The weekly clarion., 1879-05-28
The Letter of Hon. A. G. Brown.

to Judge its opinion byits general course.
In this issue is published a lengthy com
munication written by Hon. A. O..
Brown at the invitation Of his neighbors,
who, he takes the precautiOn to say,
| have not committed themselves To his
views by asking an expression of them.
| There are some suggestions in this
letter which we think wise, and there
are others which we think otherwise.
We cordially unite with him in oppo-
sition to that wretched scheme Of polit-
ical charlantry advocated by the Green
hackers, viz, the flooding the country
with irredeemable wild cat paper as a cir
culating medium, with no basis ofactual
money to stand upon. His exposition
Of the /" fiat money humbug Of the
Greenbackers is admirable indeed it
could not be improved.
We concur in his opposition to the
present National bank monopoly, and
his advocacy of the substitution of
Treasury notes in place Of its paper,
thereby saving millions of dollars annu-
ally to the taxpayers, and breaking up
huge, overgrown monopoly.
We agree with him that the Missis-
sippi river ought to be levied; but we
hold that if it is proper to do it at all,
it should be done at once, not only be-
cause it Will promote the welfare direct
| Iy of three-fourths Of the Union, but the
Government, as the owner Of the river,
is pledged to restrain it within its banks,
and protect its citizens from injury by
its overflow.
Ifhis language of opposition to deep
ening mud puddles and cleaning out
spring branches at the expense of the
| Federal treasury, is meant to be taken
literally, we concur with him, as we
suppose every sane person does; but if
he means to express opposition to legit-
innate system of public improvement
say, for example, the deepening Of
harbors like Pascagoula and Ship
| Island on our own coaster the improve
ment Of the navigation of the tributaries
of the Mississippi and streams like the
Pearl Tombigbee and others which ira
verse regions whose products are inval-
liable to the commerce of the country
we Join issue with him emphatically.
Besides it would be suicidal for the
Southern people to raise objections to
the system which has contributed so
largely to the commerce and wealth Of
the North, at the very time when there
is prospect of securing a fair share Of
these benefits for their own section.
From the standpoint Of the welfare
of our section, we cannot hesitate to 90
with Governor Brown heart and soul,
in favor Of voting subsidies for extend
ing our trade and commerce to Brazil
and other South American countries.
Why should we deprive ourselves of the
benefits of a system which has already
been established as the permanent policy
of the government and from which other
sections have derived immense advanta-
ges ? Are we to embark in a wild
crusade for cutting our own throats, or
starving ourselves to death? In like
manner, for similar reasons, we concur
with him on the subject of building by
government aid railroad from the
lower Mississippi river to the Pacific.
But the scheme to convert the gov
ernment into great establishment for
loaning money on mortgage or other
securities, is the most stupendous cen
tralizing project that has not been
conceived by the most extreme consoli-
dationist. 1t would be a stretch of the
general welfare" clause which the
Alexander Hamilton school of politicians
in their widest visions, never dreamed
of. The power of corruption that it
would confer the patronage that it
would build up; the swarms of office
holders and pensioners that it would inhict
upon the country-is a picture which the
imagination grows weary in attempting
to paint. Instead of turning banker
for the people, let the government dis
card its policy of contracting the cur
rency, which is the life blood of com
merce and industry furnish a plenti-
ful supply of the circulating medium,
and good quality of it, based upon the
precious metals; and it may well leave
to the States the regulation of the do
mestic concerns of their citizens. In
aid Of the expansion policy Of the feder-
al government. the States might wisely
reduce the rate of interest, and leave to
the citizens thereof, the business of loan
ing money, just as it does of trafficing
in goods, buying land and mules, and
selling the products of the soil.
The ''solid South"-when patriots
deprecate it, well would it be if they
would proclaim what is true, that
the solid South as political organiza-
ton is not menace to any section, or
to the Union-RoF threat of harm to
living creature. 1t simply means the
union of the weaker and prescribed sec
ton against the prescription and op-
preston of the stronger.
Raise up National party" We
want no National party, if it means a
centralized. consolidated, despotism; but
ifit means strict construction party,
built upon the doctrine Of equal rights