Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-04-16

+, Gle payments once b. earnestly fnaugu
: rated by the Government and banks, ant
Z the value OF the paper circulation would
direc ly approximate 8 specie standard.
Specie payments having been resumed
by the Government and baok4, all notsi
or bills OF paper issued by either Of q less
denomination than twenty d0lisrs should
By law be excluded from circulation, 81
that the people may have the benefit
and convenience of q gold and silver cur.
rency which In all their business trans
actions viii be uuiform IN value st home
and abroad.
Every man Of properly or industry,
every man who desires to preserve what
he honestly possesses, or to obtain what
he can honest y earn, has q direct inter
est ia maintaining s safe circulating me-
diEm such a medium as shall hs real
and substantial, not liable to vibrate
with opinions, not subject to be blown up
or blown down by the breath Of specula-
ton, bat TO be made stable Aad
A disordeTed currency is one Of the
greatest political evils. 1t u~ndermines
the virtues necessary FIR the support Of
the social system, and encourages pro-
pensities destructive OF its happiness;
it wars against industry, frugslity and
economy, and it fosters the evil spirits Of
extravaganza and speculstion.' 1t hes
baen asserted by one Of our pro-
found aud most gifted statesmen, that
of all the cOntrivsnces for cheating the
labOring classes OF mankind, none has
been more efectusl than that which de-
iudes them with paper money. This is
the aost effsctusl of inventions to fer
tilizs the rich mans fields by the sweat
OF the poor msn's brow. Ordinary ty-
ranDy, oppression, excessive taxation
these best lightly on the happiness Of the
mass OF the community compared with
q fraudulent currency, aud the robbeFies
committed by deprecated paper. Our
history has recorded for our instrue-
ton enough, and more than enough Of
the dsmoT2i'zlng tendency, the iniustic5
and the intolsrable oppression on the
virtu0us and Well-dspossd of a degraded
paper currency authorized by law or in
any way s-OUatenanesd by Government
It is One OF the most successful devices,
IN times Of psSc5 or war, OF expansions
or rsvuisions, to accomplish the transfer
OF all the precious metsls from the great
msss of the people into the hands OF tee
few, where they are boarded in secret
places or GepGsited under bolts and bars,
while the people are Left TO endure ali
the inconveEience, sacrifice, aud demon
alZ3tiOD resulting fcom the use of depre-
ciated and worthless paper"
From this we see whe=s wa stand In
references 20 tas pubic debt. Let ell be
treated alike, as l pressed upon Congress.
Instead OF boarding u1 the gold for the
payment Of coupons, all should be paid
in gold and silver. 1t is practicable. Ia
1919, the year after the termination ofan
expensive war with Mexico, We found
ourselves involved in 3 debt of "a 900. 600,
and this was the amount owed by the
Governments in 1850, Just prior 10 the
outbreak OF tbs rebellion. Ia the spring
OF 1851, our civil wsr commenced. EAcn
year Of its continuance made an enor-
nous addition to the debt, and when, ia /
the spring OF 1855, the nation successfully
emerged from tas cOnfi3t, the obligations
Of the Government had reached the i'm
mense gum OF & S73 1872. 300. The Score
tsry OF tie Treasury shows that on the
lst day Of November, 1867, this amount
had been reduced to 81, AL 81, asa, but,
at the same time his report exhibits an
increase CI-iog the past year OF S3j, CPS
l02, for the OeOt on the LIST day OF Nov
ember last il stated to have then been
81 5ZT I29 552. It Is estimated by the
Secretary that the returns for the past
month will add to our liabilities the fur
ther sum OF Sll 900 600, making s total
increase during Lhres months of SAC, 500,- |
coo. Has not the country and the Gov
eminent tbs capacity, and il there not
enough gold and silver to satisfy all
alike. passed resolutions con-
demnIdg the message to which / aliude.
The immaculate, pure and sanity Con-
gress passed a resolution eOndemning
my message. 81 much for these impor-
tsnC questions. We should understand
and see II the evils complained Of eSnaOt
be riguted.
PABDONING POWER.
We viii now turn to another subject.
I viii spssk OF my exercise Of ths par
doning power. Some complain tbst 1
pard0ned too many, and some that I
did not pardon enough. l. I had il to do
over sgsiu 1 would perhaps pardon
more. have PaFdo1Gd 8 great many,
and | believe q great many of those who
make complaint need pardOniug Q great
deal worse than those pardoRed. Laugh
ter). All Iregret about it is thai / have
not psrdoned more than 1 have. Yet l
may have pardoned some that I ought
not to have paTd0ued, and refused some
thst should have been granted. It Was
said thai L reiuSsd to extend pardon in
n case since ascsr.silsd 10 have been
innocent. I may have erred. II is hu-
man to err, divine to forgive. Il could
HOt be expected Of 8 fallibla man
to get sloOg without error. L acted
according 20 the best dictates Of nay con-
science. I treated slI alike-thOss who
were poor snd those high in'sscjety. 1t
may be said that l literally stepped upon
the seafOid and prevented the execution
Of Thousands. Some who, at the outset
of the war, followed ME with hate, pure
ouroE 30 a-~I I,.~r,.a-. -, a- . k--sA--
who even searched the mails for my
correspondence, were subjects Of my
pardon and nv eleUeucy. Many such
expected that 1 would retaliate and give
vent to q personal feeling Of revenge /;
but, thank God that l am q man
(eheeFs) and when il comes to acting
upon a question of public policy, L csn
act msgusnimOusly. L do not regret
that it mas been in my power to show
that l understood humanity and magma
n.mity. Would to God 1 could pardon
the whole world (Uoeers.) There are
individuals, here sDd there, whe need 2
pardon much worse than those who have
been pardOned.
HIS RETURN TO TENNEssEE-MILITARY
TSX.
I returned to ray adopted Stste to
learn that, instead Of peace, there vas
pickering and strife-that the people
were quarreliug among themselves and
divisions and GissensiOns had weakened
them.
I have hesrd and read q great deal
about the military tax imposed by me
while Military Governor. Where is
the msn that can say that filthy
Iucre has st any time attached
to my fingers or adhered to my
person? WHAT I do, 1 try to under
stand; and l do always what 1 think is
right. While the angry strife was
raging, while brother was arrayed
against brother, men il Nashville in
dueed others TO go INTO the rebel service,
as it was called, to leave their wives and
children dependent upon the public
charity. When Nashville was captured,
[, as Military Governor, found these
poor women and children destitute,
threatened with being turned cut of
doors, and with starvation. To prevent
this wrong 1 levied this tax. | collected
this tax from those who were able to
hear it, and kept the women and chill
drsn of the poor Confederate soldiers
from starvation, and in their homes.
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