The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-08-07

doubled, and that these greenbacks should
be used i'm paying OF the 500 bonds issued
and sold years before. The position of these
Democratic leaders il subject to this criticism
that, during the rebellion, when the issue OF
greenbacks was a necessity to the prosecution
of the war; they denied the power; and now,
| in time of peace, to gain political advantage
they assert the power, though it would in
volve broken pledge, ana Is stripped of all
plea of necessity.
first resolution "That the $40 bonds should
be paid in greenbacks." 1t was once contend
| ed that the greenbacks in existence at the
time the bonds were issued were legal tender
for their payment, and, under the law and
the face of the bonds themselves, il
was difficult to see how, upon the principles
| OF equity, the conclusion could be different.
But, in 1871, Mr.. Pendleton declared that tho
volume of greenbacks could be increased be-
yond s400, 600, 000 and then, with the new
notes, the Government could pay off the pre-
existing bonds at rapid rate. The proposi-
ton of Mr.. Pondleton had the support of
many distinguished Western Democrats, and
resulted in a long and bitter discussion. In
1862 aid after the Inauguration OF Gen
| Grant, a declaratory act was passed, intended
to settle the whole question. 1t provided that
the 500 bonds were to be paid in coin. /
was intended for final settlement, and l &C
cepted it as such. Since that time these bonds
have been bought and sold upon the faith of
the pledge and the Government is estopped
from now asserting the right to pay them in
any other way.
1t may be safe, therefore, to predict that
the settlement of this question by the act of
1869 will not be disturbed that it will not be
in the power of the Democratic party of In
diana to reopen the question; and that the
national bank system will not be abolished.
1t may also be assumed that the pledge con-
tanned in the act of 1864, that the whole
amount of green5acks should never exceed
$500 600, 600, will be accepted as valid and
continuing; and that the policy of
making an issue of greenbacks beyond
tho $500. 000 900, either as substitute
for national bank notes or for any other
cause, has been abandoned, and, III fact, that
the volume of greenbacks will never exceed
1892, 000 000-the amount now in circulation.
And the greenback problem which remains to
be solved is the redemption Of these notes in
coin at the earliest practicable period, as
promised by the act OF 1869. That this period
is not the present seems to be conceded by
nearly all and that it will not arrive until
after the effects of the panic have passed
away good times have been restored, and the
balance of trade has ceased to run against us
80 strongly. Our currency is satisfactory,
and its further improvement will be steady,
natural and healthy. The $50, 600, 600 Of bank
circulation voted to the West will be taken
up, and then the demand will be renewed for
and the monopoly feature OF the banking sys-
tenn, always its popular blemsh, will be done
away with. And, with these considerations,
| am content to await further developments
of the future on the financial question
CIVIL RIGHTS AND NEGRO EQUALITY.
In its seventh resolution, the Democracy
went upon its knees in its prejudice against
color. The passage OF the Civil Rights bill
by the Senate is made the occasion of special
attack 9Oaipst SanatOr Pratt aud nvaalf
They think to make few votes by appealing
to the prejudices and fears OF the white peo-
pie to mixed schools In towns and com
munities where children of each color are
numerous enough to be formed into separate
schools, there will be no trouble on
But, in districts spars ely populated, or
neighborhoods in which there are few colored
children, and whore their proportion OF the
school-fund would be wholly insufficient to
maintain separate schools, and their parents
are not able to maintain private schools for
them, if they are not admitted into the public
schools they must grow up in ignorance and
without education. And what harm would
these children do in the public schnol? They
would interrupt nobody, though in many places
they would be the victims OF insult and OPP
preston. The man who would say that, under
any circumstances, these colored children
must grow up without education, to be poor,
ignorant, helpless, and perhaps vicious,
throughout their lives, simply because it
would be offensive to have them go into the
same school-house with white children, him
self needs education in the principles of our
common humanity.
The Democracy arraign Senator'S Pratt and
Morton for an attempt =" to take control of
the schools, colleges, churches, hotels, rail-
roads, steamboats,, theaters, and graveyards,
for the purpose ofestablishing negro equality, |
and enforcing it by enormous fines and pen
alties.' L arraign the authors of this resolu-
ton for gross ignorance OF the provisions of /
the Civil Rights bill. The bill does nothing |
of the kind here charged it leaves the con-
troll of all these things precisely where it is |
now, but simply declares that a negro shall |
not be deprived of an equal share in them by
reason Of his color or race. If colored chill |
dren receive an equal benefit of the common
school system of State, it is compliance |
with the Civil Rights act, and the |
control of schools is left with local
officers precisely as at present. The |
Fourteenth Amendment makes all persons |
born or naturli2ed within the United States
citizens Of the same, and OF the State wherein |
they reside. The Constitution of Indiana de- |
clares it to be the duty Of the General ASSEM- |
bly, to provide general system of education |
and a system of common schools wherein |
tuition shall be free and equally open to all.
This decision is even moro explicit than the |
Civil Rights bill; and it has been decided |
of the eighth article of the Constitution of |
Indiana, colored children have equal rights |
with the white in public schools, and could |
not be excluded from their equal benefit and |
enjoyment. This decision was made by Judge |
Perkins, a distinguished Democrat, and for |
many years Il member of the Supreme Court |
of the State. Dhe school, hotel and grave.
yard questions are about the last and best |
hold of the Democracy, and they should make !
most of them. In the South. the idea of the |
Democratic party is opposition to the civil |
and political rights of the negro. If the party |
in the South has any other principles than |
this, they are wholly subordinate, and would |
be sacrificed at any time. Democracy in the |
South means a conflict of races, and no use of |
the Democracy in the North, except so far as |
it recognizes this race conflict. And here is /
presented a great and vital issue between the |
two parties. The Democratic party is pledged, |
by its constitution, its history, affiliations and |
hopes of the future, to undying hostility to |
the negro race. The Republican party il |
pledged, by its history, its sacred principles, |
to stand faithfully by the 5000, 600 of new
born freemen, and must continue TO be in the |
future. as il has in the past, the party of lib
erty, equality. justice hnd the indissolube |
Union OF the States.
The impression has been cunningly made in |
the South that the President would veto the |
Civil Rights bill. No word or act has given
rise or color to this suspicion aud L repel
with indignation the suggestion that the Pres