Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-11-20
what has this war Cost us ;

We have progressed to another point in
This bloody drama, and yet have not APP
nroached the end. The expenditures of
money 10 carry on the war reached to $685.
00O 600 IN TO the frst.of October, and still
the drain upon the public treasury contin-
mes. No one doubts that, were peace de-
clared to-day, the expenses of the war would
he less than two hundred millions To say
nothing of the treasures of ten thousand
hearts that lie scattered on the battle fields
of i'll starred Mexico.
In pecuniary point of view what has il
cost u.s. In precious lives, what treasure
house can repair the loss? The Philadel-
phia North American, assuming 120, 1000, oOO
dollars as the cost up to that period, makes
the following calcIlation:-
With $4,000, 900, a school house and
church might crown every hill top from the
Penobscot to the Rio Grande, and teachers
OF knowledge and righteousness might do
their misson0f good without money or price
from any one.
With $l20,000,000, we might connect
every town in our land by Railroad; and the
magnetic telegraph might be made to stretch
its magic wires along every thoroughfare
from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
With $4,000, 200, we might build such a
navy as the world never saw, and carry on
such a commerce as Venice, in her palmiest
DAYS, never dreamed of; our flag might float
on every breeze, our sails whiten every sea,
and our name be heard and feared in every
house between the poles.
With $4,000, 600, we might feed every
poor man, clothe every beggar, and relieve
every distress, not once only, but always, as
@l,,, LII. 4 4
exceed 50,000,000. Starvation, poverty
and famine need never find foot hold on
earth.
And more, with $12o,000,00o we might
give the Bible, and tell the tidngs of our
holy faith, to heather lands, and to every
foreign nation, and to every human soul.
The government complains that the Post
Office Department is heavy tax upon the
Treasury, on account of the low rates OF
postage. Devote two months interest OF
the Mexican war debt to this end, and our
people would never hear the word e post
age''
The Government doles out with a miser's
hand, and in miser's spirit, trifiing, pitifnl
sums for harbors in our western rivers and
lakes. Devote two months interest of the
Mexican war debt to this end, and no more
petitions for appropriations would come from
the people of the West.
This is the way to calculate the cost of the
war; and these are not idle fancies. Let no
reader be satisfied until he works, with his
pencil, each one of these statements. Fig
ures will verify them all. Is our country
able to squander money in this wise? Is
gold matter of such little concern as to be
disposed of in this manner? What says the
farmer, whose taxed lands help to heap up
these boards of wasted money? What SAYS
the mechanic, whose taxed " occupation .
aids in amassing this squandered treasure
What say the people, who pay for it, in their
clothes, food, books, houses, furniture, and
property? Can we afford it? We might
be doing good with it, such as no country has
ever done.
Is this, then, the boosted destiny of our
great country-to tax her people, collect and
borrow an immense sum, and spend it in
shedding blood and killing eni-.uaasson
Express. Is M