mass of
the Northern people were unprepared for it was to take up arms
for the purpose of going to war with the South. Yet when the time
came, and it was flashed over the country that an attack was made
at the life of the Government, take notice that while the South
grew weaker and weaker in furnishing material for the army, the
North grew stronger and stronger, and had only got to its full
strength at the close of the war. Now during that time, by the
votes of the people, with a great party to back up the
opposition, with all the old predilections in favor of the South,
and the natural unwillingness of men to burden themselves with
taxation, this country, in which there was substantially a
universal manhood suffrage, voted to burden itself until three
thousand millions of debt was rolled up. There is an instance of
what men will do with universal suffrage. Yes, and that among the
common people; for the large copperhead element was to be found
among capitalists, not among the masses. "Well, but," it may be
said, "sober second thought will come; wait until the people come
to pay the debt, when currency depreciates and greenbacks become
scarce!" Now as they had gone to the war for a sentiment, a
patriotic sentiment, not because they had received material
damage or expected any pecuniary damage from the South, but
purely from the glorious sentiment of a united country, as they
fought through four years of the war backed up by votes at home,
so when the question came up, "Will you sustain the honor of the
Government? Will you pay the debt that has been incurred?" look
at the answer. Never did trap of dishonesty, so concealed in its
interior structure, present so tempting a bit of cheese to
humanity. Yet when the question came, after full discussion and
trial in all the States of the North successively, by majorities
that no man will choose now to gainsay or resist, by overwhelming
majorities, they said, "The debt shall be paid, every penny of
it!" The North so voted. It was the common people that voted it;
men that live on wages. By that experiment two things were shown;
one that when the whole people are appealed to, they do stand up
to the interests of the States better than educated classes do;
and the other, that when it comes to the question o