The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-09-19
A vheciing Cicrgymans Views ON the
fi.oanhaak Question.

A wheeling Cicrgymans Views ON the
Greenbaek Question.
Hey. A. C. Gcon,c, In the Northern chriitian AdrO-
vOcate
"The United States promise to pay" is
lust as binding and sacred an obligation as
II, John Roe, promise to pay" A nation
Is corporation, body polite, IN aggre'
gate personality, and Is Us justly held to
fulfill its engagements as m individual.
The legal responsibility may be denied and
repudiatcd, but the moral responsibility
cannot be escaped. No power but that OF
the Almighty can force nation TO keep
its promises, but no power in earth or
heaven can absolvc nation from Its obi.
CATION to keep its promises. The moral
law is irrepcalable and Of universal appli-
cation.
In monarchical government, the sub
ject may have but very slight completely
in the acts Of the authorities. Rules and
laws arc imposed on him, and he must
simply submit to tho inevitable. The
range OF his responsibility for political
acts and procedures Is extremely narrow.
II IL quite otherwise in republic. Just
80 far us the government is constitutional
and representative, the voters are proper.
" held accountable for the administration.
The kingly authority is with the many
headed people, and for the manner In
which they exercise that authority they
must answer to the moral law. II the law
be violated, the penalty will DO surely ill.,
0icted. No nation Gun indulge in wrong
and robbery and escape punishment. Rec
titutle, in the order OF the Almighty Prov.
idence, Is the Indispensable condition OF
national life. History teaches us nothing
II 1t docs not teach us this lcsson,.
It's true that the majority OF voters
constituting the governmental power, may
inllict or uphold wrong, despite tho ar:
guments, protests and solemn appeals oil
the minority, who arc, in that case, practi::
cally excluded from the government and
have no further responsibility except con-
tinued rcmonstAnCc. The obligation TO
maintain unrelaxed constitutional rosis-
lance to q proposed injustice and wrong
ought, however, TO be constantly discern
cd. III every legal and moral way, the in
divilual citizen must oppose the violation
OF Gods law BY the community or State to
which he belongs, or he cannot escape his
personal accountability,
Let us apply all this to case in hand.
When the American Republic was in n
life and death struggle against armed re.
bellion and treason ,'the government issued
bonds and legal-tender notes, to relieve its
necessities, maintain It's armies and sup
mort its civil authorities. 1t declared that
these bonds, il taken, should be paid, prin-
cipal and interest, in coin. In no other
way could the bonds have been sold and
the money realized. AS a pledge Of its
faith and honest purpose the government
decroed that the custom duties should he
paid in coin, and should be used to dis
charge the interest and principal OF the
public debt. The logal-tendGr notes have
no fixed time for payment. They arc,
therefore, always due, lnd tho country Is
bound to discharge them ut the earliest !
possible date. This is the more evident
from the iaut that they were made legal
aggregate amount was limited by law, and
that the national legislature repeatedly de.
olared that tho good faith of the govern
ment was pledged TOR thnlF FeHampli9Dt
"Will the nation" asks Q patriot and
statesman, redeem Its piightod faith and
nay, in the day OF its safety and power, us
It promised in the night time OF It's disaster
and porl?" In other words, will the ma
ton keep It's solemn pledge? Do the pea-
pie consider that their engagements are
sacred and that their promises are inViola-
bloY Is the public credit to be maintain
ed? Docs the American Republic believe
in the policy OF honesty? Are obligations,
voluntarily assumed, to he faithfully dis
charged? VIII the honor Of tho American
name remain untarnished? These arc
moral questions, as well us questions OF
public aud national concern. The char
acter OF o nation u W significant and I'M
portant rs that OF M individual, and Is as
essential TO O career OF prosperity. Not
only the present generation, but 0vQry
future generation, not only this country,
but every other country, is profoundly in
terested In tho decision Of q question which
touches tho very foundations Of justice,
morality and civilization. VIII the Amer
ican people keep taithP VIII great
Christian nation inflexibly adhere 10 the
right? Has the Gospel dominion over tho
national conscience? Not only civilized
lands but pagan lands may wait with so.
lieitudc for tho response. There ought
not, indeed, to be any question In regard
TO the matter, nor would there DO but for
doctrinaries and demagogucs, who arc
ready to lead the people aStray. Really,
the honesty and intelligence OF the Amcri.
can people are on trial. Do they know
their duty and will they perform itP
There Is not political capital or great
commercial centre on the oarth where
these inquiries are not made.
The proposal to pay these bonds and
notes with irrcdeemable paper, declared
to DO "abSolute money" is as impudent rs
It Is immoral. II Is simple, shameful, sin
full reputation. No proposal could BIO
more infamous. Its acceptance would
smirch the national honor beyond hope OF
recovery. II would be rs inexpedicnt MS
il is unjust. II would destroy the condi.
tions OF public confidence, produce COM
mercal anarchy, and sweep, as with the
bosom OF destruction, oil industrial lnstl'
tutions. Capital would suffer but labor
would despair. The rich would be wrong
cd, but the poor would DO ruined. The
whole secret OF political economy Is In the
faithful observance Of the moral law. Jus.
ticc TO each Is prosperity to oil. Lot us
keep our engagements; pay our debts IN
dollars; and maintain our Christian recti-
tude, and We shall certainly find the way
Of prosperity and happiness.
What We Missed Seeing by the Wnsi.0ut
on the r. W. and Ky. Road.