded any further expansion
or change in the measures named, it was
to the party in power to whom they should
present their demands aud ask for reforms
Why the Copperheads presumed the peo-
pie were such fools as to look to them for
reforms, is beyond the understanding of
ordinary intellect. They placed them
selves in the position of would. be reform
ers, and the people showed their full sp-
probation Of such disinterested conduct
by voting largely against them. The re-
suit ought to satisfy the Copperhead party.
"IN BAD TASTE"
The editor of the American expresses
his opinion in the issue of the 3lst ult.