- •Issued in commemoration op the completion op the first ten
- •In all departments of knowledge
- •Is feasible. As for the latter topic, I soon discovered that
- •Indianapolis Monetary Commission. Three of these articles
- •I. State of the finances, march, 1861
- •In addition to political availability, Mr. Lincoln thought
- •I Cf. Nicolay and hay, Abraham Lincoln, a History (New York, 1890), Vol. III.
- •Indispensable to success in the management of the then dis-
- •It was natural that there should be hesitation in New York
- •1 H. R. Miscellaneous Document No. 20, p. 3, 36th Cong., 2d Sess.
- •2 Ibid., loc. Cit.
- •1 Correspondence between Mr. George s. Coe, one of the bankers concerned, and
- •2 Letter of resignation, g. T. Curtis, Life of James Buchanan (New York, 1883),
- •3 Cf. Dix's letter to the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, h. R.
- •1 Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, December, 1861, p. 30.
- •2 On the condition of the finances at the commencement of the Civil War, cf.
- •3 Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, December, 1861, pp. 30-32.
- •Ing. Moreover, the credit of the government was improved
- •In order to escape payment of the higher duties imposed by
- •I Cf. American Annual Cyclopaedia, 1861, p. 296, and Hunt's Merchants' 1 Maga-
- •12 History op the greenbacks
- •It was found that the loan had been subscribed three times over
- •In need. Five million dollars were required to carry it along
- •000,000 To meet the expenditures of the coming twelve
- •000 Would defray the expenses of a peace footing, estimated
- •In 7 per cent., thirty-year bonds ; (3) the issue of not over
- •If Secretary Chase erred in thus proposing at the outset
- •2 Ibid., p. 14. 3 ibid., pp. 65 ff. And 71 ff.
- •5 Ibid., pp. 109 and 127. Ibid., p. 147.
- •1 12 Statutes at Large, p. 259. Act of July 17, 1861.
- •Interest;" (3) 7.3 per cent, three-year treasury notes, fundable
- •In 6 per. Cent, twenty-year bonds; or (4) treasury notes,
- •Vote for any bill that the administration and the leaders of
- •I Cf. " Comparative Bates of Duty, 1842-61," Hunt's Merchants' Magazine,
- •2 12 Statutes at Large, p. 292.
- •3 As examples of this disposition see the remarks of Senators McDougall, of
- •000,000. " : Mr. Chase, also, took a firmer stand, advocating
- •In his report of December, 1861, an increase of the customs
- •1 Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, December, 1861, p. 8. These issues were
- •2 " It is utterly out of the question, in our judgment," said the London Economist
- •Issue of clearing-house certificates. 1 But most of the paper
- •Imports due partly to the Morrill tariff, but chiefly to the
- •If the banks could collect specie in these two ways as
- •1 Chase's letter to Trowbridge, warden, op. Cit., pp. 386-8.
- •Ing (Boston, 1896), pp. 150-52.
- •2 Acts of July 17, 1861, sec. 1, 12 Statutes at Large, p. 259, and of August 5, 1861,
- •3 Text in American Annual Cyclopaedia, 1861, p. 299.
- •Vency of the government, and in so far injured its credit, and
- •I Letter to Trowbridge, warden, op. Cit., p. 388.
- •2 The banks were the more annoyed at Mr. Chase's refusal to make payments in
- •Issued an urgent address, appealing to the people to assist in
- •Into a common fund, and reviving the organization entered
- •Into to check the panic of the preceding November. The
- •000 In the specie holdings of the banks, and a like increase
- •In the coin held by the subtreasury. 3 At the same time the
- •Immediate action. With this view, on the 14th of January,
- •1 The text of the bill is given Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 3d Sess., pp. 283, 284.
- •2 See, e. G., the speeches of Messrs. Spaulding, ibid., p. 287; Morrill, p. 296; Shef-
- •1 Mr. Shellabarger, Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 3d Sess., p. 407.
- •2 Mr. Watts, ibid., p. 391. 3 Ibid., p. 409.
- •114 History op the greenbacks
- •1 Congressional Globe, 37th Cong., 3d Sess., p. 383.
