Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1853-10-27


our citizens to be respected abroad.
Let eur people go on, rivalling each
9th er in all the pursuits of peace; lei
the m acquire civil. equal to thatwhich
they have acquired onthe field Of mil
itaTy glory, and which is much more
valuable and honorable than all the
glare of the military world com
bined.
! would be doing great injustice
TO my own feelings, were | not, in
this connection to declare though
it may be considered by some as
being in bad taste that l would
rather wear upon my garments the
dipge Of the S hop and Il e dust of
the field, as badges Of the pursuits
Of peace, than the dazzling epaulet
upon my shoulder, and the sword,
with its glittering scabbard dang
ling by my side-+the insignia Of
honorable and glorious war;
The Army and Navy in this, as in
most Of the nations of the earth, are
the great absorbents of the people S
substance. They ate the two great
arteries that will, unless confined
within proper limitE, bleed this, as
they have some off the other gov
ernments, well nigh TO state of ex-
haustion. Even heie, where we seem
to have fixed prejudice against
Urge standing armies, and extern
sive navies, it is almost startling to
announce the aggregate amount the
people have to pay for the support of
their Army and Navy, in time of
profound peace According to the
most recent estimate made out by
the Secretary Of the Treasury and
submitted to the Congress of the
United States, it will require, during
the present fiscal year, twenty-one
millions Of dollars to sustain our Ar
my and Navy; which is tax of
nearly one dollar per head, for eve
ny man, woman and child iii the Uni
ted States. The entire amount col
lected from the American people, by
the General Government alone, in the
shape of taxes, expended since the.
9th of March, 1889, to the 4th of
March, 1910, is $1,428,000 900, in
round numbers. OF this amount
s513, 100000 ha been paid out in
the shape Of national debt, con
tracted for the purpose Of carrying
on our various wars, at home and
abroad, which will leave sol 100000.
Olt of the last named sum, there has
been paid, for the support Of the
Army and Navy, six hundred mil
lions of dollars, exclusive of all pen
sions, which is sixty-two millions, and
is properly charged to the Army and
Navy 1t will be very readily per-
ceived from this 81 mplc statement Of
facts, that tvs thirds of the whole
amount OF revenue collected from the
people has been appropriated for the
support Of these two branches of Gov
tits not my purpose, in
this allusion to the vast
amount that has been expended in
the IA me of our littleTArmy and Ma
w, to detract aught from their high
but to SHOW that they are
costing the American people more, in
pro portion to the number employed
u the naval and military service,
han any other government in the
world; and for the further purpose
# showing, that naval and military
glory is not without cost, even in this \
,epubli can form of government Of
,urs, and that,too, where most Of the
fgtdng IN time Of actual 1car, is done !
~ the citizen soldier. While make
hose remarks, ] am not to be
understood as being opposed to the I
Govern ment keeping in readiness a :
;ufficien ut physical force to maintain !
he honor, dignity and rights Of our ;
at home or abroad, upon {
he ocean or upon the land. But | !
must be permitted, incidentally, to- S
ecur once more to thatgreatscheme, {
he Homestead Policy, as being bet {
er calculated in all its bearings, if I
and successfully carried i
ut, for building up the most relia- c
lie physical force for this country in t
ime Of war. If this scheme is once S
established, and carried out in good S
alth, it vii! build up a standing army, S
n the character Of the citizen sol /
ier, that will, by It's own productive
'ower support itself in time of peace, 9
nd will be in readiness to defend the a
ountry in time Of war. 1t is one i
hat viii protect your frontier settle L
rents against any disturbance grow
lg out Of unfriendly or hostile rela- t
ions with our numerous Indian /