Litchfield enquirer., 1856-02-21
The Cost of War. Bf CaAaLxs Sunsta.

Here figures appear to lose their fa- ctiens! They seem to pant. as they toil vanly fo rep,rsen, the enosm nous sums coasumed iu This unpars'lelrd wa ste, Our own c, per,encs, mrasurrd by tks concerns of common fife. , doss not allow us adequately to conee,vs these snms Like the periods of geological ',m-. or The distances of ,he fixed stars, they , baffie the ima s'nai,on. Lntk for instance, as 'le cost of this system 10 Inc United States. Without making any allowances G.r the loss sus' aimed by the wihdrawal of ae,ivs men from productive industry, we find that, from 'he a1"p'f"n ihe Federal Ccnsthuion down to is4S. there has been paid dirce ly from the | National Treasury far the army anc fortifi. cations S2e6 7l3 so9 tor the navy and i,s opera, ons, S209 .s3a 6s7. This aam,u.t of itself, Is immense. But this Is not all. Re. garding The mini as part of the war system, we mdsi aca a moderate estimate for iis cost during this period which according ia cal. eula'i"n of an able and accurate economist, may he placed at Si i.5O0, 900. The whole presents an inccncc,vstlt sum total of m ,rs than two ,housanh m,'l,oas Of d.l.xr,, winch have been dedicated hy our g.vernmeht to the support ct the war sys'em- more than seven times as much as was set apart ny the gov.
 
 pHrpoees whatsoever
 Look now at the Commonwealth of Euro. pean Stairs. ldo aut intend io speak of the war debt, under whoee aceamals'ed weight these States a,e new pr~sscd ,o the eauh,-- These are the terrible legacy of tho past. [ refer directly 10 ihe exis,,sy war sysie,n, the establishment of the present. According to recent caicua'inn i,s annual cos, is not less fhnn ,nl l i"r moment, by a compariscn wilh other interests, to arappie wnh tn. sum.
 h is larger than the en,me profit of sll the commerce and manufactures of the world.
 It Is larger than all ihe expena ure for ss. r'cul'ural labor, f'r ihr prod uciioa of food for man "pOn the whole face oi the globe,
 u IS larger, by hundred millions. than the amount of all the exports of ell ths nations oi the earth. s
 l. is larger. by moro than fve hundred millions. than all tho shipping of :he eivilsed world.
 Il is larger. by nine hundred and ninety. seven millions, than the annual combined charities "f Europe and Amer,ca preaching ihe gospel ,o the hraIhen.
 Yes! the Commonwealth of the Christian S'a'ss, including our own country, appropri- aNs. WNu u nfsUhtiun, hs UlaVer nt cOu'eeS upwards of a thousand ni.i,ons of dollars annually ia the ma,ntsnanee of the war sys- 'en,, and vaun,s i's two millions of dcllars. 'ah"risasly collected for d,finsing the ligh, of the gaspei iS. foreign landst With untold r' cd sairy of cost il pe' 'pe,uaies the worss heaihrn'sm ot war, ~hle h, charities insig- nificant m comparison. u doles io the hrathsu The message of peace. At home i, breeds and fau.ns cloud of eaglrs and vunures, "aned to swoop upon the lard to all the GcnlIles acI oss ihe sea 1t dismi ss.s a solitary dove
 S,iI fur'her every man Of war that floats C. s's motr than a w,ll endowed college.
 Eve'y sl"or of war that hoa,s costs ,nors il'sn the larges, puhI,c lib,ary in the country.
 Consider ihe p.od,gi"us sums, cxcc"d,ne in all two iinnsand mil'"ns of doilars, squande,cd ny tho Unred States s'ncs the adoption of ihe Federal Constitution, in sup. p''i m the war rys,em. Sm~fy fl ,h,ss means had been devoted to rsiiroads end canals. 10 schooas and colleges, our couniry would possess al inc present mo@eni, an ac. cunaiaied material power grander far than any slnrnow boasts. But there is another power of more nntaHns temper. which would also bc hers. Ovei1owing wi:h int. diligence, with charity, wiii. civil zaiion. with all thag constitutes a generous State, she would be ahle 10 VIII pcac, fni iriu.nphs transcsndis4 all she ha, yei aei,ievrd-surrounGin ing the land ~i'h an lnv,neihls self defensive might, and m their unfa.ins brightness rendering all gle. " from var impossible.