New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-19

| elected and proper modes OF action are de-
duced. The men, therefore, VINO stood SO
firmly while in minority, anna tne denuh-
| Citations, arrogance and scorn OF power
! the men who met the stern exigencies OF
| civil war with such heroic courage, who
| assailed the slave power and extirpated the
slave system; the men who grappled SO sue
cessfully with the perplexing and pregnant
i issues Of reconstruction, lifted helpless free
Y men up to citizenship, exalted them to the
| heights of civil and political rights and priv
| ileoes and made the nation free in fact as
well as in name, should not shrink from the
less nomentuous and less embarrassing
| questions before them.
Patriotism, principle, the continued exis
| tence. reputation and rcnOwn of the Repub-
lican party, and IL due sense Of self-respect
and pride of character demand that the Re
| publican party nOw as in the past, should
! have faith in this capacity to carry forward to
completion reforms so auspiciously begun.
| 1t came into being as an organization OF
| reform and progress, and should De ever
! ready to accept the living issue of the hour
and march abreast with the spirit OF the
| age Unaided it has fought the battles OF
reform with constancy and courage. Nor
in the work still before it can it hope for
aid from those who still cling to the tradi-
tions of the past, pride themselves on their
| conservatism, and who, during the conflicts
| of the past twenty years. nave resisted all
| reform and mourned over every effete and
hateful abuse as il fell. If there are Repub-
licans who are weary of the ascendancy OF
a party which has achieved such crowning
victories, who are tired of the responsibilities
of power, and would relinquish it to other
hands, they should remember that there
are hone worthy to accept it. For surely
they can not fail to see that the Democratic
party, by its policy during the closing years
of its power, and by its blind and unrelent-
ing opposition to refOrmatOry measures
while out of power, even now, as if smitten
by judicial blindness refusing to accept the
constitutional amendments as fixed and
final. has demonstrated its utter incapacity
for such q trust.
Accustomed to success even against fear
full odds and undertaking perhaps the in
trinsic difficulties of the pending insurrec-
ton. Republicans looked to General Grants
administration with high raised eXpecta-
tions. OF course they have been impatient.
and not always satisfied with results. But
| while those expectations have not been
fully realized in the action Of either the
| President or of Congress, much has been
achieved; enough. at any rate, 10 satisfy
them that the difficult problems will be
wrought out and the hoped-for results &C
! compl!shed.
b Grant came into office pledged TO main
tain inviolate the public faith, reduce the
national debt, diminish taxation. appreciate
the currency. reform abuses i'll the civil and
military service and maintain order i'll the
States lately in rebellion. BY the combined
action OF the President, the heads OF de
partments, Congress and the general OF the
! army many abuses have been corrected
and many reforms inaugurated. President
Grants Indian policy is bringing forth evl
denccs of its justice. its humanity and Wis
dom. The firm, Just and generous policy OF
the administration toward the States lately
in rebellion has brought much OF order and
security. and crimes have largely dlmln
ished. In the interests OF economy the ser
vices of thousands OF employees, both civil
and military, have been dispensed with
The currency has been appreciated il
value by tens and scores of millions OF dol
lars, and the national credit has been
, | largely strengthened
Without any increase in the articles sub
iect TO taxation or in the rate OF taxation
the revenues of the fiscal year, ending thir
Iieth OF June. 1870, were nearly 1our hun
dred and nine millions Of dollars agains
less than three hundred and seventy-ont
millions for the year ending thirtieth o
June. 1869. showing a gain OF naerly thirty
eight millions of dollars. On the othel
! hand, the expenses OF the fiscal year, 1870
were less than those of 1859 by more THAI
, twenty nine millions of dollars, thus show
f ing an increased revenue and saving in ex
lions of dollars in the first fiscal year o
General Grants administration. In thu
last sixteen months OF Mr. JohnsOn's admin
| istration the receipts from customs and in
ternal revenue were less than three hun
dred and seventy two millions OF dollars
: During the first sixteen months OF Genera
| | Grants administration they were more thai
7 four hundred and sixty-nine Millions show
7 ing an'fncrease Of nearly ninety-seven mil
| lions of dollars.
| Republicans will remember that durin:
| the last two wears of Mr.. JOhnsOn's admins
tration he removed Republicans appointed
by Mr. Lincoln, and others who adhered t.
> the principles of the Republican party, ant
appointed Democrats where he could do SO
2 The character of these appointments ant
the demoralizing influence which his opinion
and conduct had upon them were seen il
the loss of scores of millions of dollars o
revenue in those years. The large gain il
the collection is mainly due to the deter
mined and avowed purpose of Genera
Grant to secure an honest administration 0
the revenue laws and the appointment o
Republicans to office earnestly devoted t
his economical policy.
During the recent session of Congress
: taxes have been reduced more than seventy
five millions of dollars. The taxes have beer
removed from transportation by canals ant
RAILWAYS, from sales by dealers and manu-
t tacturers The income tax has been re
duced to two and half per cent on all III
comes above two thousand dollars, and 1t L
to expire at the end of two years. The ta1
on tea has been reduced from twenty-five t
fifteen cents per pound; on coffee from five
to three cents per pound; and the tax OF
: sugar and molasses has been reduced in Thu
aggregate twelve millions of dollars per an
mum. By this reduction of taxation the in
dustries of the people and the necessaries o
life have been relieved of burdens amount
ing to millions. The Funding bill is an i'm
portant financial measure, which contem
) plates the saving OF interest upon the pub
) lie debt by the exchange OF OUTSTANDING
, six per cent bonds for those of lower rat
f of interest, to the amount OF twenty-sla
, millions and q half year. While re
duction in taxes transfers the burden of th'
J debt from one year to another. from On'
2 generation to another, a reduction IN th
rate of interest is an actual saving to th
1 | country, and not only for the presen
generation, but for all time And yet thes'
/ important and beneficial financial measures
intended to tighten the public burderns re
ceived little cOuntenance and support iron
the Demractic party, whose respOnslbllltle
for the war, its losses, its expenditures, IT
debts and its taxation are so teartully large
Not faultless, but high, mob and glorious
is the record of the Republican party. His
tory will note it, and the world will CRATE
fully remember it. In the light OF thi
brief review of the achievements for pa
triOtism, liberty, justice and humanity
should not Republicans zone and all, clin!
to their grand organization, rectify its mis-
takes, correct it's errors and keep it true t.
its past traditions, and in harmony with tn
, enlightened and progressive spirit of tn
: age! So doing. may they not perpetual