- •2 Cf. Ibid., remarks of Messrs. Hooper, p. 386, Watts, p. 391, Riddle, p. 383, and
- •3 Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, December, 1862, p. 14.
- •Indebtedness and interest." 2
- •In coin. The third course necessarily involved all the disor-
- •Virtually a recommendation of this third course.
- •1 Ibid., p. 287. 2 Ibid., p. 391. 3 Sec. 3, Ibid., p. 284.
- •116 History or the greenbacks
- •Interest on bonds in "lawful money " instead of in coin, and
- •66, 5 Mr. Stevens imperturbably proposed a second. 8 As the
- •3.65 Per cent, interest in coin, a legal tender to the same
- •Ing "the negotiation of bonds to market value" were
- •1865 Must be added.
- •120 History of the greenbacks
- •1 Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, December, 1863, p. 2. On the arrange-
- •2 Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, December, 1863, p. 17. 3 ibid., p. 10.
- •122 History op the greenbacks
- •Increase the issues of United States notes, but it inserted
- •In the " act to provide ways and means for the support of
- •1 Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, December, 1864, pp. 19, 20.
- •2 See Chase's letter to Fessenden, schuckebs, op. Cit., p. 415 ; cf. Hunt's Mer-
- •126 History op the greenbacks
- •Internal revenue and a small increase of the temporary loan,
- •Important financial resource after June, 1863. In the fiscal
- •1 Cf. Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, December, 1864, pp. 13, 26.
- •2 Issues and redemptions of the principal of the debt are com piled from batlet,
- •Ing obligations for the fiscal years 1861-66
- •Ing obligations
- •In 1864 the proportion fell to a sixteenth, and thereafter the
- •I See Part II, chap, X, below.
- •Issuing irredeemable paper money was adopted because of the
- •In the first place, then, suspension of specie payments
- •In the medium of exchange were not slight, they were less
- •136 History op the greenbacks
- •It was this depreciation of the money unit that gave rise
- •Investigated in chap. IV.
- •Ing wealth is carried on by a succession of money payments.
- •1 Cf. Lacohlin, History of Bimetallism in the United States (4th ed., 1897), p. 86.
- •Incomes did not rise as quickly and in as great degree as
- •In the community which contributed of their property or
- •It altered only the division of these commodities and
- •138 History of the greenbacks
- •1. At any given time business men are bound to a con-
- •Increase their money expenditures. Laborers may demand
- •4. The readjustment in the scale of money payments,
- •Income had upon the consumption and production of wealth.
- •1 The rapidity and violence of these fluctuations may best be seen from the
- •In payment greenbacks worth considerably less than the
- •It. Business men consequently cast around for some means
- •II. Bank notes
- •In other parts of the United States left the notes of the state
- •Ing institutions elsewhere like the Chemical Bank of New
- •I bernard moses, " Legal tender Notes in California," Quarterly Journal of
- •Immunity from the penalties for suspension to such banks
- •1862, Relieving the banks from the penalties for suspension
- •1 See the New York city bank statements, ibid., p. 559; compare Report of the
- •2 Bankers' 1 Magazine, Vol. XVII, pp. 163, and 793, 794.
- •3 Knox, History of Bankingin the United States (New York, 1900), p. 642.
- •In discharge of its notes. After ascertaining that the courts
- •000,000 Of the nickel coins had been issued by June 30,
- •1862, And 48,000,000 more were added during the next
- •1 Knox, United States Notes, pp. 103 and 104.
- •2 Report of 1863, p. 189. 3 ibid.
- •1 Ibid.
- •2 Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 1228. 3 ibid., p. 1227.
- •170 History of the greenbacks
- •In October the director of the mint reported that the new
- •2 Bayley, National Loans of the United States, p. 157. These statements differ
- •Interest coupons. 1 One hundred and fifty millions of the
- •Itation of amount by the act of March 1, 1862. 3 This
- •000,000 In 1865.* Most of these notes were paid out to con-
- •1865, And 1866, as given in the current reports of the
- •184 History op the greenbacks
- •It was not until October, 1864, that a constitution and by-
- •In New York during the winter and spring of 1864.
