Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-09-24
MR. GREELEYs GREAT SPEECH BEFORE
THE CINCINNATI CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE.
His Suggestions as to the Finances Of the
Country

CIScTSSArI, sept 2l-Mr. Greeley was
received at the Chamber of Commerce at
noon to-day. lie entered accompanied by
Mayor Davis, S. +. Covingson, President of
the Chamber and J. L. Ksck. He was in
troduced by Mr.. COyipgton, and Was re-
ceivsd with grea. applause. When quiet
was restored be spoke as follows:
Mr.. President and gentlemen Of the Cham
Der Of Commerce:
You will do me the justice TO believe that
l would not have chosen TO appear before
yon as an instructor, for 80 ii will seem to
you with regard to matters which you must
understand better, perhaps, than !. l am
here because ! am asked to be here; and,
being here, propose 10 make to you q few
suggestions which, trust, will have prac-
tioAl bearing.
l fully comprehend thai you are business
men, aud that this 10 business hour, and
that Whatever is said by me, at any rate,
must be very brief. To plunge a. once,
then into the middle of the subject, am
one Of these who do not feel entirely salts
fed with the financial and commercial con-
dition aud prospects of our country. l res-
lie that be have Just scared very abundant
hArvssts, and that they are a very important
element of commercial prosperity. realize
that we have a currency quite abundant in
ih volume and acceptable at par over the
larger portion Of our country. We have
many elements Of strength; and yet there
seems 10 be also elements or portsnts OF
weakness, which ought not to be passed
over in silence. You will bear me witness
that for the last two or three years we have
heard more, felt more, suffered more Of a
commercial collapse, might say oommsr-
elA difficulty, from the operations Of wha,
are popularity called "riugsn than ever
before IN the history Of this, and / think in
the history Of any country "Coruers" in
vhsAt,oornera in oats, corners in pork, greSt
laughter, corners IN gold, corners 10 stocks
and 80 on, and so on. Now, gentlemen,
am not here to say that this particular
clique which tried to force up prices, or that
opposite clique that tried to force them down
was night or wrong in Guy instance. | am
not sufficiently familiar TO Judge. What
say and what thiuk you must believe with
me, 10, that these exhibitions, these ebulli.
lions, are Symtoms Of financial weakness, Of
fnSuciAl disease. They are incidents which
are not likely to occur IN a perfectly sound
and healthy condition OF . commercial bust
ness, and the currency Of a country. Well,
We get on with them a. well as we can, or,
rather, we chase one away and another soon
presents itself, and every now and then, in
the great commercial centre where my work
has been carried on, there comes n superior
corner, some kind ola "BlAok Friday" or
something that threatens q commercial dis
Astsr-A general dIsastsr-And then appears
the Secretary Of the Treasury with his horns
OF plenty, aud he lets loose something. He
either buys stocks, or sells gold, or he does
both. He puts us at ease for little time
again. Nov ] am not here 10 decide that
that IL the best he can do. / don't know
ABOUT that; but do insist that the business
Of the country ought not to be in a condi.
ton to require this continual application Of
some thing artificial, something let down
from above; that there should be a state Of
things wherein business men and business
interests should take care of themselves, aud
not require the continual interposition OF
some public authority in such q diciatoriAl
form. some men are sWamped when he Ap.
pears and other men are relieved. Perhaps
the greatest good to the greatest number
IL accomplished, for aught know,
bat want to see a state Of things
where the uoVerument is not
continually called upon to help US out. 1t
reminds me Of the state Of things that ex-
listed in my earlier days, when, every ence
in = while, Mr.. Nicholas Biddle vas called
TO Wall street in about the same capacity
that the Secretary Of the Treasury is now,
70 put his shoulder to the wheel and lift us
out Of some catAstrophe,-lifs us out OF
some mire, or ward of some catastrophe.
think We ought to be Abls,-that you, gen
temen, ought to be able TO devise the ways
and means, not only Of getting us out Of
one particular corner, bat Of preventing
corners In the future, rendering them i'm
possible, or, at all events, disastrous to their
oontrlyers. Now, ! am supposed TO be a
man Of isBss, or, what ia the word "a man
Of hobbies on this subject. Some men inn
sglne mat ! AN . very furious dsmander of
mo immediate resumption of specie paw
L" my opinion was, years ago, and /
Nv Sseh no reason to change il, that when
e hAo one hundred and twenty Eve million.
Of money IN the Treasury, mainly gold, and
when we had . revenue exceeding he neosS.
sAry OUTLAWS Of the Treasury BY more thSn
one hundred millions per annum, Thai wa
we're then In condition to resume ,pso;s
payments; that II the Government had oho.
sen TO say: ave will resume-vs take On,
sss1oAcks ~ gold, aud we receive them a,
That there would have been NO difH.
ss.,I 70 making that resum ption under thAt
VI 'ningS' have seen the Bank o.