登陆注册
37836700000054

第54章 VOLUME I(54)

Mr. Lincoln referred to the canal lands, and supposed that the policy of the State would be different in regard to them, if the representatives from that section of country could themselves choose the policy; but the representatives from other parts of the State had a veto upon it, and regulated the policy. He thought that if the State had all the lands, the policy of the Legislature would be more liberal to all sections.

He referred to the policy of the General Government. He thought that if the national debt had not been paid, the expenses of the government would not have doubled, as they had done since that debt was paid.

TO _________ ROW.

SPRINGFIELD, June 11, 1839

DEAR ROW:

Mr. Redman informs me that you wish me to write you the particulars of a conversation between Dr. Felix and myself relative to you. The Dr. overtook me between Rushville and Beardstown.

He, after learning that I had lived at Springfield, asked if I was acquainted with you. I told him I was. He said you had lately been elected constable in Adams, but that you never would be again. I asked him why. He said the people there had found out that you had been sheriff or deputy sheriff in Sangamon County, and that you came off and left your securities to suffer.

He then asked me if I did not know such to be the fact. I told him I did not think you had ever been sheriff or deputy sheriff in Sangamon, but that I thought you had been constable. I further told him that if you had left your securities to suffer in that or any other case, I had never heard of it, and that if it had been so, I thought I would have heard of it.

If the Dr. is telling that I told him anything against you whatever, I authorize you to contradict it flatly. We have no news here.

Your friend, as ever, A. LINCOLN.

SPEECH ON NATIONAL BANK

IN THE HALL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, December 20, 1839.

FELLOW-CITIZENS:--It is peculiarly embarrassing to me to attempt a continuance of the discussion, on this evening, which has been conducted in this hall on several preceding ones. It is so because on each of those evenings there was a much fuller attendance than now, without any reason for its being so, except the greater interest the community feel in the speakers who addressed them then than they do in him who is to do so now. I am, indeed, apprehensive that the few who have attended have done so more to spare me mortification than in the hope of being interested in anything I may be able to say. This circumstance casts a damp upon my spirits, which I am sure I shall be unable to overcome during the evening. But enough of preface.

The subject heretofore and now to be discussed is the subtreasury scheme of the present administration, as a means of collecting, safe-keeping, transferring, and disbursing, the revenues of the nation, as contrasted with a national bank for the same purposes.

Mr. Douglas has said that we (the Whigs) have not dared to meet them (the Locos) in argument on this question. I protest against this assertion. I assert that we have again and again, during this discussion, urged facts and arguments against the subtreasury which they have neither dared to deny nor attempted to answer. But lest some may be led to believe that we really wish to avoid the question, I now propose, in my humble way, to urge those arguments again; at the same time begging the audience to mark well the positions I shall take and the proof I shall offer to sustain them, and that they will not again permit Mr.

Douglas or his friends to escape the force of them by a round and groundless assertion that we "dare not meet them in argument."

Of the subtreasury, then, as contrasted with a national bank for the before-enumerated purposes, I lay down the following propositions, to wit: (1) It will injuriously affect the community by its operation on the circulating medium. (2) It will be a more expensive fiscal agent. (3) It will be a less secure depository of the public money. To show the truth of the first proposition, let us take a short review of our condition under the operation of a national bank. It was the depository of the public revenues. Between the collection of those revenues and the disbursement of them by the government, the bank was permitted to and did actually loan them out to individuals, and hence the large amount of money actually collected for revenue purposes, which by any other plan would have been idle a great portion of the time, was kept almost constantly in circulation.

Any person who will reflect that money is only valuable while in circulation will readily perceive that any device which will keep the government revenues in constant circulation, instead of being locked up in idleness, is no inconsiderable advantage. By the subtreasury the revenue is to be collected and kept in iron boxes until the government wants it for disbursement; thus robbing the people of the use of it, while the government does not itself need it, and while the money is performing no nobler office than that of rusting in iron boxes. The natural effect of this change of policy, every one will see, is to reduce the quantity of money in circulation. But, again, by the subtreasury scheme the revenue is to be collected in specie. I anticipate that this will be disputed. I expect to hear it said that it is not the policy of the administration to collect the revenue in specie.

