, 1874-03-28
A LIE AS 4 sTANDARD or VALUE.
Address Of Edward Atlklns0rls OF mns.
anctausotts, Delivered sscforo tho
C0oprr IMHtatute Anti 1nS1ntton
Meeting, TllcAtlny Evening, March

to tue dealings OF tic GoVerhWeh5 WIN tllo poo
pie; without which, na we who ure merchants
md ma nufacturors 30 woll know, no commerce,
eithor among men or between nations-not
oven soclnl ordor-can possibly exist. The
Government itself is to-tlay the great OK
amplo Of dishonesty and Of useless and
vicious insolvency; henco It is no wonder ti'nt
Its ngents, it's splcs it's lnformors, atto1npe to
cast ohloguy upon those except for wnoin
tho utter anarchy of mutual dlBtrst would pro-
vail. Wore not the norc!iants, tho tradcrs, tile
people far bottor mud noro honest than tho laws
their rulorB Nude for them, tue nation itself
woufu celse to exist. At tho door Of thoBo mig
glidod or tlepravod Legislators who Iavo enacted
baso Hatntos lies the responsibility Of most Of
tho real frauds that exist, IA woll as Of tho dig
Tho employment BY Government OF Bpioa ip tho
administration of itB affairs is always nn eyi-
donco Of .weaincss, aud tho dogreo Of their en-
plormcnt atwlys measures tAat Of its fmbecillty
is that they ailall apply tho samc simple rule Of
equity to tho transactions Of the nation that wo
apply to our doings with each other. It nee.ls
only the plain, ordinary, aud trlo cotlrao that
an honest and upright merchant would tske,-
that Ao could not nolp taking,-to roscue this
country from the oppression md dangers that
arc upon uB.
In lilo dark time Of civil war, whom tic fate Of
tho natlon WAS ut sako, many acts wore done
for which, in time of poaco, tlscro could DO no
Justification; among them was the Legal -Toni1or
ncr, whereby tho Government levied a forced
loan. The danger Of this step was well under
stood by those who gava 1t . reluctant vote.
Not until Mr.. Chaso had himself gono down to
tho Senate Chamber and had said tEiat without it
he couid not carry OIL tho Government, did our
latnented Sumner aud others Of Ills associates
yioll thcir consout. Why did they hesitate? 1t
was beca,lho those men, who tlon urged heavier
knew tAat no nation had ever. yet redeemed tho
promiacH isBucd ~ money unuor tho BIreBs Of
wnr. Every nation. without exception, Tint Inns
ever issued debt, to Rorve as money, has rcpNdi-
ated it, and lias returned tu specie pay-
ment through national bankruptcy. Thoy
dreaded lcst tho glorious enthusiasm for
liberty should fail which had tlon brought tic
nation 10 the tempcr in which the people would
have given property, lifo, ail but honor, to tho
such failure when tho stern, hard duties Of
rosIorlng tho losses Of the war should lave como
upon us.
a NATIONAL TnusT.,
Yet, knowing that kingdoms and empires had
thtla failed, that eyery other mutton that hud
ever ishuou promises III tho place Of dollars, or
Of other coined money. had failed 10 redeem
them knowing the dangers, tiny yet trusted n
Tres people, a1id beloved tuat NO should prove
IN exception and that il, this, as in other Ways,
wo ahould become IN Example and a leatcr
nu,ong tho nationB. Shall NO prove false to Ibis
high faith: Are wo to Disgrace ourselves and
tlom I Aro NO to dshotlor the dcad Shall
tho act which lincoln s'sned to sayo Ms .
ignorant, tho dopravoa md tho incompotent
men who have failod in thcso paat
years to dedicate the abundant revenues that tho
people laye poured 30 layishty iuto their haa- ii
TO the honest, prompt, aud true payment Of tho
| lisgracod anddlahouorea the great mon by whose
acts tho nation was saved, and layo conyorscd
this legal-tonter promise into lilo u.ad u cheat.
| by its continued Till enforced uso they pick
f.a$o Gfn
lAuosor portion Of tle fruit Of l|s labor, n'ak-
! ing him 10 return. Some honest hut lgn0raltt
legislators have undertaken to rcbuho those who
call the greonback lilo, antl have tried to lluld
cast obloquy upol. ono Of the gtcat war ,nstlu-
| ments by which tho nation YaB saved. We houor
tho Bwold anti tie rifle which otr soldiers Used,
| whou Ind away US trophies, but il they Ind been
| placed in the l1andn Of highwaymcn wlon thei1
righteous work had Guided, aud had been used ~
tEo,n to rob on tlIo road. should wo still cler
it'll md value tho wcapons even OF our honorcd
! derd?
t These men who have put tho grconbaclB into
uso thAt llNd beon paid And withdrawn llaye aQHc
au act ~ base-thoy hayo converted tho right.
ooua Weapons Of tho war into tho implements oi
robbery and oppression: charge not lad mo-
two upon mnny mon. There are not nlNny n,cn
thank God, wllo put on tue livery VI 1leayen te
serve the doyll III. bus Ignorance and wo"kneal
arc moro dangerous than wrong intent. Wien
oven an ho,lnat but ilopeussy incapable Soerctu
ry of tho Treasury seems to bo only the dlce-bu,
with which your Buffers, sanborns, and Jaynol
| throw loaded dieo III tue gambling gamo to whicl
taiso a,l,l dihhonored currency aud IL bad roy
onue System haYo brought all our commerce, iii
time indeed to hold meetings OF tho people, Il
tell Cougroas-talio no nctiuu urleBs you tnkt
right acl!ol,, conaone 10 fraud, tolerate no tam
pering with the currency. Tell Copgreas at leas
to te-enact tie limit Of the currency, aud TAXI
from tho Secretary Of tic Treasrry tho powor tt
play fast md loose with the grcAs exchanges q
tho country. measured as they aso in Thousands
of millions. Take away this unlawful asannlp
tiou, which puts it III tic power ayen Of u subor
dl,,nte of tho Treasury 70 maio or mnr the for
tunes Of thouaa,liB. Demand this in lllo ua.as
at the consumers Of oil tho products exchanged
| upon whom this tainperinE with tho cDrroucy i'll
tllctB tho heaviest tux of any NOW imposed upon
them.
TIE prA1N ouEsr1ay-KEEe FAITH.
Lot ua to Hay to those nlen in Congress, w1lt
mean vol bus tnow not hnw to act 1t wore vel
indeed If you could not quickly, wo aro AuTerint
because tile standard Of ynluo Which you conttn
uo to impose upon us IL q faHo measure; Du
act only to mako tho promise good, md loeI
the taith of thuSo who havo trusted you. l
now-if You must first provo to you
constituents how they are dcceived-hov
they DECEIVE themselves and deceive you, then
Ut leaHt. bo true enough not yet to not Mt ai. 1h
fur right md hollor. An tho people slowly bn
surely learned TINT /. freedom s7ss national All
sinyory scotional," swill they nj surely find ou
tint q dlslionore1 ptomtuo u bau money, a1lt
tlluy vii! hold those legialatoss to stern nc
gol.cy bccA.so they dared not trust aud wait
ilm III tho conviction TIM: truth IL 1niGhtlp
than falschood. We need not perplox ouu'osve
with elaborate plan9 Ai!u cAhulnS lovloes VI
honest pifpose "na hsed determination will L
Male tue grceubacS Of to-day only tho sui.
as tho ono first iaauod-not ovon quite as go0d