to pay off
the whole of the present bonded debt by an issue of greenbacks. At
the beginning of the canvass, the Cincinnati _Enquirer_, and, I
think, the leading peace party paper at Columbus, and Mr.
Vallandigham, presented this as the leading question before the
people. The _Enquirer_ told us that Democratic conventions in forty
counties had resolved in favor of it; and certainly if any one of
the topics which have been presented in this way may be regarded as
a party topic, that is one. If they have succeeded in making a new
issue, that is one. On the 20th of last month, I spoke at Batavia,
and I referred to that subject. I said that Judge Thurman was
plainly committed against the issue of more greenbacks; that when
we were in the midst of the war, and the necessities of the country
were such that it was necessary to get money by every means in our
power, he had told the people there was no constitutional authority
to issue greenbacks. I said further, that in his speech at Waverly
he had spoken of this currency as a currency of rags; and that,
therefore, I was authorized to say he was opposed to this new
scheme of the Cincinnati _Enquirer_. That speech of mine was
reported in the Cincinnati _Commercial_ of the next morning. On the
following day, the 22d of August, the _Enquirer_ noticed my speech.
I will read you the whole of the _Enquirer's_ article on that
subject. I do this because I think, in this county as well as
elsewhere, Democrats are claiming the votes of Union men on the
ground that it is wise to pay off the bonded debt by an issue of
greenbacks, and I wish to show that Judge Thurman is opposed to the
scheme. Therefore, it is no party issue, because no party State
convention has resolved in favor of it, and the peace party
candidate for governor is against it. The _Enquirer_ says, under
the caption of "Judge Thurman and the bondholders:"

"In his speech at Batavia, Clermont county, on Tuesday, General
Hayes, while discussing the payment of the public debt question,
said:

"Judge Thurman has not yet spoken distinctly on this question. But
his well-known opinion, that even the necessities of the war did
not authorize, under our constitution, the issue of the
legal-tender currency, coupled with the fact that he speaks of it
in