,000,000 could be reissued was a
question which I hoped Congress would settle, that I considered
the law as doubtful. Congress did subsequently suspend the retirement
of United States notes at $346,000,000.

The sinking fund and many other subjects were embraced in this
interview, the importance of which would justify a fuller statement
than I have given, but, as the interview has been published as a
public document, I do not give further details. I stated frankly
and explicitly what I intended to do if not interrupted by Congress.
I felt assured, not only from the Senate, but from what I could
learn from Members of the House, that no material change of existing
law would be made to prevent the proposed operations of the treasury
department. From that time forward I had not the least doubt of
success in preparing for and maintaining resumption, and refunding,
at a lower rate of interest, all the public debt then subject to
redemption.

I think I entirely satisfied the committee that the government was
not dealing with shadows, but had undertaken a task which it could
easily accomplish, if not prevented by our common masters, the
Congress of the United States. It was said of Mr. Buckner that
before I appeared before the committee, he regarded me as a visionary
enthusiast, who had undertaken to do what was impossible to be
done, that after the first day of the examination he came to the
conclusion that I was honest in my belief that resumption was
possible, but he did not believe in my ability to do what was
proposed; at the end of the second day he expressed some doubts of
the ability to resume, but said that the object aimed at was a good
one, and he was not disposed to interfere with the experiment; and
on the third day he said he believed I had faith in the success of
resumption, and would not interfere with it, but if I failed I
would be the "deadest man politically" that ever lived.

CHAPTER XXXIII.
SALE OF BONDS FOR RESUMPTION PURPOSES.
Arrangements Begun for the Disposal of $50,000,000 for Gold or
Bullion--Interviews with Prominent Bankers in New York--Proposition
in Behalf of the National Banks--Terms of the Contract Made with
the Syndicate--Public Comment at the Close of the Negotiations--
"Gath's" Interview with Me at the Completion of the Sale--Eastern
Press Approves the Contract, While the West Was Either Indifferent
or Opposed to it--Senate Still Discussing the Expediency of Repealing
the Resumpt