Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1841-05-08
l.-rr has MADE Us PooH.

""HNH so"
minute details AM aggregates Of the loss which the
country has sustained during the four years of Mr..
Van BIreus administration. b, the depreciation Of
labor and property % al kinds. in consequence of
that destructive policy and those ruinous measures
which have paralyzed the industry, the commerce
and the enterprise OF this country. This invcsiiga.
lion announces 10 the world the astounding result
Of n loss 20 tho country, not Of hundreds merely,
but of thousands of millions Of dollars The loss
on grain, for example. u computed AT SIjO. 900 900:
on cotton, al Si3O,OOO.0U0; on wool. S2O.ugD0gO;
on capital invested in manufactures. $50 0lpnO0;
on capital invested ia moueyed stocks. eljg.uU9 900:
ou capital invested in slaves, Si0O.OJO 900. Add
to these The l"ssos on capital invested in lands and
real estate. and on the value Of the labor of the
country, and tho aggregate swells To an astounding
amount
Ii any one should think these estimates too great.
let him ahaie from them tall he is satisfied. IL is
certain they cannot be reduced 80 low hut that they
will be large enough for our present purpose. One
hall, or one quarter, or even ono eighth Of such a
loss, falling On this country in the brief round Of
four short years. Is enough to make it poor indeed.
By a return Of prosperity under good govern
meni, a muiety Of this property may be brought
back 10 a fair value. The rest - lost forever. In
the mean time, the interest alone on rhe aggregate
Of the loss. AT six pes cent. which perhaps may be
assumed as the lowest aHnnal value Of the properly
thus sacrificed, - irgh,iul 10 contemplate.
Moreover before tie country can fairly he SET
right, the additional sacrifice will probably be half
as much more. Every producer Of wealth in our
country has not only lost what he has been made
minus during this unfortunate period Of oar history,
(,nd where Is the man that does not count his tens,
or hundreds, or thousands, aud, IN many cases, hun
dreds Of thousands, lpsiN bu; he has also lost all
that he would have been Plus, As the result of pros.
porous times. The calculation. therefore. which
produces this amazing aggregate j. not only simple
and easy, but credible 10 every man that looks To
] ~ ntasYt DNfrrHnal gaa- ~. . "a -
forever poorer as a nation. by at least some scores
, Of millions annually, ia consequence of This iuial
policy aud these fatal measures. As II took Us halt
3 q century 10 grow 10 that wealth and prosperity
which were GUS before these destructive expen-
rnenis commenced, 80, uoI UNLIKELY, il wall rGke u
hall a century mG.e 10 recover from this blow. !.
the people OF Tins country had been taxed. each in.
dsVIdual accordins 10 hs or her stake IN The wealth
Of the community, To tao full amount. in the agrrc.
gate. of the national debt Of Great Britain. 10 be
taken not only from themselves, but from The cuuu.
Try, ~ kind of what They had, and been permitted
10 have a good government rs a compensation for
the sacrifice, IL would have been a good hargaiu in
comparison with what they have lost, IT, perhaps.
We cx-cp! the h~Opcd-lor restoration Of value, by lhs
return oI prosperous umes, 10 that portion 81 their
property which they have been able 10 retain in n
deprecated sihte.
Nor IS This all. The currency Of The country has
been 50 utterly dcEaHged and ruined. and u, credit
~ 'N'l'Allte- ii4Nl Two lililHA constitute The sin
ews OF war-thal 40 one could tell what would be
our condition Il we should be plunged. nj such a
moment, into sudden hosiilIIies with a formidable
power. We know, indeed, that the American peo-
pie would do their best; that they would acquit
themselves with honor: and we believe they would.
la the end, come of victorious, because we believe
,hat the resources Of the country are iuexhausiIble
and the spirit Of the people indomiiablc. We do
not believe the nation could la BUNDLED. or its in.
saiuiIons put IN peril 10y any earthly power, huvev.
er or whenever forced into a war by a lust q, ca
sion.
II is, therefore. q mere schooLbov question. with
which the GI"h" has started on INTO an alarm. os
u 10 cali the nation 10 arms 10y asking ARE the Uni.
ted States to0 we8k 10 maintain their ndcpenIcnccy"
Il - unworthy even Oi a sophomore u is Iejune
and silly
Nevertheless. it is an old saying that there is
potcy ~ war. We may rest assured that there is.
And that man IS simple, and that nation very un.
wise, That lights when not obliged 10 fight. without
consideration Of consequences.
II, therefore. jhe Globe had asked. Are The Toi.
ted Siatcs prGDIred 10 go 10 war under such a pres.
sure OF private aud public calamity 10 would a,
least have been n pertinent question, however Sc.
were might have been the rebuke which IL would
reflect ON those who have made ~ thus poor anI
weak, and on the Globe itself Tor it, own share Of
The responsibility Tor that poverty and weakness.
Repeatedly have We been deemed 90 be on the
2-Ir HAS LEFr THE COUNTRY DrrrxcyIrs,
\ very small fraction Of the wealth we have los,
by the destructive career Of Our Naiioual AGm,pis.
tratIon would, iti Is plain and clear. have put the
country m a formidable posture nr dcCence nj, o.-
lour great lines Of frontier, an in maritime nrma-
mems. IL would have made Us ImrrrypahI, nj,
every side, and launched upon the deep a nava.
power which 10 n1iIou-ust even Great Britain.
with hl her superiority in maritime forccs-w,rlI
"lllugly encounter. Then VIC should have beer.
safe from insult and wrong from any quarrer.
Dies not every one know with what casr md
rapidIiy we I]fquidatcj and finally o1iIr.uish-I our
National Gehi. and then found n surplus revenue &C.
cumuiairng upon our hands. which became , .Yb.
I'd Of alarm, simply as q ]slsplgs7 We cb.Ilspgc
lHo world 70 tell as what reason but had GOVERN.
meni can possibly be- found why the national ygg,IH.
should not have gone on still accumuIqrug ,y.,
m increased proportions, Boo % time a. such gaY.r.f
peace. and with such fruitful seasons as We have en-.
I0ycl'
when The people or This country 7r, r.,,-,
ihe revenues 1t rIr Government wilt be- I4---. a..
IS proved by our past higoy-1IlrI4uty I,r,.
not only Tor Is own support. Boz for The r-r4ffY, gr
all those national dcieuCCs which are rcqBrsd m. ,
preparation ior war. Within "a few wears mast n.y.
Government has repeatedly called upon the Tr,I
nccr, Ordnance. and Navy Department.. or sa,h h,
Inmates ns they might Judge necessary. il their r.,
sperryc branches OF the service, i5 put re country
lu n complete state pf defence. which calls have
been respJ1dtd tJ with great care and fIsify-
ButscarseIy any Thing has been done o. execute
The plans proposed
The great and criminal neglect orfha national de-.
fences. by he lafs Administration stands 1 srr.E
aHd impressive contrast 90 their profession Of favor
towards The great national interest. and merits con. /
liberation. Ever since The year 1886. they have
3aeh making the l11dcgt prJtestatOns and strongest
-om'N,ifa'f1ns as being about 10 augment and
.'e7E.hen ihe ulfioual dsfsuces and ever since
WIN aI noNcr iu their hands. they have
uniformly refused f1 make any aprrosu,ropS q, al.
- 'nsm in any considerable degree. beyond
the sfatu quo. '
10 snow hot We IRE not 7spcskinr ~ random
here "e VIII support whai NC cay win aes. Ip I