The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-07-16
From the Paris Intelligeneer Of the 9Th
FIRST REPUDIATION GIN.

CofictuCthbtC u&SduNdiiIdENy ~ hS Va
course did not know what position
Col. Hawkins would assume, further
than the report that he would advo-
cate the Reputation of the public
debt, state and national. Col. Haw-
kins made a strong speech. He dis
cussed at some length the limits of
legislative bodies to tax the people;
took position against the right of one
generation to contract a debt the pay
ment of which must be imposed upon
a future one, principally in the abb
stract. He claimed that the public
debt of Tennessee was within bis def
nitions improperly and to posterity
unjustly imposed, and that the legal
and moral obligation to pay it did not
exist. He claimed that there was as
little or less obligation to pay the
national debt. and that the payment
I'of both would re-ensEare the colored
race Quoted largely Gen. Banks's
speech in Congress) and enslaye the
whites. All of his positions and ar
guments were fearful comment upon
the Radical party, and, although he
did this by Implication freely, he was
careful not TO do so directly and
openly.
. Col. H. devoted much time to the
examination of the numerous cases of
reputation of the public debts of 9th
er countries, beginning with that of
Massachusetts,, the old Continental
debt, England, France, Spain and
Mississippi, all of which were justified
upon his general grounds. The audi
ence were somewhat surprised when
he lugged in Washington, Jefferson
and other Fathers of our country as
favoring his views, and this he did in
real good lawyer-like, special pleading
style.
Upon the whole Col. Hawkins used
all the Legitimate arguments of which
we can conceive, and many we think
Legitimate, in order to render the
public debts of the country, odious
and oppressive, and we think appeal
ed to the weak side of humanity most
earnestly in order to infuse repudia-
ton into the crowd. The speech
was reputation from the center to
circumference, reputation and moth
ing else.
Both gentlemen made speeches and
replied at length. Major Sykes made
a most pointed reply from the stand
point of a Southern reconstructed
Democrat and paroled soldier. He
first congratulated the audience that
Southern Democrats had no hand in
piling up this mountain of debt upon
the oppressed people. AS to the State
debt, he laid it at the door of the Rad
zeal rule, which increased it from six
teen to forty-two millions, while Dem
ocrats and conservatives were disfran-
chised. He drew the distinction be-
tween the bogus debts of the Radical
Legislatures and the original and the
latter just obligations Of Tennessee.
I He showed that the bogus debt had
been paid by the railroads in settle
ment Of their Indebtedness to the State,
! although a fraud upon the people,
and wis beyond the reach of any
I legislation. He also showed that the
bonded debt of Tennessee now under
going refunding, and registration, was
a Just debt, for which the people of
the State Ind received valuable con-
sideration, and much of it full value,
and every legal and moral obligation
bound the people TO its payment. The
principle of refunding the debt he en-
dorsed, but made objections to some
features in the present funding law,
which he thought might have been
made more just and fully as equitable.
He was in favor Of sustaining the hon
or and credit of the State, as well as
her name and past honorable record.
At the same time he was in favor of
extending every relief possible to the
taxpayers, and insisted on the most
rigid economy and retrenchment, and
the very lowest rate of taxation COM
patiblc with the necessities of the State
government. When he came to speak
of the national debt, Major Sykes ac-
knowledged it was enormous and OPP
pressive, and had been made the more
so by the conversion of paper debt
into gold debt, by the party of which
Mr. Hawkins was a member, with
which he had uniformly acted, and
by a Congress of which Mr. Hawkins
was member. He alluded to the
fearful increase of the national debt
under both Lincoln and johnson,
when the latter was good wholesoul-
ed Radical. But while Sykes &C
knowledged the national debt was a
very grievous burden upon the coun-
try, Mr. Hawkins party had by con-
stitutional amendments, and recon-
struction, fastened it so securely upon
the country that 1t could not be re-
pealed. Sykes boldly told the crowd
that it could not be gotten rid of, but
was. fixture. As paroled
soldier, he would be charged with
treason should he do So; or Southern
Democrats attempting it would be
charged by Mr. Hawkins party with
disloyalty. He saw no hope of escape
from the crushing burden of the ma
tional debt, unless the Northern PED
pie of the Radical party who made
the debt and chained it fast upon the
country, should lift it of. OF this he
hand no hope or expectation, and the
South was utterly pOwerless in the
matter, while any attempt to do so
would react upon the South, and unit
ing every element at the North against
the South, Danish the last hope of ev-
err obtaining a fair recognition of the
national government, and would fast
Ell Grant upon the country for the
third and fourth term. Many strong
points were made by Maj. Sykes, based
upon. the statistical tables, which
we were unable to obtain. A COM
psrative statement of Tennessee, and
other states according to productions,