The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-10-29
Flint Money.

Mr., EDITOR,-Permit me to answer Gen.
Neal BOWS communication of the 16sh inst.
by asking question. he says in his COM
munication that Mrs. Jane P. Thurstor, the
legal owner of the United States and of all
the property thereof, in the exercise of her
sovereign right has issued fat money" Sc,
and described it as the fac smile of the silver
dollar and of the gold. He says he has two
ten dollar pieces and two twenty dollar pieces
The heraldic bearing is spread eagle with the
olive branch, and the arms with the Inscription
surrounding it, United States of America,
and beneath it the words, Twenty D. Ten
D. Here is the greenback idea worked out
perfectly, except that no act of Congress has
made this currency legal tender, but Con-
gress can do so as well as confer that quality
upon any other pieces of papsf." The question
which L PROFOUND to Gan. Dow for an answer
is, "What is money, and who has the legal
right and power to coin and issue this money
in the United States today?" Will he please
to answer at his earliest Convenience. Gen.
Dow continues in his communication of the
10Th inst. by saying. 81 should like to know
why these paper dollars of Mrs. Thurston-
with an act OF Congress making them legal
tender-would not be in every respect as valu-
able as the currency suggested by our green.
back friends" Ans. by question I'd: rs an
act OF Congress necessary or requisite to make
Mrs. Thurston's (who is the acknowledged pro-
prietor of the United States and K. of G. B. &
c. money legal tender, bearing as it does
the coat OF arms of tue states and the efdgies
OF said proprietor, and an inscription, legal
currency?" (which two latter descriptions Of
the gold money Gen. Dow omitted Is Mrs.
Thurston (the acknowledg ed proprietor of the
United States and Kingdom of Great Britain
and colonies, though vastly worthy woman,)
without fortune and with 30 credit whatever,
which depends upon wealth." says Gen. D..
"while the United States government is rich,
strong and with unbounded responsibilities
Ans. question 81: 'Does not the riches and
strength of the United States government be-
long to Mrs Thurston, who is the proprietor?
Is not her proclamation of June 10, 1878, and
of Sept. 1873, covenant of grace-after a
breach of the covenant of works-by the gov
eminent of the United States? AS the cove
nant Tin divinity which is particular dispen-
sation whereby God deals with mankind, as
the covenant of works under the Mosaic dis
pensation, and that of grace under the gospel?
Art l, Sec 8, U. S. Constitution, provides for
the punishment of counterfeiting the securities
and current coin of the United States. This
constitutional law is as binding in my new
money as the moral law. The Hon. judges
Clifford and Appleton have acknowledged to
me my power and right to coin this money &C.
c0rdng to my cited proclamation, and the lat
ter told me to go on and coin my money. Cues.
4: Art. l, sec 8, says, "The Congress shall
have power (Which power I purchased) 5. To
coin money, regulate the value thereof and of
foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights
and measures" If the bondholders refuse to
present their bonds for payment, in the legal
currency which offer them, in a limited time,
would it not be necessary and lust for them to
become void? Money is metal, coined for pub
lie use, and metals, as hard, compact body,
capable of fusion or art of being melted or
coined, and have been from the earliest ages the
appropriate representative of the values of
property, and have been used as affording great
facility in commerce. They were SO used be-
fore the invention of coinage. and in their ma
tive state, or run into bars and ingots, the vail
ne was ascertained by weighing, as in the
case Of Abraham; Gen. %. Is. and in that of
Jer. 329
The second stage in perfecting currency an.
pears the introduction of pieces of these metals
bearing some significant stamp. The origin al
of the words translated ''a piece of money!"
which each of the friends of Job gave to him,
denotes sheep; Job Al, IL, slgnifying doubt.
less that it was Of the same value in trade as
that animal The Rsmss AS was an oblong
coin with the figure of a bull impressed on it.
The shekel, with its various subdivisions of
half, quarter and third shekels constituted the
jewish coinage at the time of Simon Macca-
6ues After the subjugati9n Of the jews by the
Romans, the coips of the Romans became cur
rent in Judea. Thus the pieces Of tribute
money shown to our Lord bore the image aud
superscription of Caesar tbs Roman Emperor;
Luke 20, "a Paper money, which is found to
be so great convenience In trade. is COM
paratiyely modern contrivance. Its value con-
sists in its character of representative OF the
precious metals. The bank bill represents
debt on its face, for which the gold is promised
on presentation, just like an individuals prom
ssory bill or note, tor its face value, secured by
a worthless mortgage or endorser. Tue more
of that kind OF money you have, if money you
viz BILLS of DEBIT the poorer you are, that
is, if you expect to keep the golden promise to
return cash aud all Of them in gold, for the
Bills of Debt of the United States are so great
that the world does not contain enough of the
paper money is absolute money, as much as
the precious metals, the gold and silver dollars,
and needs no more promise than they do. The
arms of the state, or image and superscription