Year: 1879

Washington, Dec s.-It appears that the Presl'
dent and Secretary Sherman have become alarmed
at the extent Of the opposition manifested by Re-
publican members OF Congress toward their re-
spectiye propositions in regard to tho retirement
Of the legal tender notes and restrictions upon
silver coinage, and that these TIVE high oicerS are
laboring to impress Congressman with the idea
that the utterAnces contained in the message and
the Treasury report on those subjects are mere
sentiment and not intended as any indication OF
policy on the part OF the Administration,


Several members Of Congress had interviews
with the President to-day In refeTende to the par
agraph Of the message in which he says "The re-
tlrement from circulation Of United States noteR,
with the capacity Of legal tender In private con.
tracts, is step to be taken in our progress toward
q safe and stable currency, which should be &C
cepted az the policy and duty Of the Government
and the interest and security Of the people" Some
OF these interviews were, at the request OF the
President with pT0nunced opponents Of the doc
trine enuncisted in the message, like Nessrs. Fort
and Price.


The President explained that he did not want
1t understood among the Republicans that the
Language used In the message in reference TO the
retlreu ent Of the greenbaGks foTeshadOwed a set
tied Policy on the part OF the Executive In refer
ence to this question: that 1t was employed simply
to give expression to his opinion, and that II the
kepuDuChnS bnOulu formally express tn6H ulh'
approval Of that opinion by passing the Fort reso'
luton, he would not regard II az furnishing cause
for complaint on his part.


The President tacitly admitted at these
interviews that he made mistake In virtually
recommending at this time the retirement Of
United States notes. and as expressing the hope
that nothing would be done by the Republican
members TO lead the country to believe that there
were gseriOus differences between himself and
them on this question.


Secretary Sherman Ia represented as having
expressed himself In similar terms 10 those Re-
publican members with whom he conVersed to-
day. .'r


This phuhlng conduct of the President and
Secretary Sherman is the subject OF adverse criti
cism, and cannot fail to introduce confusion in
the Counsels OF the Republicans, and to assist in
pCrpetuating system, which In the language OF
the President, "is without warrant in the Consti.
tuition and violation Of sound financial princi.
pies" 1t should not be understood that the Pres.
ident In his conversation of to day, denied the
correctness Of the principles set forth In his mes
sage touching the continuance Of the circulation
OF legal tender notes. On the contrary, he reiter.
ated his convictions as therein expressed but eX'
planned that he had no opinion to express as 10
the exact time when the step should be taken
lin our progress toward a safe and stable cur
renCy." That was question entirely for the de-
cisiOn Of Congress, and should his party friends
determine that the retirement Of the legal lenders
would not be accepted as the policy and the duty
OF the Government, he would wipe out his words
In the same way that Mr.. Bland once threatened
to wipe out the natodal debt-with q SPONGE


This is not the language used by the President,
but It Is what his Language implies. The advocates
OF the legal tender notes are Of course greatly en-
couraged with the explanation Of the President
and Secretary Sherman. They will not, however,
permit the Fort resolution to die but will press 1t
to vote At the earliest practicable day.