The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-31
from petersburGs
Frorat ,fs lILndex.A appeal, 2ssh.I

81 We Ind buped that the last VI efhl AS
ss,,,blvs .byskhe passage or the Mt uiloch
hsii. Ind river, d quiettis tost ne question OF
t 1, nubIic debt, and that al I agitationoi the
snhiect would cease. TT e readi nstmcnt Tor
which that bill prov. des, and which mas a
now gone into opert.sson MS TO over Six NIL.
lions OF dollars of the old bonds, It, seems
TO us, Diminish ;es the interest, TO be pa,u
each year to a.h extent which ought 20 SUI
isfy even tt. uost exacting. But as surely y.
us night follows day, unless the people VI
the CoDiusonwealthhre aroused oy the fress
and b,s orators from the hnstings 10 pro-
per appreciation Of the situation, Insle -
t.oubie ahead Of us, and we VIII wake w
IN November to find that General Manone'
Parson Massey, Riddleberger, bar Iuu.,
Haryie. FuIkerson, Elliott, anu o, :sa
prominent gentlemen, WIN Lnelr ,ea9,ns :
lalIv, the Richmond Whag, nave n,ate
deeper impression than was eXpecteo.
When controversy arises, "netneI pe
| tween individuals, communltles, pon ,..ai
nar,;as mr. nations. no blunder more fatal
| non he committed than to underrate the
nnwer az an adversary. The pages OF
history are full OF illustrations. When
Georre the Third and his Ministry heard
tho rn,1tterinos Of discomfort in his Ameri-
con colonies they Hndefrated and mlscalcu'
| lated the movement OF the people, ana IN
oonsc o,,epce the English crown lost some OF
its briohtest Jewels. When the late CIVIL
war in this country was Impending, and
eyon after it began. the people OF eacn
soction moderated and miscalculated the
nnwer the resources, the YaIor OF the other
Section, and the consequences were bltteriy
felf in the ravages OF red-handed war LOT
fo,Ir long wears, to say nothing OF tbe SAD
eyneriences of the fourteen years 1ollo"-
inc. And 30 it will ever he when men
,,nderrate and undervalue or affect TO ignore
their adyersaries.
In looking over the political situation 10
this State we see many men OF standinS' VI
talents and iufluence-among them Guose
whom I'VE have already DaBed-eAeit,nS
themselves to secure the election next lall
of Legislature pledged to oppose IN every
nossible Way the settlement of the public
| debt provided for and now going on under
the McCulloch bill. The merits OF this
settlement-its advantages. its relief to the
neople. its protection to the fair name Oh
the old CommonweaIth-w do not now
nronose TO discuss. But we do submit that
| in the period OF little more than ninety days
that interyenes between this and the cleo
tions in November the question OF the
nubIic debt should be thoroughly ventla-
ted bv the Press and by public speakers IN
every community, so that each voter IN the
State shall be put in full possession OF us
| merits.
It will not do to say that the people are
tired of the subject and are sick OF it. Ibey
are tired and sick OF iL--indeed, aoearaed
ont. And for this, il for no other reason
they should rise IN their strength IN NO,
yenbcr and rebuke all who would oHena
| by keeping open the annoying matter VI
controyersy-tbe old sore.
Let the people fully understand the con-
diion of the public finances. and the rem,
edy which the McCulloch bill PROVIDES. Leu
the orators who oppose this plan OF scttie
ment be on every occasion met. Let as
cussiops both Oh the hustlngs aud IN the
Press be full, far, and frank, ana thus VIII
the end be most quickly ana pest reached.
If the McCulIoch bill be what It's opponents
renreseut. then the sooner we put stop
TO ifs operation by all legal means the bat-
fer. TT. on the contrary, it he what its
friends claim for it, the sooner, and The
more eflectualIy, we put stop to all
opposition TO it, the better. As Il friend
Of the measure, we have no fear rs to
The issue, il the people who are to pass upon
it fuiiv understand it. We only fear that
bv default, by IacheS, due to Il false sense OF
security among those who should be en-
guard, the opposition may be allowed to
carry the day. These are our views, ana,
Providence permitting, we mean between
this and next November to fire many shGt
from orr locker in favor of acqnicscence IN
the action OF the last General Assembly,
and at the "rcpcalers," as the opponents OF
the McCulloch bill are pleased to call them-
selves.