The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-11
VIEWS OF CHIEF JUSTICE CHASE.


Public Debt.
Chief Justice Chase delivered the following charge
to the Grand Jury for the district of West Virginia ut
the opening Of the court at Parkersburg last Thurs
day
GENTLEMEN OF THE GRAND JURY-You have been
selected among your fellow citizens for your intcl-
gence, your mpartiaty and your integrity to inquire
concerning offences against the United States within
the district of West Virginia. Your general duties
are sufficiently defined by your oath, which binds
you, under the most solemn obligations to present
no one from envy, hatred or i'll will and to leave no
one nnpresented from favor and affection. The same
oath binds you to dgent inquiry as well as true pre-
sentiment You will not acqut yourselves of these OBJ
legations by slight or careless Investigations. You
as may be brought before You by the District AttOr
ney or by members OF your body, to whom know
ledge of particular offences may have come. Your
authority and your duty 60 much further. You
may and you should summon before you officers OF
the government and others whom you may have
reason to believe possess information proper for
action and examine them fully. Oificers connected
with the collection Of internal revenue and assessors
and their snbordinates may, with special propriety
be thus examined. In respect to the mode and ex-
tent OF your inquiries your own good sense will be
your best guide. The District Attorney will always
law, and the Court also, will take pleasure in
spending to any inquiries you may see fit to make.
present ADVISED ogy three subjects IT, to Whcs Il
Is necessary TO direct your particular attention. The
4 fst OF these Is the faithful execution of the Internal
Revenue laws. The war in which the nation has
been recently engaged for the preservation OF the
national Union and government endangered by re
bellon made the contracting OF large debt newt
able This debt is the price OF our national exist
ence and binds rrevocaby the good faith of the peo-
pie. Its involabe obligation has been recognized by
solemn act OF the nation IN 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 law. including
debts incurred for the payment OF bounties for SER
vices in suppressing Instruction or rebellion, shall
not be questioned There are differences OF opinion
as to the mode OF payment required by the American
people through their government, but nobody
questions openly IL any body at all, that the debt
contracted must be paid, and paid In perfect
good faith. The law OF the amendment that the
validity OF the national debt shall not be questioned
was already written upon the hearts OF the people
before they made it part OF the constitution. To
provide for the reduction and final payment of this
debt and for the annual expenses Of the government
equal proportion to be contributed by each citizen is
ascerained by law. lie who withholds his Just pro-
portion depryes the rest of the people OF exactly the
amount withheld. His fraud operates as theft. The
sum total necessary 10 meet the obligations of the
nation must be raised. Fraud upon the revenue
does not reduce that sum, it merely shifts the bur-
dens evaded by the fraudulent upon others who pay
their full proportion. All honest men, therefore,
have common cause against the dishonest;
You, gentlemen, represent the honest men, and
II Is your duty TO see that defrauder of
the revenue who can be brought to justice es-
capes merited punishment. The higher in Office
and the higher In social position the delinquent may
be the more unremitting and searching should be
your diligence in inquiry and presentment. Some Of
repeated upon the next topic to which must invite
your attention. refer to counterfeitng. II is TO he
regretted that the currency OF the country now
ssts wholly. or almost wholly of paper: but it is not
tue ess Important on tnat account that the people
shOua pe piotecteu as Tar as possible, against coun-
terfeitIng. Whatever the currency OF any country
may be- payments must be made in 1t and exchanges
erected through 1t. IL is practically the common
measure OF values. Whoever imposes counterfeit
dollar on the public robs successfully all who take 1t
III payment. Counvere'tihg IS continuous robbery,
ana rods cniens tnose VINO are least
are defrauded ny counterfeit money on large
transactions, out the piinc'paI sufferers are
TO- project wroup Yop a be- be
vgiant, gentlemen IN your INVESTIGATIONS concern
ing this class OF crimes: What remains to be said
concerns Onences aeas. lhe rost once laws. Uhder
our benignant system of government the means OF
cheap ana frequent intercourse between the most
d,s,ani partS OF me aePuoc are prpviaed feIatlves
anu friends separated by tne Dreadth OF the CONT
nent correspond Freely Win each other. Corespon-
dence i nearly as cheap ~ tak ana not ony DO the
mails convey messages OF affection. science ana
business, they are also tne agents OF immense Pc
cuniary transactions by renittances OF bills OF eX
change ana sflan government money ORDER. Iou
see ~ once now Important IL IS tiat e aws winch
regulate this VAST interchange should he faithfully
exec'.ed 9nd we are condens ,nat nothing more is
needed 10 insure youf ocst endcavOrs 10 deect ana
pIne 10 justice MI Nose whose crihc5 ana ohences
wy pevpe VI vi. niea' oe"c"'s """" 'esc
Lawis-sne-s in West SirG,ns-Iae Registry
Law.
Governor Foreman, oi West virginia tradcal, IN
speech delivered at Parkersbnrr last week referred
10 tue condition of affairs in that state az oliows:
am here to sneak TO Won Of the ,awlessness which
ee go stats ihro ~ VIC secrst an ons M
tbe object of which 10 m uort nnor tho
e The and no upon 'ns
e , ., ~, ag fsrs IN Ei i ossassin "
sSr5oa IN YOUR land. and 1 receive letters Haily
which arc ssnt 10 me from various counties where
i'io & " ,reatoneJ ana teyror;1, oXer Ts
Gnvernor read death notice SEM 10 himself from
c n con ;o rSecutng mn nun ae AVN ne
refereed to The speech OF Colonel r. ~. smith
at Tho wbaeiine Convention IN Tho OH
~ las, I,nnary adyocatinc tho mobbino ~
registry oiicers. AS published An bolh The
W6ealine panHrs. and aIso the sneerb M canerai
J,rSs SON on the same lay prono.ing 10 force ne,x
government on West Virginia ana run n reeariiess
of lie Ia Nly existing STATE organizaton a panpr
u, jscrSou sonfy Recently stn,ed ibst Tho rnals
Intended to vote M The NEXT election i'm spite OF The
Rerstry law All these things mean so,petbng 7
a here i"nqbt 10 assert soennly Thai ms peg,s,rv
law is inst and righteous law and az fairy excentsd
hnoSs Trror win occsslopsy he madc cn ~, s ,nu
ecuilon OF all humane laws. Half the spcecbes ana