The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-02-24

debt. We intend to pay the national
debt, every dollaF Of it, and to liqui-
date some portion of it every year;
but I am opposed to paying it off ct
the rate OF ore hundred millions per
annum. To pay it off at this rapid
rate would sound very we'll in foreign
parts, but luld be an unnecessary
oppression of this generation. 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 bene-
fit as we'll 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
inheTits a large fortune thanks MS
father for having lived life oil parsi-
mony and self denial. would there
fore relieve the present generation by
turning over 10 the next a considera-
bic portion Of the debt, which, IN their
vast increase of population and re-
sources, will rest upon them as a tri-
fling burden. If our population shall
increase in the same ratio as 1t has in
the fast twenty years, We shall, at the
end of the century, thirty years hence.
have one hundred millions of people,
and our wealth will have increased in
far greater ratio.
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. 1t is the purpose of Con
gress to reduce the rate of interest
upon the body OF the debt by funding
it into new bonds, if possible, all that
part which is subject to redemption
| and control. Whether the time has
arrived when this can be accomplish
ed we do not know; but the effort will
be made.
RECONsTRUCTION.
The primary work Of reconstruc-
ton il nearly accomplished. Missis
sippi has just been re admitted, and
Georgia aud Texas will soon follow.
The recent action Of Congress has
enunciated the great principle that
the power to reconstruct implies the
power to protect the reconstruction,
and to prevent the fraudulent viola
ton of the terms and conditions up.
on which the late rebel States are re-
stored to representation; that the
power to guarantee a Republican
Government In a State, is the power
to secure, and may be as we'll exer.
cised in advance, 10 prevent its de.
strucion, as to rebuild after it has
been destroyed. But reconstruction
will, for years, require the protecting
and fostering hand of the Republi
can party. Should the Democratic
party come into power, imbued with
the spirit of sullen opposition, i
would seek to destroy whatever hal
been accomplished, like the invaders
of ancient Rome, who pulled dowr
the beautiful statues and monuments
which they had no genius or skill II
set up again.
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
The Democratic party held thei
Convention last month to nominate
candidates for State offices and La
down platform of faith and action
In the first resolution they declare
that the Federal Union must be pre-
served. Tbs is excellent, but it is
trifie too late. If they had said 81
before and during the war, instead O
lending their influence to those who
were seeking to destroy the Union
we should have been vastly more
obliged to them. In another resolu
ton they declare that the tariff Law
has destroyed our shipping, whereas
it was generally supposed that tho
distinguished Democrats who navigat
ed the Alabama and STEAMBOATS,
had something to do with the 1estruc-
ton of American shipping and com
merce. In another resolution they
declare their adherence of the recon
struction measures. This, of course
| They relished the doctrines of seces-
sion, and the resolutions Of 1875
much too well to approve the recon.
struction measures.
In another resolution they declare
their unalterable opposition to the
| Fifteenth Amendment, and protest
against Indiana being counted In fo1
its ratification. They did this before
| by the disgraceful desertion of Their
seats; and by wicked conspiring to
deprive Indiana of an equal voice IN
an dmGUQmGuG To the OOnSLlLUElOl Oh
the United States by breaking up the
legislative body. But their protest
was not needed then, nor will it be
now, although it cost the State be-
tween one and two hundred thousand
dollars. and is remembered only to
be execrated and despiscd
The Fifteenth Amendment is the
law of the land This great measure
of justice and equal rights has been
engrafted upon the Constitution, and
henceforth in the North as we'll as 10
the South, the right to 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 struggle which has been in
progress for many years, and remove
from the field ofPolitics one of the moss
exciting and dangerous questions By
which it has ever been disturbed. II
is gratifying that Indiana has by her
vote contributed to this grand result
notwithstanding the desperate and
revolutionary efforts to prevent her
from doing so. The ratification BY
Indiana greatly encouraged the
friends of the amendment in other
States, and stimulated them to re-
newed exertions for its final success.