, 1874-04-09
OUR REVOLUTION.

financial revolutions. a political revolution in.
wolves noarly always Hoolal Or financial oil c.
generally both. And 30 a financial revolution
prepares tho way for aoclal and political con-
vufsion. Government, society," ar,d national
finance aro most intimately rclatod. Govorn-
mont Is tho natlon'a fnad, sooloty tho natlor's
body, tho finances tic nation's blood, 10 tam
por With ono Of thoao is to tampor with nil Of
thom. Destroy tho Government, aul YOU d.
rango tho t1nancos and disorganizo society," Tho
French Rovoluton' in Its inoiptonoy political,
was, in its development, social and financial It's
financial failure WAS tho beginning Of its end
and lod to co1lntor-revolutton. Something
similar had been observed before. LAWS fnnn-
| cial echomo produced lasting change iu Tronoh
lnanncrB and in French society, It revolution.
azed both. A. change in our own fnancoa during
tho War, introduced change into our hnbits as
apeople. With the emission Of our pauer cur
rency no bocamo to q considerable extent a
gambling nation and, having oncc enjoyed tho
pleasures of financial intoxiuaton, pcrhapa vo
cannot DO reclaimed to MI honest sober life ex-
copt through the avouuca Of national bankrupt
cy and national Disgrace
American society has changed its charac-
tor within q decade. Tho revolution begun
In our finances aproad with amnzing
rapfdity through our social systom. Will
1t end there? It cannot. unlosB no aban-
don the financial revolution NO have begun:
nnless NO cease our imitation policy un1ess
Congress rotraco tho stops 1t has recently
taken in tho matter Of tho currency. II this DO
not done, our national honor is lost, our
credit gone; With our honor aud credit our place
among nations; and, with our place among tho
nations, liberty and popular institutions. Since
tho foundation Of this Republic, theao lave Ind
no creator enemies ttan tho spoculators pnd the
halls of Congrcss,-the men who hayo turned
what should DO tho temple Of Freedom into q
don of thiovcs.
nations credit Ia a nation's life. Tho credit
Of tho only FREQ nation in tho world is Troodom'e
1ifo. National repudiation is national dslonor,
disgrace, and death; and tho nation Tint re-
deems It's promises to pny by issuing other ire
deomablo promises to pay, which discharges its
dobts by increasing its irredeonablo curronoy, ia
guilty OF reputation. If tho inlatonistB in
Congress do not know what they aro do
ing, they aro fools. II thoy do know
what their action mems, they aro !!
knaveR. Tho inaationist Senator or Reprcsout-
ativo, IT ho be not fool is traitor worse
than traitor. The traitor Htrikea at national
life. Tho infationist strikes at nationnl honor.
credit, and good name, as well "a ifo. Tho
traitor Hlays. The innationiat diplonore bis
country, discredita it, Bhamos it, robs it Of its
virtue. Tho ono dispatches it, or tries to, with
blow. Tho othor dispatches It as orcctually in
The end, but first allows it to drag out q rnser-
Ado md disSraced existence. Compared with
the repudiator, Arnold, Aaron Burr, and JEFF.
Davis wero patriots. Happy slall wo be il tho
inanclal revolution begun III this country docs
lot lead to outright reputation, and demon
'trato the folly OF popular government Tic
oeople slvod this cn1ntrr in tho rott+iea1 ntorn.
II our Civil War. They proved themselves
competent to saye it. But thon thoy Ind con-
rete things. tangible realitios, to deal with: and
ho peoplo know what such realities mean. In
he political storm, they demonstrated their
bility to govorn. In the flnanciat storm which
aa followed, thoy are demonstrating their
to rule. Hero the sovereign people
70 called upon to decide most momcntous
aestion, "a question involving the consideration
ct only Of tangible realities, but Of a6strac-
ons. Hero III the tost OF popular capacity,-of
10 capacity of tho people for FREQ government.
Tho people know enough to mako good SOL
iera and to allow themselves to bo led in polit-
al storm. They can icn1 as VIC haye tust said.
realities, with things. Tho majority.
owever, arc not hnanciora any moro than tLov
70 motaphysciaus, chemists, astronomers. Or
nguiHts. Tho trouble is, the people bolieye
lomselves financiers, political economists aud
tatesmen. Thoy havo learned 80 much of self
ovornmont; thoy have had so much to do will,
inning caucusos, conventions, town meetings,
ommon Councils, State Legislatures, that thov
olioVo themselves born Richooua, Tulloyrapda
feoato1a, dladstones, and Diamarc1s. Wo
Aye 40 many stateamon that statesmanahip han
lllon into discredit among us. We layo l,af1 so
uch' individually, to say about the disposition of
'wn, city, county, and State funds We lavo voted
long Oh questions of taxation and tho dis
osltlon Of tho money raised by taxation, TINT
haVo fallen into the delusion Of symposium,
lat wo are all consummato tlnanclora; and we
o willing to DO led by no one. IN war, tho poo-
o are willing to be led by Sherman or o Granr. !
Icy know thoy are not oil Generals. In finance.
10Y are unwilling to hearken to q scfurz or n
1tololl, or follow their financial 1caaorship.
war; tho people weld themselves into diu-
plinod !ar'ny. In finance, they resolve them. -
Ives into mob. In war, tho pooplo follow
ID obey their loadors. In finance tho pooplo
'nnd tholr leaders into tho most oxtravagant y
snrd'tios' into tho most dangerous positions. -
Ihe solution Of tho ilnancial question reats v
Eimately with tho people. It is question in "
living nico discrimination. Upon its right 30 -
Lion dopol'da tho permanenco Of our institu- y
ms. II popular government fails in this y