Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-02-21
THE OREGON QUESTION.
APPENDIX TO THE LETTERS OF Mn, GALA
TIN ON THE OREGON QUESTION.
W.aR EXPENSES.

NEW YORK, FEBRUARY ~, 1910
Those expenses may be arranged under three
heads
should be considered as belonging to the peace
establishment of the country.
2dly. Those which should be adopted when there
is an impending danger of war.
3dly. Those which actual war renders neces-
sary.
To the first class belong all those which provide
for objects that require considerable time TO oe eye
cuted, and cannot without great difficulty be accom-
plished pending war. Such are iortlIca'ohs'
building ships of war, Cincuding steamers') accumu-
lating materials for the same purpose, navy yards
providing sufficient artillery, and other important
objects Of the ordnance department. 1t may be
taken for granted that Government has done, or
will do. all that is necessary and practicable III that
respect.
'rbe preparatory measures which should be adopt
cd when there is danger of war, are those respect
ing which the greatest variety of opinions must be
expected 1t has been repeatedly asserted that such
is the structure of our Government that ii never
will or can prepare for war till after il has actually
commenced that is to say, that, because Congress
was dilatory in making effectual provision for car
rynq on the last against Eroat Britain and be-
cause the Administration at the time when it was
declared inefficient and not well calculated for
conducting it, the United States are bound forever
TO incur, at the commencement of every war, the
disasters of one or two years, before they be
induced to put on their armor. The past is rrevo-
cable, and of no other use than as far as it may
teach us to avoid the faults that formerly COM
mitted. When our Government relies on the peo-
pie for being sustained in making war, its confidence
must be. entire. They must be told the whole
truth; and, if they really in favor of war, they
will cheerfully sustain Government in all the mea-
sures necessary to carry ii into effect The frank
annunciation of the necessity Of such measures is
called creating panic" 1t is not the first time
that, under similar circumstances, the same language
has been held. If there be no danger or intention
of making war, those create panic who proclaim
determination to assert the exclusive sovereignty
of the United States the whole contested ter
ritory, with the full knowledge that Great Britain
has uniformly and explicitly declared that she would
resist any such attempt. IT, instead Of telling the
people the whole truth, the attempt TO conceal from
them the necessity of the required for
rying on the war should be successful, reaction
in the public sentiment will most certainly take
place, whenever it will have become impossible TO
delay any longer the heavy burden of taxation, for
which the nation had not been prepared.
will not dwell on the necessary preparations of
military character, otherwise than by referring to
some notorious facts.
The primary causes of the disastrous re- +.
suits Of the campaign of 1912 were, the want ,
Of naval force the Lakes, and that OF suff-
ciept regular force. Government had obtained ,
correct statement Of the regular force Of the British
in Canada, with the exception Of the garrison Of
Quebec. This last.was estimated at about three
thousand men, and could not be lessened with
eut great inconvenience and some danger. The re-
;gulsr force at Montreal ST Johns, and Three Ri
vers auonatAd 3ses 40 tas - sAss >sA>s. -
Ijpper Canada TO s72O The act to raise an addi-
tiofial military force of $4,000 men passed on
:f6e Ith Of january 1912, The selection of the
officers was not completed before the termination Of
that year; ihe recruiting service was not organized
in time; -<hes enlistments for the regular army fell
short Of The most moderate calculation; and the to-
tai number recruited was SO small as to render It
impossible TO strike decisive blow en-any one Of
the most important points from Montreal upwards,
insignificant as was the force by which they were
defended. The volunteer actwas also extremely
unprodnctive. Al that time the Treasury was am
ply supplied and the want was not that Of money,
but Of regular force. .-.
Snct force cannot be raised without money; and
yet it will be admitted that il would be extremely
difficult to induce Congress to lay internal taxes or
duties before war was declared, or certain. In or
der 10 provide means for having an.addtonal regi-
lar force ready to act soon as actual war takes
place, loan and. Treasury notes must be resorted
to. But Il is deemed absolutely necessary tina, the
internal. taxes should be imposed simultaneously
with the declarations of war, and that provision
should be made for their immediate collection.
With the exceptiono the act for doubling the duties
on importaiions Congress did not pass any law for
imposing any new tax, or duties till more.than one
year after the declaration of the last war; nor did ii
even lay. second direct tax in the year 1914. Il
was not till after public credit ruined, after
Treasury notes which were due had remained un-
paid, and after Mr.. Dallas had been placed at the
head Of the Treasury that at last the laws for i'm
posing double direct tsx, for increasing the rate
OF the existing internal duties, and Tor laying new
ones were enacted. The peace was ratified i'm
mediately AFTER and in point of fact no more than
ssS77,0Oo were paid in the Treasury, before the
end Of the war; on account Of the direct tax and all
other internal taxes duties. There were received
from the same sources S20,654OOO in the wears
1915, 1918, and 1917. 1
The preparatory measures necessary In order To-
ensure an immediate collection of internal taxes
whenever the laws imposing such taxes shall have
been passed, are those on which may speak with
confidence. These consist SIMPLY in previous
organization of the machinery necessary for the
collection of every species of internal taxes and for
the assessment of direct tax. The proper seec-
tion Of the numerous officers necessary for the coll
lection always consumes several months. pre-
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