The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-09-18

IL New England had been innuenceu III ioiS anu
1918 by Mr. Kings temperate and honorable spirit,
the States which frustrated the war might have
added Canada to their weight in the Union.
'There was, indeed, abundant basis for legitimate
opposition, without resort TO what was unfounded,
if not unprncipled. The country suffered not less
from its government, than from the party making
opposition to IL The Executive and Congress of
1912 were both obnoxo TO severe animal diversion,
and it is the part of all historical recollection to ex-
plain the extreme imperfectness, from which the
United States were providentially rescued by the In
herent energies and resources Of free, martial and
intellectual people. At the same time, large allow
ances are due to those on whom the experiment flor
such it was) devoved Of making war without SOL
diers or officers, money, taxes, or manufactures
As the country grows, even with republican repug-
nance to restraint improves in military prepare
tons. The United States are much further adj
vanced in armament now compared with 1912, than
in 1912 they were compared with l776. Thirty
years of popular and lucrative peace, IN 1912 found
the government not only without most of the means
and science, but nearly all the spirit and aptitude for
hosulities.
"The war began with a President commander-in-
chief who abhorred war; a man of probty, and, as
chief magistrate, resolved to do all he could for
its prosecution. But he had no taste, pretended to
no knowledge of it, and did not even sustain him
self by counsellors knowing more than he. The
only one, with any turn or experience that way,
was not appointed for that reason; the Secretary of
State, Mr.. Monroe, had never performed more than
slight military service many years before, as leu
tenant or ade-de-camp. The Secretary the Treas
ury, Mr.. Gallatin avowedy opposed to declaring
war, after it was declared, deemed speedy peace, by
other than belligerent means, the only salvation of
the country. The Secretary of War, Eusts, had
probably never brigade of regular troops, had
never served in any military capacity, or had
any knowledge of the subject. The Secretary Of
the Navy, Hamilton, had, perhaps, never seen
ia, bal al Of
affairs. The Acknowledgement, Pinkney, questioned
whether war was not premature while government
was so entirely unprepared The Postmaster General,
Gideon Granger, not then, as now, cabinet officer,
butat the head of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for military
operations, was disaected to the President, in party
sympathies with senators and others protesting,
perhaps entertaining, inclinations for the war,
but denying that, with Madison as leader,
it ever could prosper The numerous and re-
spectacle party, who, as party, opposed the
declaration of war, not quite as well founded IN
their resistance to it, as those who, in IT'S and 1776
opposed the Declaration Of Independence, had, new
ertheless, much in the alleged preclpitancy
of the step for resisting it. IL the peace party of
1912 had like the temporzers Of the revolution, ac-
quiesced when the declaration lawfully took place,
their position would have been not only honorable,
but, for the first two years Of war; during its wretch
ed noviciate, more enviable than that of the war
party. But in New England particularly, either
from sectional temperament, or because several
States there were governed by those always opposed
to Jefferson aud Madsons government, and held
the local power with angry dsafection to WELD it,
opposition carried beyond all patriotic bounds
until at length, touching upon treason, it was fortu-
natey crushed by western and southern victories
together with maritime successes, and English UNI
warrantabe warfare rousing and uniting the masses
who think less than feel, together with the consider
ate and calculating TO rally round the federal gov
eminent for support, to save the Union from dis
memberment, the States from anarchy, the country
from civil, worse than foreign war"
'sThe incongruity between appropriations and pro-
vision for them by taxation, was such, that without
cent to be raised by taxes, moro than fifteen mil
lions of dollars appropriated for the army, and
nearly two million seven hundred thousand for the
navy, when the income by customs for 1911 did not
exceed thirteen millions, and that of 1912 was only
about nine millions and half. All modern wars are
carried on in part by loans, but loans secured by
taxes. Our war was to be sustained by borrowed
money without taxes---at any rate, till after the
presidential election. The loan of sixteen Millions
authorized by the act of the 9th of February 1873
superadded to that for eleven Millions authorized
by the act Of the l4h of March, 1912; together
with an issue of five millions of treasury notes by
the act Of the 30th of June, lSl2;-these thiry-two
millions of dollars, borrowed without any substan-
tal pledge for payment Of even interest OF the debt
to that amount were the device ofthe Treasury and
the deusion of Congress. The loan of 1873, for
cent for per cent stocks, at par with an annu-
ty ofone and halfper cent. perannum Seven mil
lions Of the sum were subscribed by Stephen Girard
and David Parish, two millions by John Jacob As
tor, the other millions by different banks and
persons, mostly at Philadelphia and New York.
stephen Girard being by birth Frenchman, Aston
and Parish Germans, and Mr. Gallatin a Swiss
though all American citizens Of high standing, and
all but Parish of long standng-it objected that
all the means the American government had for car
rying on the war were supplied by foreigners; an
imputation to which nearly all the governments
of Europe since have frequently been obnox-
ions, if not always. Governments, like indi-
yiduals, when inclined to borrow, get the loan
wherever they can. 1t was a much more serious
objection to this loan Of ours that it resort, if
not ruinous at least dangerous, to that wastefu sys
TEN of finance which paper money, bank credits,
and devolution of payment on posterity engrafsed
on the stock Of substantial revenue. II was also re-
marked, that while Frenchmen and Germans sup
piled our war funds their administration was con.
fided through the war to MIR. Gallatin, Swiss Mr..
Campbell, a Scotchman, and Mr.. Dallas, an Eng
lishman; TO which also, however, the reply was,
that the American financial system originated with
Robert Morris, an Engshman, and Alexander
Hamilton, a native of an English West India ISL
and My small subscription, (of all was worth,
however,) in the alphabetical list of the Bank Of
Pennsylvania, came next to that of q rich German,
Jacob Gerard Koch, who subscribed half a million
| of dollars. Opposition to the loans caused some
reacting patriotism; and many subscribed more
than they otherwise would, in order to show their
confidence in the government, and support of the
war; of which class Mr. Koch was one.m
TO BE CONTINUED.