The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-03-01

And the taxes may be still further
diminished by reducing the amount
which we shall annually pay hefeafter
in the discharge of Che nationaks deH
We intend to pay the national s detH,
every dollar oft, aeai TO iquidates sope
portion of it every year sbntl~am~-op-
posed to paying it off at the rate of one
hundred millions per annum. 70 pay
J it off at this rapid rate wouhrsound very
well in foreign parts. but would be an
unnecessary oppression Of this genera
ton. The next generation will sustain
the same relation towards the men who
put down the rebellion that we do to
the fathers of the Revolution, and it
would be right, in justice and morals,
to let them pay a part Of this debt,
which was contracted for their benefit
rs well as ours. There are those who
think it would be a splendid thing, to
pay off the entire debt within twenty
years; but the next generation would
not thank US for that, any more than The
son who inherits a large fortune thanks
his father for having lived life of par
simony and self~denial. would there.
fore relieve the present generation by
turning over to the next q considerable
portion Of the debt. which, in their
vast Increase of population and resour-.
ces, will rest upon them as tritilng
burden. If our population shall in
crease in the same ratio as it has in the
last twenty years. we shall, at the end
OF the century, thirty years hence, have
one hundre millions of people, en-
our wealth will have increased in Q far
greater ratio. 4ess
This may be done by funding a por-
ton Of the debt into long bond, at
the lowest rate of interest which will
be accepted. It is the purpose of
Congress to reduce the rate of inter-
est which will be acce pied. It is the purpose
ofCongress to reduce the rate ofinterest upon
the body of the debt by funding it into new
bonds, if possible. all that part which is sub
ject to redemption and control. Wheth,r the
time has arrived when this can be accomplished
we DO not know :. but the effort will be made.
RECONSTRUCTION.
The primary work ofreconstructio1 is near
ly accomplished. Mississippi has just been re-
admitted and Georgia and Texas will soon
follow The recent action of Congress has
enuncated the great principle that the power
to reconstruct implies the power to protect the
RECONSTRUCTED and to prevent the fraudulent
violation Of the terms an conditions upon
which the late rebel Stat es are restored to rep
resentation that the power to guarantee a
Republican Government in State, is the pow
er to secure, and may be as well exercised in
advance to prevent its destruction, as to re-
build after il has been dcsi royed. But
reconstruction will for years require the
protecting and fostering hand of the Re
publican party Should the Democrat
party come into power, imbued with the
spirit of sullen opposition, it would
seek to destroy whatever has been ac-
complished, like the invaders of ancient
Rome, who pulled down the beautiful
statues and monuments, which they had
no genius or skill to set up again.
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM
The Democratic party held their Con
vention last month to nominate candi>
dates for State offices and lay down a
platform of faith and action.
In the resolution they declare that the
Federal Union must be preserved This
is excellent, but it is trfle to late. II
they had said SO before and during the
war, instead of lending their influence
to those who were seeking to destroy
| the Union, we should have been vastly
more obliged to them, In another res
olution they declare that the tariff law
, has destroyed our shipping, whereas it
was generally supposed that the distin
guished Democrats who navigated the
Alabamas and Shenandoahs had some
thing to do With the destruction OF
American shipping and commerce. In
another resolution, they declare there
abhorrenee Of the reconstruction meas
ure. This ofcourse. They relished the
resolutions of L 1913 much too well to APP
prove the reconstruction measures.
In another resolution they declare
Al IL a. III,
Amendment, and protest against Indiana
being countend in for it's ratification.
They did this before by the disgracefal
| desertion of their seats, and by a
wicked eonspiring to deprive Indiana OF
an equal voice in an amendment to the
. Constitution of the United States by
breaking up the legislative body. But
their prote st was not needed then, nor
! will it be now, although it cost the
; State between one and two hundred
. thousand dollars, ard is remembered
only to be execrafted and despiscd
The FIFTEENTH Amendment is the law
of the land. Ills great measure of JUS
, tice and equal rights has been engraf-
, ted upon the Constitution, aud heceforth
in the North as well as in the South,
the right Of suffrage will not depend on
color or race, but will be given to all
citizens who are not disqualified by
crime. This is the happy and glorious
conclusion of a struggle which has been
in progress for many years. and removes
from the field Of politics one Of the most
exciting and dangerous questions by
which it has ever been diturbed. It is
gratifying that Indiana has by her vote
contributed to this grand result, not>
withstanding the desperate and revolu-
L. y
ing so. The ratification by Indiana
| greatly encouraged the friends of the
/ mendmcnt in other States, aud stimula
: tod them to renewed eyertiOns for its