"But the leading object of these Free Trade agitators, was to appeal
to the selfish impulses of the few who owned slaves, and to the race
prejudices of the masses of non-slaveholders, by telling them that the
abolitionists proposed to place them on terms of political and social
equality with the slaves. They were taught to believe that under the
prevailing tariff regulations, they were taxed for the special benefit
of the 'mudsills' of the manufacturing states, who being low down in
the social scale themselves wanted to bring the proud, chivalrous
people of the slave states down to the level of their chattel slaves.
"As a matter of fact, neither the producing masses of the Free States
or the non-slaveholders of the slave states had the remotest conception
that the international gold power of Atlan was taking advantage of the
discussion of slavery and free trade through its paid agents, to sow
the seeds of discord between the two sections of the Great Republic
of the New World. And they permitted their resentments for fancied
wrongs to be fanned into a flame of fierce indignation, which, as was
intended, culminated in a bloody strife and the creation of a vast
bonded debt.
"This fratricidal struggle lasted nearly five years, and when it ended,
the people found themselves in debt, billions of dollars, to a class
of people who had speculated on their necessities. The unsuspecting
masses on both sides had bared their breasts to the storm of battle,
endured all the privations and suffered all the losses, and were in
debt for all the expenses of the war INCLUDING THEIR OWN SERVICES, to
an international money power which ruled the world.
"In order to carry on the war, paper money was issued and paid out
to the soldiers, sailors and citizens for their services. This money
performed all the functions of gold and notwithstanding the fact that
the people were engaged in a most destructive war, it stimulated
all branches of business and brought on an era of great industrial
prosperity. But after the war was over this same paper money which had
been paid to the people as the original creditors of the government,
and for which they had signed receipts in full for their services,
was converted into interest bearing bonds, and these same soldiers,
sailors and citizens were taxed to pay to those who speculated on their
necessities in the hour of danger, the same debt that had originally
been due to themselves, and for which they had received legal tender
paper money.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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