The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-20
"Very Hard CASH"

What an age of shams we live in. Here
lies before us letter from President Grant
to Mr.. Bonner, driver of Dexter and the New
York Ledger, asSeverating that the Cabinet
is not clique Of gold swindlers, but imply
ing that the highest dignitaries OF the gov
ernment are not only liable to, but that they
have actually incurred, that suspicion. Great
honor to the Ledger-a trump card for Bon
ner but the cheek flushes at the thought
that there could be q call for such letter,
and grant Of such an advertisement in the
White House. At charge Of this sort how
Lady Washington would have snapped her
constant knitting-needles, and how tiercely
her lord would have shaken the powder from
his hair, " like dew-drop from the lions
enamel" But our present President replies
to the insulting suggestion with an tnsou-
Glance and certain scanty patois, Gntended
for English, either of which is more wonder
full than his greatest victory in the field.
The Presidential wrist must have been dis
located by the pen as it never was by the
sword when it was lunged into such SEN
tence as this: "If the spectators had been
successful, you would never have heard of
"any one connected with the administra-
! "tion as being connected with the transac-
"tion;" or when, at the postscript, the pen
handle was broken up to the hilt: ~ have
"written this in great haste and without eX-
"ercising judgment as to the propriety OF
writing it, but submit it to your judg-
LA,..as,. n-1r,.A.- et,is-e-ii- A4...ai,,t,
when diplomatic paper-and Of such
SORTS addressed by the President Of the
| United States to the editor OF flash New
York weekly!
1t is not unlikely that Secretary Boutwell,
gave the President his ugly task in compo-
sition, as he himself is accustomed to deal
with public affairs in the same airy way
Thus he threw himself into the Pennsylvania
election, heart and soul-we do not add
"and purse" for in this case the specula-
tors acere successful, and therefore no one
connected with the government could have
been financially connected with the trans
action yet, in the eXordium of his cam
paign speech, the Secretary had the "cheek"
to declare that he came without any parti-
san ends. And he capped the climax OF alb
surdity as he demanded of his hearers to al
low the government TO pay its obligations in
coin, when there was not q man in the audi
ence who had not in his pocket some dingy
green promise-to-pay, which Mr.. Secretary
Boutwell, would have refused to liQuidate in
coin hadit been presented to him the mo-
Ment after his honest speech was ended
By coin-payment Mr.. Boutwell, means coin
payment to certain creditors of the govern
ment-not to tie whole number-coin-pay
ment Of bonds but not Of bills-coin- pay-
ment to the vault, but not to the purse-coin-
payment to the capitalists but bills for the
people. Whenthe great financier sunk back
exhausted upon the rostrum, why did not
somebody offer him q greenback?
IA similar legerlemain was practiced, and
with like success, by Mr.. Sumner, in his ia
nous speech before the Worcester Conven-
ton. He sternly declared that "to pay the
"debt in greenbacks is reputation of the
"interest and indefinite poStponement Of the
principal OF the national debt Will the
chairman Of the Committee on Foreign AT
fairs please tell us. then, what sort of
transaction" the government is " connect
"ed with" when it pays every other debt
(but that due to the bondholder) in green
backs only? Ii promise to pay, when
given to q capitalist, amounts to repuda-
ton, has it any higher value when offered as
o recompenSe for the arluous labors OF
mechanic in government employ, or as an
acknowledgment OF the tolls and perils of
soldier or sailor enlisted in the service of
his country? Mr.. Sumner seems to think
that the freedmen OF the South could be as
easily cajoled upon this subject as the Wor-
cester Conventional, indeed any Of that
clique of capitalists were cajoled. "Could
"my voice reach them," he exclaimed, "I
"would say Freedman, stand by the cred-
"tor; creditor, stand by the freedmmn''
This is the same as to say: "Poor fellow!
"take the greenbacks for your work, and let
"your betterS, who don't work, have the
"coin. Toll for your greenbacks and be
"taxed for them; while we are dividing the
"gold OF the government and pay no taxes
"at ALL"
"Aong the cool sequestered Vale of life,
Just keep the noiseless tenor Of your way"
We think that when the freedmen come to
understand this little game OF Messrs. Bout
well, Sumner & Co., they maSflnd that they
are paying somewhat dearly for the services
OF their noisy patrons. And some Of them
may be shrewd enough to inquire whether
the sauce that will serve for the goose may
not serve for the gander TOO.