New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-05-04
LEGAL TENDRRp IN W1R.

| The North american Rerieo having severely crit
cised the act which made Greenbacks Legal Ten
der, and Mr. Spaulding's history thereof Mr. Spaud-
ing replies i'll letter which, because Of its historic
value, we publish in full as follows,
| BUFFALO, April 90, 1870.
| Mr.. HENRY BROOKS ADAMs-Dear Sir: have iust
finished reading your article In the April number OF The
North American Rerier, in which you review somewhat
at length the history OF the Legal Tender act recently
prepared by critcsng the very freely and
the pursued by those who took prominent part
in It's passage through Congress. Tho measure has
always been open to public scrutiny, and have no com
plant TO make OF any fair criticism which you or any
other gentleman t to make 1t passed in great
emergency q measure" and not with view OF
having 1t continued indefinitely permanent policy OF
the Government in time OF peace As measure 1t
proved success and has therefore indicated itself
Seeing however, that you cricise individual action,
desire to correct mistake which you have fallen into.
which when corrected will leave your criticism without
much force and certainly less pointed In regard TO SELF
In your article you assert that claim to have carried the
measure over the Administration and through Con-
gres and this assertion is quoted and repeated by you
several the Of your article whereas the
words thus quoted are not taken frOn any remarks OF
mine but are contained in the speech Of the Hon. Theo
dore NJ Pomeroy one Of my colleagues from New-York.
delivered in the House Of Representatives Feb. 10, 1862,
| while the amendments Of the Senate were under
| consideration On looking at page 1872 OF the his
|
roys remarks in which he asserts that originated this
measure and carried triumphantly over the Admins
tration and through Congress-" but where can you
find any such words Of mine On tho contrary, only
gave narrative OF the facts in chronological order and
page of the book you will find that expressly state
that 81 do not claim any particular merit or demer for
what did In preparing and aiding 10 secure the passage
| Of the bill. placed in position where, If / per-
formed my official duty, must act and must act with
vigor and promptitude The periious condition OF the
country did not admit Of hesitancy or delay. l en-
deavorcd in the peculiar and responsible position In
which I placed, to DO what conceived TO be my
duty and that Is all claim To have done. NY associates
performed their duty with equal fidelity and usefulness
These the words used instead Of the words which
You quoted from MIR Pomeroys speech ana attribute 10
Ia giving the history Of the measure 1t was my ann
To state Facts leaving 1t for Others To decide upon the
merits dement's of those who aided IN the passage OF
the act well those who opposed it, without any UNI
snd or haIih ms on my part bs s ~ 6e
question To stupidity or Ignorance, which seems to lie the
arit Of your article, assuming Oh your part superior
am grated notice among the dsparagine epithets
Bjnrham John sherman Henry Wilson, and other zeal.
ous utrots in the Union cause that you speak kindly
nv Iate friend, william Pitt Fessenden that you
eulogze his ability, intelligence, and staesrnansip
Chairman Of the Finance Committee reported the
Senate, and in his opening speech upon 'he great I'M
porance of the measure said it needed long careful
and vigorous discussion" 1t has had u In the othef
branch OF and hage n5f5 tbnk thn
debate weak and full of absurdies, Mr. fessenden
Of the question" He voted TO strike out the Legal
Tender clause in the bill and, falling IN that he, on the
final passage of the bin, voted Tor H. including tnat
am pleased also that in your article you, speak so
favOrahlv of the superior dlsceTnment OF the late
Judge C0amer for moving to strike out The Legal Tender
clause on the ground that IT was unconstitutional
In his speech that occasion lac said, in substance
"that thu oath he had taken to support the Constitution
wa. recorded i'm Heaven as well as on earth and that
even il wa, necessity he could not vote for the bill
Preston King took the same ground ana YET boih OF
these gentlemen in less than year voted for sl0OOOOO
legal tender in addition 10 the s3OOO000O which
had previously issued. They were true men; aud
back pay Of the soldiers who perng their lives in
the field in gigantic struggle with the Rebel armies
during the cold month OF January l7 poth tnese Seh
recorded their votes for the additional sl0o0oo
to he to tbe 1oD TO Ar@y e men could
send money home 10 their half starved families, while
Legal Tender pa ge 1927 Mr. Fessenden, Judge Colamer
and Preston kn three patriots now dead thus recorded
then voter, holding their constitutional scrules III aDey
mi, patriotic record ON EARTH in desperate struggle
for Lin, rty and UuiOn VIII. trust on tne day OF nua
%[Vo In si mi Nat - tearfrom The recording angel
in Haayens clancery will blot out all their other
cting records. III crisis presented Ike the dark nouf OF
both Houses OF Congress thus IN favor
of paying soldiers and their starving families THIS
enduring nemoIiao OF their fidelity to the national cause
You caim III your tppant article that the Lesa Tender
act was not ecessaIy even as Mli measure anu mat
II passed under fraudulent Misrepresentation OF
mistaken. am gratifed, however, to notice you say 1T
just to add that Mr. spauldns I'D strongly and IN
notes which Iundable and tie latter issue which
were So. regarded this vital part OF the meas
ur and stu think the right of funding into per
cert bonds ought to have been abrOgatcd Ii was
necessary prevent redundancy, ana consequently 10
ueytut depreciation Of the notes.
have 10 dc sire TO multiply words on this subject at
this tune. NJ main OBJECT N writing tins letter IS TO
correct ervOuer statement III regard TO myself
ana the san, time speak klndy OF IL! associates VINO
susaino3 ihe Union cause in its hour OF extreme peril
your ind vidual criticism 0I those VIZ
sOke i'm favor of Legal Tender even to the CONSTRUCTION
aud rhetoric Of the speeches, 1t is probable they
will NOT deem il Necessary as do not 10 make All! oo
tense Deeds, rot words, are their best defense. -
II vnu md Won are IN your statements IN re-
oarf m ,y-ci would like To have You make tAe cor
/ r., a. " l., G., SFAULDING,
/ eut s3rN ant, -- "
! TESTIMONIALS IN FAVOR OF THE LEGAI-TENDER ACT
A. 4 WAR MEASURE"
a SEWARD,
Late Secretary Of state
ArBUKS. April n, 1870.
DyE Mn thank for OF book. 1t
il. written iout passion prejudice sad makes entirely clear that