Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-05

, = N1AC'
: of burning, cOrroding ayarice, demanding
t unjust, unlalIowed gains. 1t is tht
3 voice of the extOrtioner and the usurer
2 commanding and enforcing the annull
ment Of the laws and the abrogation Of
} contracts, in order that the substance OF
J the people, no longer protected, may By
, open to plumber without limit or restraint.
To this voice, more deadly to the laborer
than the hiss of the serpent in the field,
J the party now in power has listened, and
is now listening, and rendering strict
obedience to all its terrible and infamous
requirements. 1t says, No more currency
for the people, and no more viii be issued.
1t says that the contract for the payment
OF the bonds in legal tender notes shall
be set aside, and il is done. IL saws that
the plain aud express law of the land
shall not be enforced, and it instantly be-
comes liefless and dead upon the statute
book
THE TESTIMONY OF THADDEUs STEVENS.
Here might rest with safety in my
discussion of the law and the contract be-
tween the Government aud the holder of
its bonds. What may have lacked in
clearness and force, the Senator, by his
speech year ago, has more than amply
supplied. The argument, with his assist
ance, is complete, but can not forego the
pleasure of associating one other name in
this cause tonight, name of greater
brillianey and of higher party authority
than the distinguished Senator's. Thad-
deus Stevens, of Pennsylvania, more than
any other man then living, was the organ
izing mind, the creative genius, the inspir-
| ing forceof the legislative measures of his
party while he was in Congress. He was
made by official appointment the leader
| of the House He was the chairman of the
Committee of Ways and Means, and either
wrote or dictated to he written every
financial enactment from July, 1851, to
the day of his death. For seven stormy
years he introduced and defended them
all on the floor, and finally when they be-
came the law they bore the impress of his
great intellect in every line. He made the
law of the contract for the payment of
the bonds. Is he competent witness to
| tell the people what it is? Hear your
own greatest leader, whose consistency
was unbroken to the last, who never ran
in cunning, treacherous circles like the
hunted fox crossing and confounding his
| own tTacks-whO, whatever were his faults,
inspired respect by pushing boldly and
fearlessly on in a direct course; hear him,
you honest working men of the Republi-
can party who had full faith in him while
living, and to whom he still speaks though
dead. Speaking of the fve-twenty bonds,
on page 4, LIS of volume SO, Congressional
Globe, second session Fortieth Congress,
July II, 1868, Mr.. Stevens said:
''After they fall due they are payable in
money, Just as the gentleman understands
money, Just as / understand it, Just as we
all understood it when we passed the law
authorizing that loan; Just as it was dozen
times explained upon the floor by the
Chairman of the Committee of Ways and
Means, when called upon by gentlemen to
explain what it meant; and Just as
the whole House agreed that it
meant. I want to
say that if this loan was to be paid accord
| ing to the intimation Of the gentleman
from Illinois Mr.. Rossl if l knew that any
party in this country would go for paying
in coin that which is payable in money,
thus enhancing it one-half; if knew there
was such platform and such determine
| ton this day on the part of any party, l
would vote for the other side, Frank Blair
| and all would vote for no such swindle
| upon the taxpayers Of this country. 1
| would vote for no such speculation in favor
of the large bondholders, the millionaires,
who took advantage of our folly in grant
| ing them coin payment of interest. And /
| declare-weI, it is hard to say it-but if
even Frank Blair stood upon the platform,
paying the bonds according to the contract,
and the Republican candidates stood on the
platform of paying bloated spectators
| twice the amount which we agreed to pay
| them, then 1 would vote for Frank Blair,
even if a worse man than Seymour headed
the ticket That is all want to say"
This great leader in his day denounced
| the system of finance which prevails, as a
swindle upon the taxpayers of the land
| His words, still ringing with undated
| force, denounce at this hour the Repubh-
can platform OF Indiana as cheat and
| swindle on every laborer in all our borders.
| They proclaim the Senator from Indiana
| the supporter and advocate of sWindlers
and robbers of the nations industry. One
| year ago Mr.. Morrill,, of Vermont, said
that Senator Morton went farther than Mr..
Pendleton in favor of the legal tender the
| ory. Now the powerful language of Thad-
| dsAs Stevens paints him as a renegade from
| that position to the ranks of political i'm
/ posters, swindlers and pirates upon the
| farmers and mechanics OF this over taxed
| nation. He paints him as the upholder of
| speculation, in favor of the large bond
| holders, the millionaires who took advan-
| tage of our follies and our necessities TO
| obtain even the interest in gold.
| But the proof of my po@itiOn aocumu-
| lates from Republican sources.
The chairman of the Finance Committee
| of the Senate, Senator Sherman of Ohio,
| for many years the trusted financial leader
| of his party, on the 20th of March, 1868,
uses the following Language in reference to
| the fve-twenties:
81 think the bondholder violates his
| promise when he refuses to take the same
kind of money he paid for the bond.
If the bOndolder can legally demand
| only the kind of money he paid, then he is
| a repudiator and extortionet to demand
money more valuable than he gave"
| The whole world knows what kind of
money the bondholder paid for the bond.
This distinguished Republican Senator
says that by law he must take the same in
payment. He paid paper money and he
must receive paper money or he Is Fep1-
| diator and extortioner according to this
eminent and conclusive authority.
THE TESTIMONY OF GEN. BUTLER.
Gen. Butler has also spoken on this great
subject as follows:
''To the assertion that by thia course the
| public creditor by fiYo-twenty bonds is in
| iured, l reply that propose to pay him
when his obligation falls due, in precisely
the saase currency or mORey lrbiGh the Coo
ernmeHt has pT0Vided t0r erery other cred
it0r, public or pFigate, to be paid In, and
| that 1olich 1t as declared upon the back Of
| eCery legal tender note he may be paid IT,
do not propose to do in
Justice to the public creditors, but to pay
| him according u he lett . and spirit Of his
Obligation, md 10 s6c1re lin from tile dan
! ger Of reputation, lrtjah l9H surely tolloB
aR attempt al enforcement atTOB the people
| by their 0acn g0tes Of an unjust and an
c0nScj0Ha6le transaction under tie glise Of
q contract.
Have 1 not only established beyond
doubt what the law in itself is, but also
what it was universally conceded to lie
prior to the present administration by the
ablest minds in the Republican party?
MoRToN's MISREPRESENTATION OF THE sU-
PREME COURT.
Not daring directly to face this crushing
record, or to attempt to answer his own
argument, Senator Morton resorted at
once, however, to his universal instrument
| of debate when beaten in the field of fact
and reason. He flies to the grossest and
most monstrous misrepresentation of a
judicial decision ever before made by a re-
spectacle lawyer or an honest man in this
or any other country. l speak deiber-