Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-04-03
What Glory Costs The Nation.

What Glory Costs The Nation.
Such is the tito of an admirable article in
the April number of Grohom's Magazine,
exhibiting the cost and folly Of our immense
expenditures for the Army aud Navy in time
Of peace Here arc some extracts
By tablea of the expenditures of the
United States, exclusive of payments on ac-
count of the Public Debt, it appears, that in
the Gly-.hrcc years from the formation OF
Our present Governments, from 1889 down to
1913, S2iGGg00J5 have been expended for
civil purposes, compromising the executive,
the legislature, the judiciary, the post office,
lighthouses, and intercourse with foreign
governments. During this same period
S3GS 62G. Sol have been devoted TO the Htili-
tary establishment, aud $40, l37 Goa to tho
naval establishment; the two forming an ag-
grcgnte of SJ'iS,9Gl,21S. Deductimg from
this sum the appropriations during three
years of war, and we shall find that more
| than four hundred millions were absorbed hy
vain Preparations in time of peace for War
! Add to this amount moderate sum for tho
expense Of the Militia during the same peri
cd, which, ms we have already seen have
been placed recently at $50, ,GO0,000 year;
for the past years wt may take nm average
of sS2j, ,000,C eco: aud we shall have tho cnor-
nous sum of ~ ,335, 5,0C0,C00 to bo added TO
the S'4C0,000,GO0; the whole amounting 10
sermieen hundred dndHiry;frs millions OF dol
lars, sum beyond the conception of human
faculties, sunk under the sanction of the
Government of the United States in mere
peaceful preparations for UU; more thau
scrcn times as much MS wGs dedicated by Tie
Government, during the same period, TO ull
other purposes whatsoever!
From this scrricd nrray of figures the
mind ins;iTcIiveiy retreats. Ii we examine
them from nearer point OF view, and, ,seler-.
ting some particular part, compare. IL Siil1f
J tile figbrcs representing ,otier ,ip,egefis- ia
I HE community, tiny -ni;i.rresent FROM 81"
more dread Let us attempt INC coinpai
son.
II appears from the last Report of tic
Treasurer of Harvard University, that the
whole available property of the University,
the various nccumulai0ns Of more lhun two
centuries of generosity, amounts 10 $1O3, ,l1J. !
Change the scene, aud cast your eyes upon
another object. There now swings idly at
her moorngs, in this harbor n ship Of tho
line, the Ohio, carrying ninety guns, finished
as late MS 1886 for Sj47 ,GsS repaired only /
two years after, in 1888, for s'2230l2; with |
an armament which has cost S53 ,9l5; MAX I!
ing an amount Of SS31 ,Sl5,f ns the actual
cost at this moment of that single ship !
more than 500 COO beyond all the available |
Occumulati0ns OF the richest and most an
cient seat of learing in the land. Choose |
yc, my icllow-ctizcus of a Christian state, |
hCtwCcn the two CHskeis-that wherein is the |
lovcincss Of knowledge and truth, or that |
which contains the cnrrium death.
refer particularly TO the Ohio, because |
she happens TO he in our waters. But in so
doing do not take the strongest case nilor- |
dcd by our Navy, Other ships have absorbed |
still larger sums. The expense Of the Della
ware in 1919, had been enc million dad my !
ono thousand dollars.
Pursue the comparison still further. The |
expenditures of tho University during the |
last year for the general purposes OF the |
College, the instruction Of the Under eradu- |
ntes, and for the Schools of Law aud Divini- |
", amount to SlG9i9. The cost of the |
Ohio for one year in service, in salaries. wa
gcs, and provisions, is 5220,0O0; being |
&I75, 600 more than the annual expenditures |
Of tho University; moro than four times ms
much. In other words, for the annual sum
which is layished on one ship of the line,
four institutions, like Harvard University,
might he sustained throughout the country!
Sill further let lis pursue the comparison.
The pay Of tic Captain of ship like the
Ohio, is $500 when in service; $4,000,
when ON leave of absence, or of duty. The
salary of the President of the Harvard Uni
versiiy is 92,20j without leave Of abseuce,
and never being oil duty
II the large endownents Of Harvard Uni
yersily are dwaried by comparison with
the expenses of n single ship of the line,
how much more must it be so with those Of
other institutions Of learning and benefcence,
less favored by the bounty of many genera
tions. The average cost of sloop of war
is S'3l5,0O0; more probably, than all the en-
dOwnents of those twin stars Of learning in
the Western part of Massachusetts, the Col
lege at Willamsown and Amherst, and OF
that single star in the East, tile guide 10 many
ingenious youth, the Seminary nt Andover.
The yearly cost of sloop of war in service
is aboye$ $4,000; more than the annual eXpeli-
diturcs of these three institutions combined.
might press the comparison with other
institutions of Beneiicence, with the annual
expenditures for the Blind-that noble and
successful charity, which has shed true lus-
! ire upon our Notwithstanding TO
! $4,000; and the annual expenditures for the
Insane of the Commonwealth, another chari-
ty dear TO humanity, amounting to s21,2l4,
%Amcrican Almanac for 1915, p. l43.
tDocument No 1872, House OF Representa-
tivcs Ard session. 9th Congress-, I'D.