Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-06-15

liberty the sequel This sequel is upon us,
and much closer, and nearer, than the poor,
multitudnious wretches, who are to be its
victims, are aware of Already, in the name
of union and liberty, the money poEer-the
bondholderS have the sword-and they will
use it to levy aud collect taxes from an OPP
pressed and enslaved people-loyal and rebel
at their will and pleasursi Yes. they will
use it, to turn their .tfthy ttsury, and rags and
speculation, into Teritable gold and reality,
even though it be coined from TIE hearts
blood, and, more than the hearts bloOd-the
liberties of their fellow -citisens-the people
But, my dear sir, to qui. these generalities
and come to particulars, | affirm that if you
abolish utterly usury and paper money, and,
of course, speculation which has its origin in
these twin frauds and villainies, that a fair
and even race will be opened up to ali men
for the acquisition of property, either as far
mers and tillers of the soil, or as manufac.
turers and merchants and, that instead of
monopoly IN lands, and the profits of manu-.
featuring and merchandise, with its whole
herd of menals and white slaves, you will
find land and manufacturing, and merchan-
disc, and the profits Of these occupations, to use
Lord Bacon's phrase, more "eqrally spread"
and thousand to one, now, the tillers of their
own lands, the owners of their own factories,
ard the owners of their own merchandise and
stores! And you will find all this on the way
to your Own especial millennium, increasing
the wealth, morality, religion. equality, civili-
zatiOn and happiness of mankind. In a word,
you will find your own language, in your
Kansas speech, or the idea you expressed,
prophetic ''that the man who would reconcile
or equalize aud adjust the rights of Capital
and Labor would do more for mankind than
had been done since the advent of Christ on
earth:"' say, this idea, in my opinion, would
be fully accomplished For as his sacrifice
fully accomplished and worked out mans sal
vation in the eternal world, SO such an adjust
ment would fully work out and accomplish
his security, and liberty, and happiness, and
salvation in this present world, in which he
is an actor and sufferer.
Well, tken, sir, rsury and paper money,
the initiators of fraud and speculation upon
honest labor, being abolished, utterly abolish
ed and set aside let us see what would be the
race aud career of men in the contest for the
acquisition of land and for the profits and
emOluments of manufacture and commerce.
the three aud only great sources and fountains
of wealth among men.
fear very much, sir, that your Congres.
sional robbers of the public lands, for them>
selves and railroad companies, aud your lordly
autocrats of the loom-the Spragucs, the Alb
bolts and others, and even your boasted phi
lanthropists, who deal in money and banking,
the Peabody y's-will be found to differ with
each other only in this, that the first hold on
to their lands and tariffs robbed from the peo-
pie and still rObbi1g them--whilst the latter,
Peabody, before he dies, and under the pres.
sure of an enlightened conscience, is only res
toring to the proper owners what he never ac-
quired, or could have acquired by all the in
tellectand physical force that cd gave him but
what he acquired by manipulating the intellect
and physical force of thousand others, and
which he and they are enabled to do through
thsiniIuitous frauds of usury paper money and
speculation, in opposition to the honest rights
Of labor--the only true source and fountain
of wealth extapt on earth. Peabody, the
banker, for his repentance and restitution de-
serves to be saved. The land robbers, aye of
the public Iands-the only lands the poor
own-and the oom>robbers, through wicked
tarifs--deserve to be danIned-and damned
they will be through the very instrument for
which they affect to camor, to wit universal
suffrage. L think they begin to see their
doom, and hence they are, in k-leg phrase,
hedging, on Grant, shoulder-straps, and a
standing army. If this, ell this; don't save
them. burnt brandy wont save them.
'But by the tyrants heart let fear be known,
Let the Judge trembe who perverts his trust,
Let proud oppression tottcr on his throne:
Fear has no terrors for the good and just"
But, Mr. Wade, Senator of Ohio, and tri-
bune of the people permit me to return from
this aggressive episode, to my proposition that,
if you abolish all usury and paper money, aud
of course speculation-fOr usury and paper
money have given birth to speculation in op-
position to honest labor-=a new and fair and
equal field will be opened to all men in the
pursuit of wealth and property, and whether
in the requirement of land, or wealth from
manufacturers, or commerce: And, first, in
regard to land !
In regard to the contest for land I am free TO ad
NIT that difficulty in the very outset; for
according to my opinion, and that OF far wiser
man, to-wit: Mosea, Iand-public land-never
ought TO have been subjected to sale, but fairly and
equally divided among the common owners tbeT eof.
This is the way, indeed, in which you divide faith
land Some Of the cbiIdren NAV he rich: son,e Door
Ofcourse if you it up and selit and divide the
instead of the LAND, Ihe poor children would
he nowhere The rich brothers would buy il at their
own price-or of thcm-and the others
would get only chips and whet-stones. But divide
the land, and each m an would get his foothod, and
cAB:S-have home-be independent! The samc
reasoning applies with equal force in regard
LANDS. and in regard 10 PooR CITIZENS and RICH
ONES. Who are, nevertheless, the common owners of
the public land or courSc, one will justify the
acts of rich men IN Congress-our servants and
agents-in selling aud putting into market these
lands in order, under specious pretexts to become
the of them and the best and choice of them
of giving them to speculators and railroad com
panies! This thing cannot be justified, ana public
sentiment is now getting 0p in arms against it,
Even IS said to be against it. and to have de
clared that this squandering oGhe public lands must
cease! Well might he cay so, even if he him
self interested in these public piIferings of the pub
lie lands-aEd do not mean 50 to intimate-for
these land rogues, especially Congregational ian1
rogues, the agents of the people, might very wen
the people would only let EN- hold on to whatthey
have already stolen As far as am concerned per
sonally, would make such bargain would
investigate the matter. and twist and wrench from
their feon claws the last and restore 1t 10 the
poor people from whom it has been inio utousiJ Ia
ken But let all this go, and give to the rogues and
betrayers of the people all the public lands have
stolen in the past; STILL my object is in the future
to give to ali men equal chance in the race or
contest for the acquisition of land.
-. bog this be doneS NJ ansEcr u. q