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Domestic News
January 8, 1868
Green Mountain Freeman
Montpelier, Washington County, Vermont
What is this article about?
A speaker addresses post-Civil War debt, urging courage and honesty in national reconstruction, equitable taxation, and industrial recovery without extravagance or corruption, emphasizing fairness in bearing public burdens.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
"It is no strange thing that we are in debt. Debt and death alike, we know, must be encountered. The drain upon us has indeed been terrible, but shall we now for the first time be cowards? Having counted the cost and dared the enterprise, shall we now look with uneasiness at our fidelity and success, and give ourselves over to fret at our wounds and bereavements and inconveniences and debts? The people of this state have answered that question and will answer it again.
"What we ask is honesty on the part of those who fix the issues of this dear-bought victory, and that they reconstruct the nation honestly in securing the political guaranties demanded by the overthrow of the rebellion; honesty in taxing, in collecting and in expending; honesty in paying; honesty in being paid. Extravagance and corruption must be rebuked. There must be an industrial and financial as well as a political reconstruction. These things will require wisdom and ability rightly to determine and adjust. The fetters must be struck off from enterprise and the incubus lifted from industry. The property of the country must be made to contribute in an equitable degree towards the public burden. Government bonds must be so taxed, if at all, as to relieve the states and towns, rather than the national treasury. If we are to bear these burdens let us have a chance to stand lot -to have neither privileged persons or privileged property, but a republic and a democracy in which a man shall count for a man and a dollar for a dollar. Nor am I of those who think that we should pay off the whole great debt in one day. Those who thus hold must come cheaply by their opinions. We shall do our part. I take it, if after having borne the brunt of the fray, we allow those who are to reap the benefit of the struggle to come as near as possible to taking a share in the investment: and anticipate nothing, repudiate nothing, sophisticate nothing, but fairly and manfully meet every obligation as it comes, "trusting that as day is so shall our strength be."
"What we ask is honesty on the part of those who fix the issues of this dear-bought victory, and that they reconstruct the nation honestly in securing the political guaranties demanded by the overthrow of the rebellion; honesty in taxing, in collecting and in expending; honesty in paying; honesty in being paid. Extravagance and corruption must be rebuked. There must be an industrial and financial as well as a political reconstruction. These things will require wisdom and ability rightly to determine and adjust. The fetters must be struck off from enterprise and the incubus lifted from industry. The property of the country must be made to contribute in an equitable degree towards the public burden. Government bonds must be so taxed, if at all, as to relieve the states and towns, rather than the national treasury. If we are to bear these burdens let us have a chance to stand lot -to have neither privileged persons or privileged property, but a republic and a democracy in which a man shall count for a man and a dollar for a dollar. Nor am I of those who think that we should pay off the whole great debt in one day. Those who thus hold must come cheaply by their opinions. We shall do our part. I take it, if after having borne the brunt of the fray, we allow those who are to reap the benefit of the struggle to come as near as possible to taking a share in the investment: and anticipate nothing, repudiate nothing, sophisticate nothing, but fairly and manfully meet every obligation as it comes, "trusting that as day is so shall our strength be."
What sub-type of article is it?
Politics
Economic
What keywords are associated?
Post War Debt
National Reconstruction
Honest Taxation
Industrial Recovery
Political Guarantees
Equitable Burdens
Domestic News Details
Event Details
Speaker reflects on war-induced debt and losses, rejects cowardice, calls for honest reconstruction securing political guarantees post-rebellion, honest taxation and expenditure, rebuke of extravagance and corruption, industrial and financial rebuilding, equitable property contributions to burdens, fair taxation of bonds to relieve states and towns, no privileges, gradual debt payment without repudiation.