Year: 1864

ry notes legal tender in payment OF all
debts, when our friends on that side of the
chamber prevented our passing this bill


into a law before the first of February
last to hand over United States treasury
notes to those capitalists, and thus have
saved the taxpayers of this Commonwealth
about 100000.


1t was also said by another Senator on
that side of the floor that it was an inva.
sion of constitutional rights for the State
of Pennsylvania to make this currency a
legal tender. The Legislature of Penn
sylvania does not make this legal tender.
The legislative powerof the United States
has made it the legal currency of the
country, and we do nothing but adopt the
legalized currency of the United States
when we propose to pay the interest of
our State debt in it. If they believe that
the faith and credit of the State could be
pledged by the Legislature of 1S4O-hav-
ing some most supereminent qualities pos
sessed by no Legislature since-why do
they not inaugurate some financial system
by which these bonds will be redeemed,
and create new loan on an original ba-
sis, with contract to pay the interest as
it accrues in the legal currency of the
country? Why, sir, because they wish
to find fault with the State and National
Government. IF they can find fault, that
is all the part they desire to take in this
great struggle. Since the commence
ment of the war, until the present time,
they have supinely folded their arms and
allowed the Republican party to bear the
brunt of this struggle; and all they have
found to do has been to carp at the acts
of the Federal Government, and keep an
account of what the war costs, and since
the State Government has got entirely in
to the hands of the Republican party, to
find fault with their acts, This appears
to befhe peculiar sphere of Senators on
the other side OF the floor, and the party
tScy represent All the denuncatons
which should have been hurled against
the rebels and traitors, are reserved for
Salmon p. Chase and Abraham Lincoln,
and those on whose shoulders the Govern
ment of the United States has devolved
at this fearful crisis.


Now, the question is merely, will the
State of Pennsylvania pay their creditors
in the legal currency of this country ?
And | say that if the Legislature does net
pass this law, and pay her creditors in le-
gal currency, involving a saving of more
than million of dollars annually, the peo-
pie will hold them to an accountability,
and the party in power will be hurled
from their position. That great party
which in 1861, under the leadership of
their great commander, James Buchanan
handed to us two governments instead Of
one-the rebel Government and the Gov
ernment ofthe United States-wants to get
back into power again. They desire to
crush us finally, in order that their breth-
rem in the South may succeed. Senators
have made threats that they will bring us
back to Constitution and laws. We refer
them to the 4th of April, 1861, and ask
them in what condition they left their
country when they handed it over to Mr..
Lincoln and the present administration
Buchanan came into power with peace and
plenty all over the land, and through his
imbecility handed over to his successor
two governments with fearful revolution
inaugurated They said that they had no
power to coerce seeded States, and to-day
when this Administration has taken a Wig
orous hold of the reins of Government,
and is crushing out this vile rebel confed-
eracy which was the creation of theirpar-
ty, they sit down and wall over it, and
count the cost. When man of honor
sees his house consumed and his family
dishonored, does he sit down and count
the cost of furnishing the fiend who has
thus violated his peaceful hearthstone p
Yet these gentlemen, leaving the Repub-
lican party to carry on the war, sit down



and count how many dollars and centsit
is going to take in order that this Govern
ment may be successful in crushing out
the rebellion. If it only costs them six
ty-six dollars, to man, | suppose, they will
agree to have the rebellion crushed but
if it should cost seventy dollars, they will
all allow the rebellion to succeed and our
great and glorious Government to be de-
stroyed? i think, sir, when the life of
the nation is at stake, when the question
lies between liberty and slavery, for our
selves and our posterity, it is too nice
calculation-too nice question for the
calculation as to how much it will cost to
maintain the glorious liberties of our coun-
try. 1t is too close'a calculation, sir, and