Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1869-03-06

lulUHt,s mar 10 lhAufN- lhtA hhNs
never had the wealth 10 lndulgo lh,
one NOR 10 support the other; and 8
man who enjoyed both would nol
bo very respectable member Of
society Intelligent labor i indus
trionsly applied To a fruitful soil
hut still money il 80 scarce that any
contraction OF the currency would
operate most iniuriously upon the
agricultural and mechanical in,
tcrCsis,
Let il not be said that am or
have been the friend Of the paper
money, or OF any of the overgrown
monopolics that have fed aud fat,
tened upon public pluEdcr until
they defy the constituted authuri-
ties of Government, Tho resump-
ton OF specie payments, II We were
ready to resume, Il il admitted on
all hands would bu attended by u
great enhancement OF the valnc oi
paper money. \ dollar in gold, in,
stead OF Icing worth dollar aud
thirly,hvc cents, would be eXchHng-
cd at par, or the premium Of thirty
five per cent. OF gold over green.
backs would no longer exist. Su
that man holding 100000 in
greenbacks would have il suddenly
raiscd to the value OF Sl35, 900 in
that currency, But tho people oi
the United States are not all bank
crs aud bondholdcrs. The great
majority OF them derive no profit
from tue enc or the other, and the
interests OF this class, numbering
twenty to one, arc entitled TO some
consideration at the hands Of Con-
gress in It's efforts to solve the
financial question. The debtor is
entitled to fully rs much sympathy
as the money.lender. The laborer
between his plow-handles and the
mechanic in his shop, are, under
our system Of government, tho
equals Of any other citizens Of the
Republic. 1t is their energy and
their productive industry which up
holds and sustains the fntric OF
American civilization Knock ont
his support, and the Government,
with its bonds and its currency,
/ would be involved in n common
ruin. The claims Of labor and tho
welfare Of the laborer arc matters
which must engage the attention OF
statesmen if the sunlight Of pros
perity is ever to shine upon us
agaln. Politicians may plot and
plan, bankers may discount and nc
commodatc, demagogues may deiude
and deceive, but the truth will come
out at last that the hard hands and
strong arms Of labor mast work the
dcliverance.
Has any person seen farmer or
mechanic who complains OF u re
dundancy OF money The COM
plants that have reached my ear
are precisely the reverse. If they
are in debt, do they dosirc 'b1 priv
ilege Of paying one-third more than
they contracted, and are they par
ticuIarIy clamorous for Il reduction
OF their wages? Arc ohey fevcrish
in their anxiety to see $4OO,0 10000
of Government bonds sold in Eng
land for gold to redeem the green
back currency, and then to zee the
taXgathorers collecting in the same
gold to ship across the waters in
payment Of the interest on the
bonds? According to my theory
the burden rests upon their shout
ders, and their tongues must make
the call before | will ever vote ior a
bond for any purpose whatever.
The Southern States embrace a
population Of eight or ten millions,
and unless their very existence is to
be ignored some consideration
should be bestowed upon the meas
ure, as it is very likely to affect
their interests. Are they ready for
specie payments, and do they desire
that all values shall be reduced to
the standard Of gold and silver?
Almost every newspaper that comes
from that quarter informs us that
some finely improved estates has
been disposed of at Sheriifs sale for
two dollars per acre, and as the un-
fortunate owners have been bcreft
of all else they would hardly favor
a project which would sacrifice their
lands at 81 %.
OF the situation of the Southern
people / know little from actual OBJ
servation. Since the war L have
been no further South than Cor
donsvilIe, in Virginia. Manassas,
which has risen from the ashes, re-
minds us of the opening scene in
the civil strife. / passed Cedar
Mountain, or Slaughters Mountain,
as the people Of the country call 1t,
in whose shade Jackson marshaled
his forces, and from whose summit
swept the charge that never failed
of victory. l crossed the Rapidan,
where Grant and Lee, the great
masters of military science, for sew
en- long months confronted each
other from opposing banks. Ditch
es and earthworks may be seen on
all sides, but where are the farms,
the orchards, and the gardens, the
corn, the fruit and the flowers? +?
These rich valleys, like Western
prairies spread out before you, but
no fence obstructs the view and no
sound breaks the solemn silence
that reigns around There remain,
however, some evidences Of ban
ished civilization. Now and then
single chimney, like a monumental
column, points You to the past. 1t
bears no lettered scroll but still it
speaks of happiness and home. Its
warmth has been comfort 10 age,
and sparkling eyes and ruddy faces
have reflected its light. But the
scene was changed. The thunder
cloud of war drew near and more
- -ussI ssa anfrru faEhpa raVe