Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-12-12

The speech delivered in the Senate on
Wednesday By the iudicious Senator from
Vermont bears marks Of a very elaborate
preparation. and is not only sensible. com
prehensive and sound. but it sparkles with
n kind of quaint wlt-mother wit a- We
might call 10. taking the phrase iu both OF
its Specifications Like all di~intcre,ted.
hard-hoaled men. Mr Morrill, is q hard
money man. lie recognizes the elementary
laws OF economic science lie knows that
these laws are just as independent OF human
will o. tie Jaw Of grayiiation that God
Almighty T. a. ubaceGmm1s8tlng II mat
tiers OF finance as Tie is in the -teCnnes. with
which lie insists that the physical masses
shall attract each other inyersely as the
square of the distance and be thinks 10
bOyish caprice and peryersity for Legislators
70 fight the inevitable with enactmentS. and
attempt to corner" the necessary course
of things by passing restrictive laws.
Senator Morrill, tells us, in his quaint
way, that the diluti0n Of the currency has
diluted the brains of the Legislators called
upon 20 remedy its defects Among the
many h0mely sarcasms in his speech We
think this is the best. But we also have
humorous admiration for his lndicrous
image OF the way in which many Congress
men propose 70 gel Ju. o. our financial
mire. Instead, be says. ''ot frankly ad-
hitting the uncleanne-s u as contended that
NOR afrt Is the proper medium %
puriEcdii0n Now We think tina;
this epigram g. worthy of sydney
Smith. Indeed, Ia reading senator
Morrill, speech, W are troubled whether
we shall assign him rank among oar
humorists or amang oar statesmen. Every
sentence "sirikes lie ~ every sentence en-
bodies an economic law and yet tine Wit ot
the speech Is not more notable than Its good
sense W had marked out many passages
for extract, which our limited space i0rbids
Us to indulge in 10 Is sufficient 20 say that
one Of the Senators Of New England, on
whose Judgment NEST merchants, manu-
fgeturers, merhaniez and farmers are accus-
toned to rely, comes ont boldly for q return
to specie payments. tie simply recognizes
the fact that Divine Providence, in deelar
ing inexorable law. dominates in the realm
of business as well as in the realm Of the
ology and science How long will it be
before most of u acknow ledge this plain
truth?
As to the ,chehif by which senator
Morrill, proposes We an return t. specie
payments, we can only commend 1t, as ne
has done, to The appropriate Congressional
committee. We are Dot prepared TO en-
dorse his remedy for the evils Of imitation
But we honor him, beyond any words that
we can lavish in celebrating 4 politician
who is true to the truth of things, and in
sensible TO the deceptive truth Of mere ap-
pearances.
Senator Morrill, speech is really a shrewd
plea to Legislators to return to the iunda-
mental principles of common sense and com
mon honesty He has combined the ethical
and the economical considerations In
cluded in his great theme with quite
an exceptional power to fuse them into
unity. Still, what most attracts rs in his
elaborate address - the Senate is this. that
it is foolish to fight God Almighty in any
form of HIS operations. The principle runs
through ne speech without seeming to
prompt it, The moral is that, whether one
desires to save his soul or his fortune, he
must still rely on the God who ordains the
laws which govern every variety Of human
affairs. We know that all the bright young
gentlemen of the time will receive this am
nouncement with ill-concealed deri-ion
but still we would modestly invite their
attention 10 the facts on which il Is found