Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-04-03

: lIJlNIHt HitS, dHil NIldt tlli5 NiClOiy
foreshadowed the ultimate tri-
umpt Of our arms over its assall-
ants But those mercelary con
| spiraiOrs rallied again, and when
the lega.- act of February,
1862 was passed, Notwithstanding
the magnificent struggle of that
grand old commoner, Thaddeus
Stevens, and those who stood with
him, the spectators upon the mis-
fortunes of the people were ena-
bled so to cripple the money there
after to be issued, by stabbing it
in the back with the word tex
cept," as to place premium upon
coin. This was an unfortunate
hour both for the country and its
defenders. Mr. Stevens offerd an
amendment to the legal tender
bill then pending in Congress, pro-
viding that the soldier should be
paid la gold or its equivalent. His
proposition was defeated in the
House by only five votes. A sim
liar amendment was offered in the
Senate by Mr.. Richardson. 1t was
also defeated. The insertion of
these exceptions in the act Of 1862
was a criminal departure from the
policy which actuated Cong ress
when the demand notes were is
suod. 1t was a violation of the
contract that the Government had
solemnly made with the soldier
who had offered his life upon its
altar, and was most dastardly
reputation of the promise of
the venerable general who COM
manded the army. made in be-
half of the Government. From
that time forward the pay of
the soldier began to diminish
in purchasing power, and the Ak
penses Of his family at home cor
respondingly increased. Unfor-
tunately for him his wages were
unalterably Fl xed. He was pow
erless either to enforce his contract
or to quit the service.
If he had resorted to the latter
alternative, he was liable to lose
his own life and to sacrifice that
of his country also. His less pa
triotic neighbors, who remained
at home, finding their expenses
greatly increased by reason of the
depreciation of the currency, had
only to demand higher wages and
their requests were granted. In
other words, during the whole
period of the war, our currency,
dishonored by the Government
which made 1t, could not in any
avenue of business purchase more
than it was worth, except when it
was rendered to the soldier for his
pay. At the grocery, on the farm
and in the civil branches of the
service, this currency was at dis
count. From time to time the
General Government advanced the
wages of its employees, not serv-
ing on the field, upon the ground
of the increase in the cost of living
growing out of the depreciation of
the currency. Congress in 1866,
one year after the close Of the war,
increased the salaries of its MEM
bers from $4,000 to $1,000, and
made the act retroactive, placing
it upon the ground that the cur
rency was deprecated and the in
creased cost of living.
In 1871, eight years after the
was was over, and at the very time
when the country was stricken
by the paralysis of panic, Con-
gress again increased the salaries
of its members from $4,000 to
1880, and again made this retro
active. And for the same rea-
sons. But Congress has also re-
peatedly declared that good faith
requires that public creditors
should be paid in coin or its
equivalent. Do they mean all
classes of public creditors ? If they
mean all, certainly the soldier
should be included, for he gave
the Government that which was
better than money. If they do
not mean all pray tell us how it
happens that good faith requires
that the man who loans the Gov
eminent deprecated dollar
should have back from the Gov
eminent better dollar than that
which he loaned it, while the
soldier who gave to the country
the vigor of his manhood, his
youth and his blood, should not
receive for his sacrifices dollar at
least aa good as the one which
they promised him. But the SUBJ
ject Is Infinite. | have already
written at too great length. The
whole country is aroused, and the
brave men who went forth and
saved the nation in the late strug-
gle are at least united from one
end of the land to the other to de-
mand at the hands of their coun-
try equal and exact justice with
every other class of orr fellow