New-York tribune., 1879-01-03
RESUMPTION ACCOMPLISHED.

Yesterday closed in triumph the grandcst
page IL the history of the United States. Re
sumption was the work Of torty-eight millions
Of heroes. 1t has cost more hcrOiSm, more
patient endurance and sacrifice, more lofty
lnheXibity of upright purpose to suppress
the premium on gold than to suppress the
Rebellion. CcntuncS hence, when students
of history seek for one act in which
was expressed all that WAS nobleSt,
wi,cst and best in the fruitage of
~cIf-gOvcrnment among men, they Will pass
hv the ID, claati0n of Independence for
the proof of real independence achieved.
They will count the surrender at Yorktown
less worthy of "A place i'll history than the
surrender of the Gold Room. They will not
forget that sectional pride, and angry feel
NO, and the instinct of mbatvencss, which
men share with the brutes, helped us to trI-
umph over rebellion III arms, and will find
proof of stronger national character,
a rarcr wisdom, more untilnchlng pur-
pose, higher devotion to Duty, III the
cool. patient, weary work of dismal years,
through which this Nation has fought its way
back to solVency and honor, aud conquered
rebellion in finance. For the first time in the
worlds history, nation has made good its
pledge to redeem on demand its notes forced
into circulation as legal tender in time of
necessity. The fact speaks volumes for the Gov
ernment And that nation was one ruled by
universal suffrage. The fact speaks volumes
for those free institutions which, until very re-
Gently, profound thinkers have called "all sail
and no ballast The triumph of France
over Imperialism, wen by a Republic under
t'te lead of Leon Gambctta, and the triumph
of the United States over repudiatIon, won by
Rnpuhic under the lead of John Sherman,
have gone far to make free institutions feared
no longer, but respected, chosen and upheld
by the substantial classes to whom civil order
and civil integrity are absolute necessities.
First and most, to the people Of these
United States belongs the honor. This has
been prominently their victory. The part of
leaders, whether statesmen or ,urnalists, has
been subordinate. For the majority of the peO-
pie Of these United States have never wayercd
III their purpose to make good the pledges given
by the NauOn in its time Of trial. More than
once they have been deceived, and have voted
Tor measures essentially dishonest III character
without full comprehension of their nature.
Yet they have never failed to turn to the
it. 1t is in high degree to the credit of
their intelligence, moreover, that they have
been more quick than most of their skilled
leaders and trained teachers to detect the
error of false paths. The name of John
sherman will always be mentioned with
| honor, whenever resumption is remembered,
but the people'were wise enough to sec, when
| he did not, that it would never do to pay in
| a deprecated paper any bond which promised
| dollars. At one crisis of the struggle. the
veto of President Giant saved the Nation from
| initiation, and gained him undying honor but
his inspiration came from the people, who
were wiser than the message which he had
sent laden with the worst notions of the in
| flationists, to a Congress only too ready to
| follow such teaching. When the flood of re-
pudiatiOn was rolled back in Ohio III 1879, ii
was not because the earlier advice of Ruthei-
| ford j. !iayes-to treat the financial issue 0
secondary importance-had been followed; il
| was because he had been among the people
and had learned that in every hamlet in OH,