- •1 See, e. G., Hunt's Merchants' 1 Magazine, Vol. Liu, p. 226.
- •2 Cf. New York Herald of August 20, and the money article of August 24, 1865 ;
- •In Washington, Baltimore, or Louisville the centers of
- •I See cobnwallis, op. Cit., pp. 4-7.
- •186 History op the greenbacks
- •Important of the New York markets. From January 13,
- •1862, To June 20, 1864, they are based upon sales at the
- •In the Appendix, 1 furnish a basis for studying the remarkable
- •II. Factobs which affected the gold pbice of the
- •188 History op the greenbacks
- •In analyzing the influences that made themselves felt on
- •Valuation of gold produced by speculation, commands scant
- •000, But after specie payments had been suspended in 1862
- •I Quotations of gold are from the New York Chamber of Commerce Reports
- •1863. L During the continuance of the war, however, this
- •Value of the currency, because holders of greenbacks who
- •Important consideration remained. Greenbacks were notes
- •Value like the value of the notes of a private person
- •I Whether the abrogation of the right of funding greenbacks in bonds delayed
- •In the House. When it was passed and sent to the Senate,
- •I See the editorial article in the issue of December 8, 1864, and the money article
- •Value of the currency ; for the fate of a loan indicated pub-
- •500,000 Was subscribed twice over and the sum advertised
- •1 See comments of New York papers of December 6 ; and Hunt's Merchant*'
- •Ing the government's notes. Hence every victory that
- •Indicator in the gold room more rapidly than by the daily
- •6Th a partial confirmation of the bad news continued the
- •1 See conflicting reports from the battles in the New York papers of May 4 to 8,
- •2 See the news columns of the papers of April 2, 1863.
- •204 History of the greenbacks
- •1 New York Times, money article, September, 3, 1862.
- •2 Ibid., money article for July 22, 1864.
- •Is shown by the events attending the presidential election of
- •1864. Mr. Lincoln was the Republican nominee. The
- •7, With the report that the cabinet had decided to notify the
- •Interest-bearing legal tenders and the notes and deposits of
- •1 See Part II, chap, II, sec. VI, above.
- •2 The most notable instance of this character was the fraudulent proclamation
- •III. The course op depreciation, january, 1862, to
- •In order to facilitate study of the progress of depreciation
- •7Th. Island No. 10 surrendered, Halleck telegraphed that
- •1 As most of the events referred to in the following review of the course of depre-
- •2. The fall from May, 1862, to February, 1863. In
- •Iu the Shenandoah valley, where he defeated the Union
- •Vania were sent to New York for safekeeping, and Governor
- •1 Cf. Elaine, Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. I, pp. 441-3.
- •2 Cf. Money article in New York Times, November 10, 1862.
- •216 History of the greenbacks
- •In January and February the fall of the currency was
- •It became known that Grant's first campaign against Vicks-
- •5,000 Prisoners. Early in February a Federal attack on
- •42 Per cent. From May to November the dominating causes
- •Invaded the North. Though his sortie was checked at
- •3. The rise from March to August, 1863. February
- •If June had shown the possibility of a rise in the face of
- •Vicksburg, and Port Hudson. These great successes, with
- •1 New York Times, money articles, July 15, 17, and August 25, 1863.
- •Ville, where Burnside's forces lay ; the highest, on the 27th,
- •222 History op the greenbacks
- •In April Congress still passed no revenue laws, and the
- •In the first half of May there was a rise. Sherman set-
- •In forcing Johnson back from Dalton, then from Resaca and
- •1 Editorial article, March 29, 1864.
- •2 The feeling of depression is shown by the New York Tribune's remark : "With
- •In the conviction that they were aiding the Rebellion as truly and
- •1 See money articles of this period.
- •2 June 15, 1864. More or less similar outbursts can be found in most of the New
- •Ized to dispose of any surplus gold not required for interest. 4
- •1 Congressional Globe, 38th Cong., 1st Sess., pp. 24, 173. When the committee was
- •2 Ibid., p. 539. 3 ibid., pp. 730, 2773.
- •5 New York Times, money articles, March 9, 11, 12, 15, 1864.