If it shall, I reply that Mr. Van Buren, in his message recommending the subtreasury, expended nearly a column of that document in an attempt to persuade Congress to provide for the collection of the revenue in specie exclusively; and he concludes with these words:

"It may be safely assumed that no motive of convenience to the citizens requires the reception of bank paper." In addition to this, Mr. Silas Wright, Senator from New York, and the political, personal and confidential friend of Mr. Van Buren, drafted and introduced into the Senate the first subtreasury bill, and that bill provided for ultimately collecting the revenue in specie.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 铁马镇

    铁马镇

    本书是儿童文学作家王勇英的一部短篇小说集,其中包括了《铁马镇》、《凤凰花开时》、《树叶的歌声》、《亚蛇的大鹅朋友》、《是我,不是你》、《爷爷的丑木鱼》、《周耳的朋友》以及《刀疤男》等十分引人入胜的故事。
  • exo亦在想见

    exo亦在想见

    第一部分写的是在吴亦凡和鹿晗走了之后再见面的故事。后面的还没想好,敬请期待。。。。。。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 逆神·诛光千劫

    逆神·诛光千劫

    少女是二十二世纪专为诛杀泛滥穿越者的穿越猎人其中的一员,她最初的目的是寻父,却在任务途中卷入到了一场毁世阴谋中。少女身不由己地与途中遇到的各色的同伴一起,遍经背叛与爱,在不断的反复之后,最终为保护世界而战斗。这是一个很热血的故事,却又是一个无比哀伤的故事。在这样的故事当中,有人能为了一个承诺,甘愿承受世上最大的诅咒苟延残喘;有人能为了族人而放弃自身应有的一切感情;有人为了守护而背叛灵魂……在庞大的背景设置下,每个人物都被塑造得各有魅力且栩栩如生,更不需提在战斗场面描写上所能给予读者的震撼性刺激。作为一本纸质读物,它所带给读者的视觉体验和享受,绝不亚于一场3D式大型全息网游的亲身参与。
  • 语文课超有趣:部编本语文教材同步学(三年级下册)

    语文课超有趣:部编本语文教材同步学(三年级下册)

    “语文课超有趣”系列由部编本语文教材总主编温儒敏教授担任顾问,由北京大学语文教育研究所组织学者团队,按照“新课标”要求,以温儒敏高效语文学习理念为核心编写。本系列围绕新版教材的课文篇目,同步进行相关知识的汇总、梳理、延伸、启发,帮助学生全面了解课文周边的历史、人文、社会、自然科学知识,具有很强的配套性、知识性、趣味性和启发性,是语文教育研究领域多位名师、专家共同推荐的语文课内同步拓展阅读教辅书。配套性:与新版语文教材同步推出,根据课文篇目进行针对性编写。知识性:精选课文周边知识,帮助学生了解每一课背后的知识体系。趣味性:打破刷题、死记硬背模式,符合不同年级学生的阅读趣味。启发性:提供跨学科知识转化的钥匙,引导学生自发拓展认知领域。
  • 霸道公主的恋爱之旅

    霸道公主的恋爱之旅

    刚从国外回来的她就接到爸妈的电话:“喂,宝贝啊,我是老爸啊,老爷子想念我们了,我们就先回去了啊,再过一段时间你二哥过来照顾你啊。好了,宝贝我们要登机了,不说了啊。”“喂喂喂,老爸?老爸?”她就这样被抛弃了吗?苍天啊,好坑啊。没办法,只好留在国内咯。且看霸道少女如何俘获腹黑校草的心
  • 我攻略的反派都黑化了

    我攻略的反派都黑化了

    在线等,挺着急的。我攻略过的反派都黑化了,该怎么破?
  • 孤女怨

    孤女怨

    K集团和唯里公司都是当地的服装代加工企业,一个是龙头老大,一个是小作坊,本来是井水不犯河水的两家公司却因为一场商业变革,错综复杂的交错在一起。一场以爱之名的商业游戏就此拉开了帷幕....她一脚踏入职场,一脚踏入深渊……她以为的真爱,不过是一场逢场作戏的圈套……倔强的不愿活在规则里,甚至看不起规则,却悄无声息的被规则强奸。她是周瑶!弱者亦强者!
  • 山之界海之域

    山之界海之域

    主人公出现在世界最底层,历经艰辛,凭着异常坚韧的信念和惨痛离奇的身世,不断修炼本领,最后经历非常人的磨难,获得能力和本领,得以最后站在世界顶端鸟瞰芸芸众生。
  • 高冷长官:宠妻无度

    高冷长官:宠妻无度

    编辑推荐:他们一个痞子一个兵,就算是娃娃亲也拯救不了职业属性天生的相克相杀好吗!求放过!内容简介:她曾撞破过他和老帮老大情妇的JQ,还曾被他拿枪指过脑袋,更曾多次被他在犯案现场当成嫌犯给“乒乒乓”了。最要命的是,他们一个痞子一个兵,就算是娃娃亲也拯救不了职业属性天生的相克相杀好吗!求放过!陆小曼:我要拒婚!秦瀚宇:理由?陆小曼:我不想出去打个架,还没出门,就被你穿着防爆服用枪堵家里了。秦瀚宇:哦,你可以不答应,但是我现在就会拿枪把你堵在家里。陆小曼:卧槽,你敢,我妈不会放过你的!秦瀚宇:岳母已经同意,你看,她还给我准备了麻绳。