The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-08-27
Taxation and Debt,

There are a few facts which every man
fully understands; the nation has been
engaged in bloody war gilmore than
four years continuance. This war of ne
cessity created public debt of many mil
lions Of dollars The debt contracted
must be paid unless repudiated. Any pro
posal to pay the debt, in any way not in
accordance with the spirit and tenure of
the original contract, is no better than OPP,
en- reputation If the debtor eeeEs 70
eyade or vary the agreement with his cred
tors, he places himselfin an attitude Of
dishonesty. Our Nation is the debtor, and
the moral sense of all other nations and
people, VIII hold it responsible for the
5aithful discharge of its obligations
The history Of other nations furnishes
as with striking examples Of national
honesty in contrast with national dishon-
esty More than a half century ago, Great
Britain and Spain, emerged from protract-
ID and desolating and each incurred
oonderous debt The debt of Great Brit
an was seemingly Overwhelming, but the
Government never for moment wayered
IN its purpose to fulfill its national obliga-
lions to its creditors. The result Of this
honest resolve, has been the steady growth
Of England in wealth, enterprise and pros
perity. Spain repudiated its national
debt, and as a consequence, sunk into ig
nomiDy and disgrace, its national power
degenerated into weakness. Nor does il
bid fair for generations to come, to recov.
er its lost power and influence among the
nations of Europe. Such is the whitening
effect of reputation upon nations. Car
the United States afford to repudiate, witt
such examples before them? What better
would Pendletons scheme for paying the
National debt, be regarded in Europe thai
open reputation
And who is to blame for the incurment
of the National debtg Whoever says The
Republicans are. responsible, must of neces
sity assert that the rebellion was righr
and ljustifable. There is no other alter
native; ifrcbellion was wicked and trea
sonable then it was proper it should be
suppressed and put down; if those who
sought to discover and overthrow the
Union, were in the right then of course
Republicans were to blame for main.
tanning the integrity. of the Union
1t such cost Which side of this
question will our Democatic friends take
# in the judgement of the Democracy, the
election of Abraham Lincoln by the Re.
publicans justified Howell Cobb Toombs
Jeff Davis, Slidell, Mason, and host OF
Others Of like reasonable character, il
conspiring for the disruption ofthe Union
and the establishment Of the Southern
confederacy, then Republicans are respon-
stble for the war
But if the Democratic party admit the
necessity for arresting the rebellion, by
the resort Of war, then it logically follows
that our national debt was justly incurred
A great war without National expenditure
is an experience the world has never yef
witnessed. If then the public debt hal
been necessarily and unavoidably incur
red, and the justice Of its payment &C
snowledged, does it not follow that rebe
chiefs Of the South and their democratic
allies north should not be entrusted will
power? Is it safe to elect the enemies o
the government during the war, to place
lof public trust Yet that is what til,
Democratic party now seek to do.