- •226 History op the greenbacks
- •169| On the 26th to 165f on the 29th of March. This day
- •In the spring of 1864, were urging him to suppress the gam-
- •Ishing the market demand for gold by selling customs-house
- •Ing more than a temporary effect upon the premium. What
- •If those who voted for the bill spoke doubtfully of it,
- •It, in Congress and out of Congress, now is that .... The gold
- •Infantry corps to the left was foiled by Ewell's fierce attacks,
- •Ing this prize, the Confederates operated in the Shenandoah
- •234 History op the greenbacks
- •2 The tariff act, the ways and means act, and the internal revenue act were all
- •3 See the reply of the Tribune, July 7.
- •5. The rise from August, 1864, to May, 1865. In Au-
- •In seizing the Weldon railway with his left and holding it
- •1 Part I, chap, V, sec. II, p. 125, above.
I Quotations of gold are from the New York Chamber of Commerce Reports
referred to above; quotations of old demand notes from HunCs Merchants'
Magazine, Vol. XL VII, pp. 33, 338; Vol. XLVIII, pp. 69, 305. The statements of the
premium on gold in the latter source differ slightly from those used; they are not
taken because of inconsistencies and obvious misprints. See, e. g., last reference.
Quotations of old demand notes cease in Hunt's Merchants 1 Magazine after March
14, when all but about $5,375,000 had been retired. The daily papers, however, con-
tinued to quote them for a few weeks longer.
SPECIE VALUE OP THE PAPEB CUBBENCY 197
of getting better terms for bonds, discretionary power was
granted Secretary Chase to abrogate the right after July 1,
1863. L During the continuance of the war, however, this
repeal of the funding provision made little difference in the
Value of the currency, because holders of greenbacks who
desired to invest them in government securities could still get
five-twenty bonds at rates not far from par. Up to the
close of subscriptions for the five-twenties of 1862 under the
agency of Jay Cooke these bonds could be bought at par from
the government. After this date, January 21, 1864, they
could be bought in the New York stock market at the fol-
lowing rates:
TABLE VII
MONTHLY HIGHEST AND LOWEST PRICES OP FIVE-TWENTY COUPON BONDS IN THE
NEW YORK STOCK MARKET IN 1864 AND 1865 2
Month
18*
14
181
IS
Lowest
Highest
Lowest
Highest
January
101^
104%
106%
110
February
103%
107
108%
112
March
107
110^
104%
HIM
April
105
114
105^
109M
May
105^
107^
102}4
107
June
101
106%
102
104M
July
101U
109
103%
106
Autrust
106^
113
105 V
106%
September
105
111%
105%
108^
October
106^
los y z
101%
105U
November
100U
107M
99M
103
December
106^
110
100
105^
This table shows that, after allowance is made for accumu-
lated interest, the five-twenties at no time in 1864 or 1865
rose more than a few per cent, above par in the paper cur-
rency. This few per cent, marks the maximum difference
which continuation of the right of exchanging United States
1 See Part I, chap, iv, pp. 104, 107, 115, above.
2 From the Financial Review, 1873, p. 17 (supplement of the Commerical and
Financial Chronicle) .
198 HISTORY OP THE GREENBACKS
notes at par for five-twenties could possibly have added to the
value of the former. Of course, the reason why the conversion
scheme was not more effective, while it lasted, in preventing
depreciation of the currency is found in the fact, that while
the government was waging a war of enormous cost and
uncertain issue, investors did not put a high value upon its
bonds. To attempt to maintain the credit of one set of
promises to pay by means of a second set could avail little
when the ability of the promisor to keep either set was
regarded as doubtful. 1
As for the legal-tender clause the third provision against
depreciation it could compel a creditor to receive paper
money as the equivalent of gold only for debts already con-
tracted. It could not control contracts to be made in the
future. Sellers were free to charge higher prices for their
goods when they knew the payment would be in greenbacks ;
and they did so. Not only did the legal-tender clause fail
to prevent depreciation, but, had it been the only support
of the value of the greenbacks, the depreciation might have
been as great as was the depreciation, for example, of the
Russian legal-tender paper money in the first quarter of
last century.
But, though these artificial provisions proved futile, one