The Portland daily press., 1874-05-12
NEW YORK, May IL, 1874.

The investigating diversion being nearly at
an end, and tn Centennial business disposed
of, there is bare possibility that the lower
house of Congress may find little time, be-
fore adjournment, to attend to public affairs.
If one were to judge by the course which has
been pursued by that body for the one hundred
and sixty days since its assembling, he would
be forced to the conclusion that the two hundred
and ninety-two respectable and well-to-do gen.
temen who reflect the sovereign will of the
people of thirty States, not to mention
the ten who sit as dele. ates for their respective
Territories, in the popular branch of the Amer
lean Legislature, were as serenely unconscious
Of any existing exigency, demanding of them
the speediest and the highest exercise of all
their faculties of craftsmanship. as if they
never heard, or at least had entirely forgotten
that we were overtaken by desolating panic
eight months ago which disturbed the indus
tries of the country, curtaed the revenues
and compelled an infracton upon the Treasury
reserve, which good faith requires reparation
of without unnecessary delay. Strange, in
deed that the sense of the sudden and calami-
tous check to the general prosperity, which per-
meates every other nook and corner of the Re-
public-a check which has stopped the wheels
of our factories, and the hammers of our foun-
dries-should be unfet by the peoples repre-
sentatives, every one of whom was in the very
midst of it up to the list day of December
last, and ought to be better informed about it
and more solicitous concerning it than any and
all other men. And yet they sit day after day,
week after week, month after month, busying
themselves with insignificant trifes-trying to
find out whether there hasn't been some little
leak in the Treasury-whether this or that De-
partment officer didn't spend a few dollars
more than there was need of in getting to and
from his office-whether few pennies might
not be saved by resorting to the horse cars, in
stead of hiring a hack, and equally grave, SOL
emn, dignifed matters, debated with vigor
and earnestness and an eloquence which serve
to show that, if they realized they had any
thing more important to look after, they would
lack neither the capacity nor the energy to fol-
low it up with becoming spirit
Indeed, when the Centennial appropriation
came up for discussion the House rose to a
higher pane of argument, and something of
respectability if not of dignity was impaired to
ehC uCudOC. 1'uG TIC NcIy ldCt ouio VIC alC Cooi-
ly entertaining the proposition to hold grand
national jubilee, without first getting things in
shape to see company, affords significant in
lication Of the insensibility of our Legislators
to the gravity of the situation. No prudent
woman o. fashion wants to give party, when
there is skeleton in the house, even if there
is closet to hide 1t in. There is no place of
oonce ament for our skeleton. Bismarck would
get a glimpse of it before he crossed the ferry
from Jersey City to New York There is moth
ing which so effec tually excites mingled emo
lions of compassion and contempt for nation
in the breasts of strangers, as to witness its use
IF deprecated currency. 1t is the one un-
failing criterion by which the intelligence and
The prosperity of a people is judged. Any 9TH
Ell sta ndard but gold and silver implies either
ignorance or poverty or both, since the COM
bined wisdom of all the ages, has settled the
question, that the true measure of values is in
those precious metals.
Consequently, the first thing to be done to
render it at all desirable or creditable to have a
celebration, is to place the nation
on specie basis. Fer until the promises of
our government are. equivalent to. and redeem
dufc II CoiD, we HUI Ouly uO uOI Wduo W luNltC
foreigners to come and see us, but we ought
rather 10 dissuade them from coming, A
pretty piece of business it would be, indeed, to
have these sojoIrners in our midst. sending
home letters descriptive of the various donomi-
nations of bills which the Treasury promises to
pay and enclosing specimens of the three and
five cent nickle tokens and the ten, fifteen and
twenty-five cent shinplasters. Of course these
descriptions and Enclosures would be accompa-
MED by comments on our financial helplessness
and coupled with expressions OF surprise, that
a people whose Libraries contained all the works
OF political economists of every age, and the
histories of other great nations, demonstrating
in every instance beyond peradventure the
utter futiity of attempting to pursue the affairs
of life with an interchangeable medium not re-
deemable in the metals recognized blythe world at
large as the only legitimate measures of values,
should have profited so little by the teachings
of experience, and the monitlons of common
sense.
Then again it seems in very questionable
taste. if not in execrably bad taste to be spend
ing millions in a show when our notes are SELL
ing below par. If Mrs. Lateststyle gives a
grand reception when the paper Of her hus-
bands firm is in large supply and moderate
demand, at usurious rates of interest, the Mrs
Gruntsys' all about her-those that are asked
as well as those who are left out-her nearest
neigh bors and her slightest acquaintance
join in one common expression of surprise,
and deDrecatory comment. Some will hint
that she does it to keep up appearances, others
will inc;n r.fa hat cln &c In.n
one more swell party before she goes into
social eclipse, but they all shrug their shoulders
and look upon the whole performance as ill
timed and out Of place.
As Maine contributed the largest share of
the argument ON both sides of this mooted
project, your readers must naturally feel con-
sidera BILE interest in it, Mr.. Hale, who is rap
idly gaining reputation as one of the most SEN
sible, practical statesmen of the Housewife
seems to care great deal more about despatch
ing the public business, and fulfilling the ex-
pectations OF the country by the adoptos of
measures which shall enhance the national
credit, and re-enforce the exchequer, than by
making personal capital for his next campaign,
himself by the ability with
which he defended the Treasury from this
threatened raid upon it, His argument was
forcible and convincing.
And, certainly, Mr.. Frye did all that could
be done to invest this specious scheme with
the glamour of patriotism. 1 don't see how
The proud bird of freedom" could have been
II ade to look more beautiful than he painted
II. IT, IN his glowing words of eloquent panegyric
Ihere is something grand and lofty in the
orna'e periods with which the inspired orator
ailales upon the wealth and glory of the Union
something magnifeently scornful in the con-
Tempt which he expresses for the niggardlyecon-
omy which hes.tates to borrow a few paltry
millions to exhibit to the etfete monarchies of
Europe, the ilimitable resources of the young
Republic of the Western world.
Then again the Centennials were fortunate
n having for a champion the gifted son of New
England, Gen. Hawley, who is not only Sc
auctively attractive in Speech but who has il
iuS'rated his love of country, by fighting for it.