The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-12-30
Address CT Secretary Boutwell, be-
fore the Mercantile Library AssO-
cIatiOn.

Address CT Secretary Boutwell, be-
fore the Mercantile Library AssO.
ciatiOn.
BOSTON, December 29.-Before the
Mercantile Library Association, Sec
retary Boutwell, said the great events
of the decade have furnished to the
people North and South, white and
black, equality of opportunity. The
South had been opened to a system
of education, the advantage of which
could not be adequately estimated.
The public sentimeEG of the North,
aided by the muuiicence of the
late Geo. Peabody,was opening schools
which, by their education of the
masses, viii prove, in after years, the
sustaining prop Of the Republic. 1t
matters not if the rich do withdraw
their children, it will not prejudice
the system.
The labor question had been agi-
tated recently to a great extent IN
the North. Something had been
done for it by opening up the South.
Rich agricultural, mining and river
resources had already been reYealed,
or their use made-possible by of
the war. 1t was impossible there could
be equality of condition, though
something had been accomplished
toward it. The revolution of 1775
broke the chains that bound us to
England, but it left a subject class.
The last revolution elevated all, It
was true. The events of the past ten
years had felt their difficulties in the
loss of commerce-the creation of a
vast public National debt and sys-
tenn of taxation that vas deem
ed burdeDsome. Placing what
ever estimate you please upon
these difficulties, even the largest
amount. there is still upon the ledger
a large balance to the credit of the
nation. 1t the country remained at
peace, and there was no indication to
the contrary, tie public debt would
soon be considerably reduced, and Its
final liquidation will not be very re-
mote. 1t had been asserted that the
Americans, as nation, were grasping
and anxious for the extension of terri
tory.
This he desired to emphatically
contradict, for within the past twenty
FIVE years the Government has re-
peatedly rejected profered territory.
He instanced Mexico, which was once
in possession of the United States
troops, but the Government accepted
only few outlying States, and paid
for them literally. The Sandwich
Islands, he had occasion to know,
had been rendered years ago, and
other Islands have, from time to time,
been offered and rejected. We take |
nothing by oppession. The other |
nations take by force of arms; ours |
by force of ideas.
If, by such force, others desire to |
join US. we will consider their pro-
posals. There should be nothing in |
our public debt to prevent such an
extension. By peaceful means we /
should SO reduce it during peace, that
IN the event Of another war our credit |
would hold good. Taxation is an evil |
that should be reduced as quickly as /
possible. But there are greater evils |
with us; it meant the reduction of a /
debt with European nations and the
support of standing armies.
In alluding 70 the destruction Of /
American commerce by the war, Bout
well said none doubted what the |
remedial course should be, though no
platform could be devised to accom-
plish its restoration by the union of /
the Government and people.
In closing he said there was |
future fer America that could be |
better comprehended now than IN |
1859. England's American colonies
are yet to accept the American idea,
which has spanned the continent,