Year: 1867

To the Editors of the Cincinnati Enquirer:


l now address myself directly to the
people, and ask them if they feel any in.
terest in this question? Whether they
feel any interest IN respect to the payment
or the non-payment of the great Federal
debt that now presses upon every foot OF
land, and every dollar of property they
have?


a mighty mortgage on every tract Of
land he owns. \ perpetual tax producing
burden that makes him pay double and
treble price for every pound of coffee
every pound Of sugar. every yard of cloth
every dollars worth Of merchandise that
he or his family, or his hired hands, may
consume, or wear, or use.


People Of the United States, do you fee
an interest in this question? If you dc
not, say to you in all kindness, and with
all respect, that it is time for you to wake
up and realize the fact that every sixteen
years that you are asleep on this subject
and occupying the unenviable position OF
the neither milestone, you pay in interest
alone on your debt an amount equal TO the
whole debt without reducing the debt one
dollar.


1t vii! be easy, Messrs. Editors, to car
ry into effect measure SO beneficial in it.
results as the extinguishment of our great
Federal debt, provided We have the poue,
to do so! The people must give the power
None other than the people can give it
The people are the sovereigns whatever
the aristocrats in Congress, and out Of
Congress may say to the contrary; and
whenever they see, and feel, and knoa,
the effect of its great debt upon their wei.
fare, they will rise up as one man and
demand OF their Representatives in Con
gross, and the Executive branch of the
Government, the adoption and execution
OF those plain, sensible, judicious measures
necessary to produce the desired result
The payment IN full Of all tie public deLt


We must, however, be always prepared
to meet the continued opposition and hos
tility of every aristocrat who now WELD.
the power Of a despotism in both bran he.
of the Congress.


We must expect the perpetuity Of tha
opposition and hostility; and as in the
days when the attempt was so persistently
made by their pol tical ancestors to re
charter and perpetuate the political power
Of United States bank, we must watcl
them confront them defy them


The great power OK that opposition
which we must meet and overcome will
consist in Misrepresentation and as ou
opponents now, as they had at the time re
ferred to, have in possession very grea
majority Of the public press, we have tC
meet them, as we met their political an
cestors, under the pressure of numbers a
well as of wealth and moneyed influence
but we will now, as we did then, show b,
our steps, and justice of our cause, tha
we are contracting only for the real inter
ect, and prosperity, and honor ofour coun
try.


Whenever the time arrives for action
whenever the people give the power, then
doubtless, various methods will be suggest
ed by which the debt should be extin
guishcd. And as you, Messrs. Editors
contend in your remarks frequently mad
upon the subject, that plan which will ex
terminate the debt in the shortest perio'
of time will be the best.


And We will here undertake to guaran
tee to the people, that the first Democrati