Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-08-09


laiins and trampling under foot its provisions.
the public E.ind became IN some measure
aroused 10 the questions presented for consid.
erntion, and more careful inquiry has in con.
sequence been instituted into the causes object
and probable effect Of the war.
This inquiry has been stimulated in 10 small
degree by the Developments which have %.
pearcd from time to time, touching the cncr.
nous burdens which tue war is to cast upoS,
the country-thc fearful sacrifice Of life winch
will ce demanded to give it success, or to sua.
tain its defeats. These burdens and sacrifices.
yet scarcely begun TO be felt in the force and
volume which they must ultimately acquire,
have Afforded sotne slight indication Of what
the country is to be called upon to suf':r and
endure, before the eHd shall be reached. ard
the object OF the war-if indeed it has ds finite
ohlcct-acconplishcd Postponing for the mo
lil"nt the awful destruction Of human life which
the war must cOst-thc burdens upon which the
material interests Of the country are likely to b.:
such as to overwhelm its business in comrnoa
ruin, and leave legacy Of debt for poS,erity
fearful to contemplate. But IN order to lnai1.
tain the credit Of the government sufficiently
to obtain the enormous loans 10 carry on the
war, system Of taxation, direct ard indirect.
must be rcSOcted to, most oppressive in its
| character The imposition OF q tax Of ffeen
cents per pound on tea, five cents on ccF.e,
90" i,rn IN tive cents on sugar 10 say nothing Of
the burdens proposed to bo cast upon other
necessarics Of life, will be ielt in every horse.
hold. rich or poor, throughout the country
So, too, the direct tax which it is proposed 10
levy, 10 pay The interest on the public debt
and without which i, is not probable the
money required can be borrowed, will strike
at the root Of all prosperity, aud inlict severe
burdens upon nearly all classes Of people. Ia
addition to the tax on lands, the owner Of
watch, carriage, or almost any other article Of
luxury, is to be compelled TO pay speca! ;ay,
| ranging from one TO Fifty dollars, while the pro.
posed income tax will take from the already
diminished earnings Of every man three per
cent, equal to fifteen dollars on salary Of
FIVE hundred dollars, thirty dollars on salary
Of ono thousand, sixty dollars on salary Of
two thousand ninety on three thousand, &c,
q very serious demand upon the labor Of Ito
country.
These questions are just beginning to DO
understood, Us is also something Of the horrors
and sacrifices of life which must attend tho
war. We have had slight experience in tha;
way in the battle Of Bull Run, but nothing to
what must be experienced if hostllitcs are to
be long continued. The realization Of these
things will be brought home to nearly every
family; for few will be found who have not 10
mourn the loss, in battle or from the exposures
ana casualties Of the camp, cf some friend
pa:rio;ically called to serve in the army. These
losses, greater from the latter mentioned causes
than from battle, will demand an hundred
thousand victims, even if the war shall not
prove of long duration. All these things might
be suffered and bornc if any great object wero
to be gained any substantial sood accomplish
ed But in view of such considerations as we
have named, and Of the general evils and hor-
rors Of civil war, of such magnitude as tha.
which is just opening upon U.s. the people be-
gin to ask, what good is 10 come OF all this
what substantial benefits to posterity, to our
! selves or to the cause Of human llbertl, are to
be achieved through such fearful sacrifices!
In many quarters, too the mere practical
question challenges attention-caa we sutju
gate and reduce the enemy against whom '7e
| are contendlnSp
These arc questions Of no snail Importance,
and arc forcing themselves. day by dag, more
prominently upon the public mind and pro-
ducing convictions unfavorable to the plans Of
the war party The President and bis adri.
sers failed at the outset to comprehend tho
magnitude and extent Of the revolution which
has been inaugurated in the Southern States
| failed to appreciate, if not the causes Of this
| revolution, at least the resources and ability
which are brought to its support. The lead.
ing war papers, since the battle 1T Bull Run,
! and the revelations respecting the batteries and
the troops at ManasSa, publicly acknowledge
their ignorance respecting the eneny's power.
With these facts and confessions before them,
the people, awakened to sense Of the dread.
ful errors already committed, demand tha. q
war begun under misapprehension OF the
motives and resources Of the enemy, having
! for its prosecution no we'll defined object, un.
less it be that Of overthrowing, in violation oi
constitutional provisions, the domestic inStitu'
tions existing in the Southern States, shall
cease at the earliest moment tia. an honorable
peace can be obtained. This feeling, contrary
perhaps to the general impression, Is stronger
in the country than in the large cities, and is
becoming so much Developed, that 1t must
soon find utter ance in public expression, as
well as in private conversation AID action
From all sections Of the country we hear OF
this growing sentiment for peace, and every
day serves to increase and strengthen It
among the masses Of the people 1t has s!rca.
dy become too strong for suppression, and II
| we 90 not MISTAKE Tue ioSiC vi c'ehS', "Hi
soon become the controlling sentiment Ct tho
country.
From the Newark (S.J) Journal
THE NATIONS wATcHwoRD-PEACE PEACE!
PEACE!
The armies upon either side Of this terrible
civil war have been successful, and have met
with rcpulsc. Both have shown terrible
'front.' yet neither hare proved to be invncihle.
It is hardly possible to cyaggern'e the ability
CT either to cripple and ipjure its antagonist.
If the contest should be continued for years
the only effect of it would be utter ruin-per.
haps anarchy and bloodshed over the whole
country. More likely foreign governments
will step in and insist that We shall keep tho
peace, or they may assume plo:ectorate over
the nation.
In view Of these contingencies, the people
Of the North should rest satisfied with their
laurels OF war, ard demand of their rulers an
armistice TO open proposals for peace. There
is no immediate prospect Of carrying ont tho
programme of Southern subjus sation-why not
try another tack?
List OF the Killed aud Wounded.
We give below the names CT the Monroe
Guards who were killed and wounded in the
great battle fought on the olst, near Manassa ::
E;IIo1 = q, main Uuch G TiTauv p "