New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-06

/ was believed were needed at home Much OF
| this shipping was carried In his own mama
to deceive the British and get better business
/ terms It was charged that he made Large
| profits for himself out OF the transactions and
| carried on a private trade forbidden to Others
I Mr.. OberhOltzer discredits this charge. bur hs
does not clearly meet it. or explain how Morris
could honorably trade in spite Of the embargoea.
not merely on government account under cover
OF his own name. but for his own private pur-
poses Morris was retired from Congress In
| 1919. and devoted himself to long campaign to
restore public and private credit IN Pennsyl-
vania- He advocated the repeal Of State meas
ures making the numerous paper emissions Legal
tender the imposition OF a tax for the ultimate
redemption OF the Pennsylvania issues. and tho
abandonment Of all attempts TO restrict trads
and fix prices Though elected Continental su-
I perinteudent Of Finances in February. 1871, hs
refused TO leave the State Legislature til he had
carried the major part Of his programme and
had the satisfaction OF seeing Pennsylvania
money and credit Immediately advance.
I In accepting the charge Of the finances. Morris
insisted extraordinary grant OF power lie
secured an unqualified right to engage in private
commerce. He was authorized to dismiss at VIII
| all financial officers. and he possessed the sole
authority Of contracting for army sgppllea
These powers were used 70 good purpose. The
| Continental affairs were in such state that
nothing but practical dictatorship could avaa
| anything The States were refusing to levy
taxes. and such acquisitions as they honored
at all were met with provisions often OF poor
quality. which cost when delivered to the army
much more than better goods could have been
! bought for on the ground Il money payments
had been made. Morris strOve nightly 70 a5OI-
ish this system. but only partly succeeded dc
sought without avail the levying Of duties 20
pay the soldiers and meet the interest on tas
! foreign debt Continental money had become
practically worthless. and he was reduced to ia
| extremity of issuing his own notes TO meet gov
| eminent needs The Bank OF North America
was established BY him. and rendered iaval4a-
bic aid by lending money 70 the government and
| discounting notes OF individuals which came 70
| the hand Of Morris. His was in many respects
| a juggIer's task. and he performed Il with ag.l-
ity Driven TO draw on France and other Euro
| pean lenders often far in excess OF any credits.
| he would throw himself on their mercy and, with
appeals to their self-interest and fear OF wasting
what they had already loaned, would persuade
them not to dishonOr his drafts He attempted
| to secure specie from the west Indies b. send
| ing out cargOes secretly purchased on govern
ment account, but these speculations were IN
fortunate and the cause Of some eTnDarras5-
ment With home creditors it was an Unendins
!
/ Superintendent Of Finance The claims were
| mostly Just, and their owners In dire need To
| a few in extremity he doled out small sums
| Others he promised. More he put OF Some hs
/ sharply rebuked- AL he urged TO go home and
| persuade their State legislatures to levy taxes
| and their neighbOrs to pay them as the only ef-
| fective way OF getting their dues Cranks Wis
| tied him with all sorts OF errands, contractors
with schemes for "embalmed beef" foreshadow-
| ing more modern attempts in the same direction.
| and inventors with machines for perpetual mo-
| ton He met it all with frmness, shrewd COM
| mon sense and a fund OF humor. His letters
and diary are full of pungent phrases This
| States seem to consider it as the most precious
/ part of their separate sovereignty the power OF
doing injustice" The payment OF debts may
/ indeed be expensive. but it is infinitely more
7 expensive to withhold the payment" This
/ needy can never economiZe-" Expressions Ake
/ these are scattered all through his writings
/ Morris took charge of the finances Just in time
to make possible the Yorktown campaign He
/ was driven to extremity to procure the barest
necessities and without his exertiOns it is doubt
1 full if Washington could have induced large
part Of his troops 20 make the march southwark
/ After the surrender Of CORVALLIS his task was
| even harder. The victory had been Won, and
+ the need of securing the fruits OF victory
not realized The country was in what Norris
described TO Franklin in 1IS2 as the crisis be-