, 1877-08-25
A Trio OF Calanities.
CNrINNATI. OHIo, Aug. 9, 81.

FnrroP Sr.TEssAN:-The country IS at
,,raeant snffarinp from three calamities, the
var the laborN strikes and john Sherman.
The first is past. the secoI.d appears to be
near their end. but the last remains, and The
people are beginning to cry IN regard TO It,
80 Lord. how long !" They are not yet tally
aware. it is true, of the mahgn influence
which that parsonage exerts upon them and
their interests. but like sleepers inflicted
with nightmare. they are conscious OF some
thing evil and oppressive, which weighs upon
their faculties and fills them with disgust ;
and with the instinct e preservation
they strurrle to free te.cHIcaives from the
load. AS TO which of the affections is, IN
itself, the greatest it might seem dhttlerit TO
decide, but the question Is one to winch a
! little time would bring It's own solution; iof
anv long continuance Of the last OF them
would certainly cause recurrence OF both
the others; since IL is beyond the range OF
moral possibility that the American people
could. for any considerable time, submit
without resistance to the present head OF the
! treasury department and his methods. To
suppose that they would do so, Is to suppose
them bereft of al regard alike Tor their own
/ interests. and Tor the hoIOr Of their govern
ment.
Displaying. as he does, at a time when
distress and suffering are almost universal,
the greatest alacrity IN putting INTO opera
ton any engine at his command Tor eXtort-
nig money fron the people to pay to foreign
and other holders of our obligations, the pay
ment OF which they do not desire while, on
the other hand, he resorts to every Paltry
device which unscrupulous cunning can Sug-
gest, to avoid paying any other demands,
however Just, and however fully established,
not hesitating, ii doing 50, to disregard the
most carefully considered opinions and de-
cisions Of the law and accounting officers
the solemn Judgment Of the courts the plain
requirements of tie statute laws, and even
his own express and repeated Promise-he
hangs, ike an Old man OF the sea, upon the
government and nation, expressing the one
and disgracing the other.
And the motive for all THIS Is as base, as
the acts themselves are wicked. Mr. Sher-
man has become ambitious; and, like an
other Father Rodin, he Is willing 10 commit
any act, however dishonest or unjust, or
however injurious or fatal to others, which
VIII, in his opinion, further his selfish de
signs, though, happily, he has none Of the
genius or courage which gave fearful interest
70 the crimes OF the dispicable, but profound
aud daring Jesuit No, be has made shall
low mistake; made often by shallow men
before. lie believes the mass OF the Amerl-
can people to be, at heart, thieves: and he
persuades himself that they Will applaud
him for any eXtortion or injustice provided
he can thereby show diminution OF the
annual expenditures, or handsome Teduc-
ton In What he, and those like HIM, choose
10 call the national debt; rs if what the
government owes upon its ordinary engage
mcnts or for money or property winch Il
has wrongfaiiy taken from Us owners, Is no
part Of lis Indebtedness. He doubtless
magines that, because the extcrt!oIs, winch
affect all, are practiced under the forms OF
Law. lie viii not be held accountable Tor
them: and that the wroogs inflicted On tie
comparatively few VIII be overlooked or ai-
;iauded by the many who p.oiit by them
while the whole people VIII joan N shouting
ms praise for the economy Of his eXpendl-
tares and his success and reducing the ma
tionaI debt lie dreams that, for this, they
win lie iaduced to make him president
Once again he IS mistaken The people OF
the country are neither 50 simple nor so sell
fish, AS he believes them to be. They are
both keen sighted and Just they are quick
to detect nnposters, they despise all sham,
and they hate all oppression and injustice,
though practiced in their names and osten-
sibly for their interest. Let MIR. Sherman
look back on the history Of the country and
point, if he can, TO one man who has ever
woa and kept the favor Of Its people by the
means he has chosen to adopt. On the con
trary, those TO whom the people have gwen
their lasting confidence, and ON whom they
have bestowed their highest hono1s, have
uniformly been men of large hearts and broad
views, who despised all little acts and crook
ed wavs. and who won the love and conf
deuce Of their country by always appealing
t. .heir noble qualities, ever acting upon the
conviction that the only way to their favor
was in courageously doing what they bellev-
ed 10 be right.
1t Is true that there have not been want
ing, amoug our public men, those who have
endeayored to rise to high positions by the
chcrl4tan and demagogue by protesting
great zeal for the interests of the people, or
by appealing to their base passions and pre-
iudices, and they have sometimes appeared
to meet with temporary success, but where
are they now: They have perished, and
their names have been forgotten, or are only
remembered TO be deSpised or execrated-
Let Mr.. Sherman take warning, for TO follow
their example will be inevitably to share
their fate.