The National tribune., 1882-07-22

etfaced the prestige Of our navy and dimmed
the glory of our mercantile marine, rejoice
that as yet we have no enemies to take adj
vantage of what is at once our strength and
cur weakness.
: Correspondent Answered.
Nothing, as we have frequently had occa-
sion to.remark, Affords us greater pleasure
than 10 answer the inquiries propouuded to
Us by our readers and subscribers. Their
letters testify to the interest which they
feel in TIE NATIONAL TRIBUNE and IFS
work, and are, upon the whole, a pretty re-
liable index of the sentiment OF the country
a5 large. Indeed, our Soldiers Column has
crown to be one of THE NATIONAL
TRIBUEE's most attractive features, and did
space permit We could I'LL a whole page
weekly with opinions Of our veterans on
matters connected with their interests
Among the most interesting letters which
we have lately received IS one from mem
Der Of Company Z, Eighty-seYenth Indiana
volunteers" who writes US in depreciation of
the way in which some Of our correspondents
speak Of the b0adholders He writes: by
some means q sample copy Of your paper
reached my humble home a few weeks ago,
and so well pleased was 1 with 1t that i'm
mediateIy subscribed for it and am well
satisfied with the investment. find many
things to admire in the several departments,
and especially in Our Soldiers Column
There seems, however, to be one feeling
largely pervading the minds of correspond
ents to, this column which / exceedingly
regret to observe. Reference is intended to
the stereotypad filings at the 'bondholders.'
Where would these soldier correspondents
have been had our capitalists withheld their
money and refused to become bondholders
during the dark days Of the rebellion?
Could they have lived on patriotism alone?
Could the Government have supported the
army without the bondholders' money?
Certainly not And again, would these
same soldier correspondents be proud of
Nation of ffty-miIlions of people with
boundIess resources who would break faith
with the men-grand, patriotic men-who
furnished the wherewithal to clothe, feed
and shelter It's army, taking as security It's
bonds, notwithstanding that nearly one
half &C its inhabitants were in arms against
it2 No! MOI I am sure these correspond
ents don't want the Government to break
faith with its capitalists, but somehow taey
have dropped into rambling style O.
making invidious comparison between the
bondhoIder and the soldier, etc, etc"
The complaint which our correspondent
makes is far from groundless, but he fails to
take into account The fact that it is The PEN
sioners rather than the bondholders who
have generally been the objects Of attack in
the newspapers and in Congress, and the
inyidious comparisons were first made by
enemies of the soldier, who sought to defeat
his claims by charging that if granted by
the Government they would cost almost as
much as the public debt So far as TIE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE is concerned ii has
always stoutIy affirmed the sanctity Of the
Governments obligations to the bond
bolders-iadeed it carries that motto at the
head Of its editorial columns-andal all that it
has asked for the soldier is that he should be
placed on an equal footing with the latter.
1t is very true that without the aid of our
capitalists who invested their money in
United States bonds the Government would
not have been able to equip and maintair
its land aud naval forces in the late war.
and the rebellion could not have been put
down, but we are not pr6pa,ed to admit thai
the services which they rendered were NOR
worthy of recognition than those which
were performed by the men who placed
their lives mt the disposal Of the Republic.
The bondholders were regularly paid &
handsome rate of interest on their loans 10
the Government, IS indeed the Terms ..
their loans required, and they reaped
profitable reward as q result Ct the conf
dence which they displayed in the stability
of the Union. The war enriched instead O.
impoyerishing them, and we doubt not Cha.