The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-12-18
PRICE FIVE CENTS

enueS OF trade may be invited, and
demand created which will cause there
tention at home of at least so much Of
the productions of our rich and ineN-
haustible gold-bearing fields rs may be
sufficient for purposes of circulation. II
is unreasonable TO expect return to q
sound currency so long as the govern
meat and banks, by continuing to issue
irredeemablc notes, fill the channels of
circulation with deprecated paper.
Notwithstanding n coinage BY cur
mints, since 1919, of eight hundred and
seventy-four millions of dollars, the
people are now strangers to the currcn-
cy which was designed for their use and
benefit, and specimens of the precious
metals bearing the national device are
seldom seen, except when produced 20
crafty the interest excited by their
novelty. If deprecated paper is to be
continued as the permanent currency OF
the country, and all our coin il to be
come II mere article of traffic and spec
ulation, to the enhancement In price
of all that is Indispensable to the com
fort of the people, it would be Wise
economy ~ abolish our mints, thus saw
ing the nation the care and cHneus" itI.
cident to such establishments, and ."'
all our present metals bc exported BOO
bullion. The time has come, huWeNy.,
whca the government and national
banks should be required 10 taRc o.
most efficient steps aud make all nee
sary arrangements for resumption ..
specie payments. Let specie paymer.-
once be earnestly inauguraled by
government and banks, and the VUiu.
of the paper circulation would direct
approXimai a specie standard. Spe1.c
payments having been resumed by tic
government and banks, all notes or
bills of paper issued by either OF 81
less denomination than twenty dol
lars should by law be. excluded from
circulation, 81 that the people
may have the benefit and conve-
niencc of gold and silver currency
which in all their business transactions
will be uniform in value at home aud
broad. Every man of property aud
inuustry, every man who desires to pre-
serve what he honestly possesses, to oh
tain what he can honestly earn, has 20
direct interest in maintaining Il safe
circulating medium--such medium
as shall he real and substantial, NOT lia-
BILE to vibratc with opinions, not sub
iect to he blown up or to bcbi0wn down
by the breath of speculation, but to be
made stable and secure. \ disordercd
currency is one of the greatest political
evils. 1t undcrmines the virtues nee
essary for the support of the social sys-
tenn. and encourages propensities de-
structive to its happiness: it wars
against industry, Grugality, and ccono-
my, and it fosters the evil spirit of eX-
travagance and speculation" Ii has
been asserted by one of our profound
and most gifted statesmen, that "of all
the contrivances for cheating the labor
ing classes of mankind, none has been
more effectual than that which deludos
them with paper money. This is the
most effcctual of inventions to fertilize
the rich mans fields by the sweat Of
the poor mans brow. Ordinary tyrra-
nv, oppression, excessive taxation
these bear lightly on the happiness of
the mass of the community, compared
with the fraudulent currency, and the
robberies committed by depre ciated pa
per. Our own history has recorded for
our instruction enough, and more than
enough of the demOralizing tendency,
| the Injustice, and the intOlerablo OF.
preston on the virtuOus and well.dis-
posed of degraded paper currency au-
| thorized by law or in any way cOuute-
nanced by government" 1t is one Of
! the most successful devices. in times Of
peace or war, of expansions or revhl-
| sions, to accomplish the transfer of al
of tho rcople into the hands of the few.
where they are boarded in secret places
or deposited under bolts and bars, while
the people are left TO endure all the in
convenience, sacrifice, and demuraliza-
tion resulting from the use OF dci irec!a-
ted and worthless paper.
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
The Secretary of the Interior, in His
report. gives valuable inGurmaliH' W
! reference to the interests COutC .. I'D.
the supervision of his Department. ami
reviews the operations of the l.au. .5.
fee. Pens on Office, Patent Office, HuD
the Indian Bureau. Duri"g tha y,r
ending jane 30 1863, six million -e
hundr,d and tiity-tiVc thousand ,esn
hundred acres of public land were t..
posed Of.
cordially sanction the stipr,s,.-ts
which provide for ra,erviue lHrd. ,
the various trihcs where they U.. .
encouraged to abandon t"tr uou ir
habits and engage in ugricllluru, .,.
industrial pursuits. This policy, ir.H.
guratcd many years since, has met sy.El
signal sucross Whenoycyit has been I..H.
sued in good faith and with hp,0uiur
lihcrtlity by the Cuited 5.a'os. fl.
necessity for extending il as tlg 5 Ir--
~i'Af W itfi ttfN slil'i " ma I'
greater now than N any preceding lu.
riod. Whilst we furnish subsistence.
and instruction to thn Indians, WII
guarantee thr undisturbcd cuioy pIrut of
their trCuty-rights, We si.uuld huhi,u.
ally insist upon the faithful uh-rrVanc.
of their agreement to remain Wiuu
their respective +, ,servatiuue. This D.
the only mode by which collisions with
other tribes and with the whitca can ho
avoided. and the safety uf our ty,uJi..
settlements secured.
THE PACIFIC RAILROAD.
The companies constructing the raj.
way from Omaha to Sacramento huvo
been most enegelcally engaged "a pyp.
scouting the work, and il j. hcliCvd thu'
line will he completed before the ugui
B ration Of the next fiscal year. Tn. \
: per cent. bonds Issued to these Cumi.,
nic- amounted, on the 9Th instant. t,
: 81. .337, ,O0O and additional work had
been performed 10 the extent OF 81, 1,ll.
coo. The Secretary of the Interior, n
August last, invited my attention {,
the report Of a government director @
. tie Union Pacific Railroad Companv
whu had been specially instructed tgcN
anime the location, construction, au,
equipment of their road. | suhmiit,,
for the opinion of the Attorney. Gone
raj certain questions in regard 10 th
authority of the Executive which ayn.
upon this report, and those which ha,
from time to time been presented b,
the commissioners appointed To iu-p,r
each successive section of the work. .-
After carefully considering the law ,
| the case, he affirmed the right of tn
% Executive to order, if necessary, thou
d, ough revision of the entire road. Com
| missioners were thereupon appointed /
: examine this and other lines, and haS
. recently submitted statement of the
= Investigations, of which the report
o the Secretary Of the Interior furnisII
;, specific information.
: TIE ARMY.