St. Mary's beacon., 1862-01-23

~ ND. THURsDtA \
Laughter. Il cssss txo millions Of dol
lars every day to support the army in tha
field. A hundred millions of dollars have
thus been expended since we. met on the
Ill dry Of December, and al that tinse
the army has been ID scpose. What the
expenditure will increase 10 when thst
great day shall arrive when our eyes shall
be gladdencd with . sight OF the srny
in nsosiou. do not know. : AnolLe
iiundftd million. wln ~ With The hun.
dreds more have enumerated. Another
hundred millions may be added to these
before the 4th Of March. What it may
cost to put down the rebellion I care very
little, provided, always. that it be put
down effectually. But, sir. faith without
works is dead. aud I am free to confess
that my faith sometimes fails me-I mean,
my faith in men, not my faith in the cause.
When the history of these times shall be
written. it will be question upon whom
the guilt will rest most heavily-upcn him
who has conspired to destroy, or upon him
who has proved incompetent to preserve.
the institutions bequeathcd to US by our
fathers.
1t is no wonder that the Treasury trem-
bles and staggcrs like a strong man with
too great burden upon him. A strong
man in an air-cxhausted receiver is not
more helpless to-day than is the Treasury
Of this Government beneath the exhaust
ing process to which it is subjected. The
mighty monarch Of the forest himself may
hold at bay the fercest, mightics. