The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-06-27
KenOSha, Thursday, June27, 1861.


The Cost of the War.
One of the strongest paints tho fault finders
and friends of Secession have made or attempt
ed 10 IN AXE is The cost Of the present war. Ihey
have made figures that look enormous, and when
these are Joined to the ominOus word, "Iexas,
is makes people shudder. Your real demagogue
knows the weakest and tenderest point OF the
people," and he probes that with nntiring III
penuity, confident that his labor will not be in
vain. Under ordinary circumstances, he sue
ceeds There is no point, as general thing
upon which the people are so sensitive as TAX
"a. Indeed. in this country, it is a morbid SEN
sitiyeness. Men will give ordinarily, twice the
sum of their taxes without hardly thinking OF
it, while the small pittance paid IN the shape OF
n tax becomes A constant source of complaining
animadversion. We do not complain OF TIL
peculiarity, which has become a national trait;
we only bring it up as an Illustration of our ar
gumeut. Demagogues, at all times, use this
trait to the accomplishment Of their own sell
fish end The enem mics of the country and the
friends of disunion are harping constantly upon
this theme now. The cost of the war is figured
ND into the tens of hundreds of millions, and
then dismal picture devoured by that mon
ster "taxes," is drawn. At the same time, we
are told that peaceable Secession will save all
this.
When our forefathers signed the Declaration
of Independence and laid the foundation stone
of this great nation-this glorious Union, they
did not put the liberty AMI independence they
had vowed to achieve, into the scale with the
taxes that it would demand They saw the
priceless boon of Freedom within their grasp,
and they swore to secure the prize first and
count the cost afterwards. They wisely bellev-
ed that " sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof" and therefore refused to obstruct thei r
present steps with difficulties that, when reach
ed, might easily be surmountcd. They knew
that the achievement of American lndepen-
dence would cost lives and untold treasure, but
they foresaw in the future the glorious fabric
that was to rise and counted the cost as nought,
when compared with that. And who will dare
say that they decided not wisely Look abroad
over our goodly heritage See the countle S.
cities that have sprung up-the untold wealth
that has grown out of that comparatively small
investment-the thirty millions OF free, happy
and prosperous people that have grown from
the five million pioneers i'll a new and unsub-
dued country, rich, only in the spirit of free
men. And yet there were crackers in those
days, who counted up the cost in pyramids of
figures and mountain loads of taxes Then, as
now, there were craven hearts and selfish souls
who looked not beyond the present nor outside
their own pockets.
Our revolutionary sires had only their faitt
in the great principles Of right and justice to
urge them on. The great problem of selfgOv-
eminent and the ability of the people to govern
themselves had yet to be worked ont. The pop.
ular Government under which we have grown
and fourished as no nation ever grew before,
was then an untried experiment. The most
visionary expectations of the most sanguine
of the founders of the Republic have been real
lied, in its growth, in its power, in its wealth
and prosperity.
Shall we, then, in the full fruitiou of enjoy
ment of the blessings which our forefathers say
only in anticipation, stop to count the cost o.
the pre- servation of this Union -this popular
and free Government Heaven forbid We
expect it will cost treasure and precious lives
but the sacrifice sinks into insignf canoe whet
compared to the prize to be preserv ed. W.
have such Government as the world move
saw, which is no longer All experim ent bu
which has proved itself ali that was ever ex
pected for it. 1t has had every test but that
one of strength which it is now uuderg Ding and
from which we believe it will come forth, all
the stronger for the trial.
"Sufficent unto the day is the evil thereof
We need not frighten ourselves with computa-
tions of dollars and cents nor the calculation @
taxes. The blessings and value of this Union
the future and extend to millions Yet unborn
while the cost is thing of the present, that a
few years of peace aud prosperity will obiter
ate even the memory of.
Let us not be frightened then, from our duty
to ourselves, to our country and to those who
are to come after Us, by the croaking of on
enemies about the cost. When we are told o
the hundreds of millions that the war is to cost
let us remember that what our foretathers, il
their weakness aud poverty, were able to es
tablish, we, in our W ealth, ought to be able t
maintain,