Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-10-06


for doing SO than the alleged fact that
there were armed insurgents against the
government of tine United States in one
or two interior counties In the State OF
South Carolina.
THE GREAT LAND STEAL.
But / Lave another and quite as grave
q charge to prefer against the Republic
can party. Wnen that party first came
into political power, only q little over
fourteen years ago, we had national
domain OF public land, extending all
along our western border from the Red
river Of the north to the Pacific ocesn,
from Missouri over the towering noun
tains, and fertile valleys of Colorado,
Arizona, New Mexico, and other Terri
tories TO the confines OF western civil
ization in the State of California; a ter
ritory so vast in exteut and SO valuable
in resources as could have been made
the seat of an empire, richer and greater
than any Ia EurOpe-eXtending through
latitudes and having a geographical To-
cation that gave 1t the sunshine of al
most every climate, and having buried
in its bosom every preciousjewel and val
liable mineral known to science. 1t
could in time have been made the source
OF untold and fabulous wealth TO the ma
tion. But you who have not had Oecs-
sion to examine the subject will scarcely
believe me when tell you to what base
uses this vast source OF wealth and ma
tionsl greatness has been devoted, To
say nothing of the amount of public
lands that have been disposed Of in
worthy aud proper way given to SOL
diers and to settlers under the various
laws of congress, the Republican party
while administering the government
for the past fourteen years, have gener-
ously donated to corporations and pFi-
vste individuals the immense amount
of one hundred aRd seventy-two bill
lions seven hundred and thirty nine mill
lions four hundred and thirty thousand
aud eighty acres Of the public land,
This is the enormous tribute which the
government has paid to partisan jan
nissaries, congressional lobbyists, soulless
and sometimes mythical corporations.
In all this fabulous wealth thus lavish
ly and cOrruptly squa andered every man
in Tennessee had an interest, and how
many of you, my fellow-eitizens, have
been benefited by the donations? Truly
great government is this of ours, when
its favorites and supporters are so gener-
ously and munificently rewarded. Just
LLllh LIE hlAlO5l GDuIA1Ccc AuhAgNA Va
broad fertile acres taken from the peo-
pie and given to political mendicants
and public plunderers; enough to give
every man, white and black, in the
whole State of Tennessee more than a
princely estate, enough TO give home
and support to more than forty millions
of people, enough, II sold for the mini
mum price fixed by law for public lands,
4, f.,a
the globe with a solid band Of gold.
= nd where is the public good that has
resulted from this vast expenditure OF
public wealth? Let my Republica n
friends answer the question.
THE BURDEN OF PUBLIC DEBT.
But there is another count in the in
dietment which prefer against the
! Republican party: They have given US
the burden OF public debt to bear
amounting TO the sum OF two billions
two hundred and fifty-three millions
two hundred and fifty-One thousand
( three hundred and twenty-eight dollars,
/ only a very little less than it was at the
close of the last war Perhaps | ought,
10 justice to my opponent, 10 say that
this vast debt was incurred, and in
some measure necessarily, in the prose-
cution OF the war for the maintenance
OF the Federal Union; but while this
may be so, it is due to the people of the
country that they should give some rea-
son why II has not been materially Ie-
duced during the eight years OF peace
that have elapsed since its termination.
The country has been engaged in other
wars, the prosecution of which greatly
increased the public debt; bnt il has, in
all such cases. been greatly and rapidly
reduced upon the restoration Of peace.
A comparison of the fluctuations of OuT
public debt created by foreign wars
with that entailed upon the country by
the war OF the rebellion, will exhibit
something of the financial ability of our
Republican Legislators. The public
debt OF the United States at the end ol
/ WashingtOn's administration, after
having discharged many Of the
nations liabilities growing out of the
revolution, was something over eighty
two millions. At the close Of NJ. Msdi-
sOn's first term ii had been reduced to
hfty-five millions. The war Of 1917
with Great Britain, which occurred
during Mr.. Madison's second term, in
creased the public debt, in round num-
hers, To O2s hundred and twenty-thTee
millions, but in the eight years OF peace
which folloTed-thst is, ct the end oi
Mr.. MonrOe's administrsti0n-it was
reduced to eighty-three millions; and
in eight years more it had been re-
dueed to seven millions. In the sue
ceeding four years, when General
jackson retired from office at the Close
Of his second term, it had fallen tC
three millions of dollars-R sum 60
Insignificant that one OF our Pacific
railroad spectators, or credit mo-
bilier operators, might have paid il
from the profits OF a single sale OF
watered stock, or the passage of single
bill through congress. At the close OF
the war with Mexico, we had a public
debt of sixty-three millions Of dollar;
created ia the prosecution of that war,
/ which gave unusual lustre to American
/ patriotism snd courage, and by viii b
/ we acquired the larger part of that vast
J domain which our Republican friend'
/ have been so liberal in dispOsing of. A
the close of General Pieree's admins
tratiOn il had again been reduced Z
twenty-eightmi millions. The commence
ment Of the late civil war found ms witt
s debt OF ninety millions of dollars
which A Republican administration, il
four years, succeeded in increasing t,
the almost incalculsble sum Of two bill
lions six hundred and eighty million
six hundred and forty-seven thOussn,
eight hundred and sixty-nine dollars.
WHY HAS NOT THE DEBT BEEN RE
DUCED2
As l have before remarked, it may b
said, and possibly with some propriety
that this enormous debt was contraete
in prosecuting and carrying on the civ
war. Let this be granted, and l still as
why il has not been in some measur
reduced in the eight years of Repubiica
lrule since its close. have shown yO
that a rapid decrease of the public det
has followed the close of every forme
war. 1 have shown you that in th
twenty years which followed the war {
, the revolution, with the unusual eXpens
attending not only the organization OF
new government, but the birth Of ne
nation, our national debt was reduce
, from eighty. nine 70 fifty.seven million
. of dollars. In the eight years fOllOwin
the last war with England il was n
duced from one hundred and twenty
, three millions to eighty-nine million
In the eight years following the Sem
, mole and other Indian wars it was r
! dueed from eighty-eight to seven mi
: lions; and in the eight years folloWin
4he Mexican war it was reduced frol
, sixty-three to twenty-eight millions
dollars; and yet though more than eigl
wears have passed since the voice of WI
, mas been heard in the land, how muc!
a / ask you, hiss our present pa
lie debt been decreased in that tin
by a Republican administration haviI
at command all the vast resources
. the government. IL other administr
tions could, in the same length of tim
make such reductions in the public de
! as have mentioned, how is it that Z
one now in power has not been able
ACCOMPLISH the same resuits2 May
not, as an American citizen lnterest'
in the honest administration of the go
: ernment and the prosperity OF the cOu
I try, INQUIRE how our public serVan
: have discharged the high duties whit
: rest upon them as statesmen and voter
T Have | not the right to arrsign the
: before the American people ana a
: their condemnation? What punis
g ment should be meted out TO these p
D itical culprits? Shall they be allow
e to remain longer in the high plae
] which they have deseerated and p'
e luted? Have we no publle lictoTs
: scuurge them fronn the halls OF leglsl
e ton? Have we no Tarpean rock fro
{ which they can be hurled to destru
= ton? / do not cry out against them
a a mere partisan aecuser, but speak
e the name of the great American puo.i
a in the name and as the representati
( of every honest man Of whatever part
a nationality or color, who feels the hil
r responsibilities Of American eitlzensbi
I, To them appeal TO enrol theInselV
i under the banner which bear, and 10
y the gra d army of honest, patriotic m