Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-11-16
CFOr the Cleveland Leader.

The Cost Of War.
Some very timid people experience kind
Of horror when brought in contact with q
long array of figures, much like that of COW.
srdly soldiers, when brought before long
hus of eoluubiads. These people are lust
now lanendng the terrible outlay Of our
Government for the maintenance of our free
institutions. The "Five Hundred Millionso
granted by the last Congress for war pur-
poses, IS ever ringing in their ears as the
harhinger Of untold taxes jet to come. The
recipe given by Punch, ''to rssuscitate
drowned Yankee, feel in bis pockets" is
libel o. the Yankee character, although
there are few persons to whom it would
seen applicable. If our forefsthsrs, during
the revolution, with q population Of about
four billions, could contract debt of eighty
millions Of dollars = about twenty dollars per
hsad-with extremely limited advantages,
snd contending against innumerable hard
ships and privstions, shall we, their heaven
favored sons, grumble about our inability to
shoulder an expense amounting to sixteen
dollars per eaput If England, during the
war with Napoleon, could for more than
dozen years expend one million three hun
dred thousand per day, away from her own
soil shall we, with al uuriyalled source of
internal wealth, be unwilling to incur far
less amount for the short term of three vesrsP
Oar war debt is incurred ct home. and the |
s'Ei4e Hundred Millions" will. in eonse.
quenee, beeOntnuslly changing hands in our
miost ana though few individuals will be
maze rich, snd Others poor, the country at
large WiI continue 70 prosper. In fact the
eosl Of tne war, pecunisrily, will be but a
mere trins We have far greater cause for
mourning the loss Of so many brave men who
VIII necessarily fall in the conflict.
IL IS pretty generally conceded that in the
long run tobacco and rum are more detri-
mental to our financial interests than war.
and with their conc0mitants far more destrpc,
tive Of human life than BULLETS. In the citv
OF New 1o:k alone more is expended every
Day for tobacco than for bread Thirty mil
hoas Of dollars annually are sacrificed to that
no1lous weed in the United States Again,
II the above mentioned city, thirty-six mil.
loa dollars are paid out every year for in
so1ieating beverages, or about forty dollars
ot ssery man, woman and child, il taat {
tsAt metropolis. Now are the citizens of q
sew York SINNERS above all other men 2p 1
s.n y1o, nay j for the enormous aggregate a
?. we hundred millions Of dollars are annu- 1
eAy poured isto the lap Of the great srch
demon Alcohol in the United States alone n ]
This estimate includes, Of course. al he "a. '
SuliRg casualties.
BrJm l7so to 1882, according 70 an esti- h
1ate by Gen. Bierce, there was expepde5 n \
ths eountry for ardent spirits, the enormea- 5
s2glsgats Of one thousand three HUNDRED ana n
~ billions Of dollars. The expenses Of our d
fslnusnt during the same period wss nine 5
eaneEea millions OF dollars, leaving balanea 3,
of Aquor, over Government expenses 4 Fl
forty years, Of four hundred and ffty miIIio1s ),
dollars, which would go a great wsv 3
eoWerd meeting the liabilities of tie present :
var. II during that period, We eould b1t
eonnt ne cost Of courts prisons and iuebrists
ssyl1ms, We should have On amount sim1st g
l4oulaas' Let ns hear, then, no more rur- 4
murings about the giant war debt until = s. s.
Get ab0utrenedying evils Of longer stapsins u u
eno Of greater magnitude. =
NoRTH KAToE, Ohio, Nov, 1851. 9 9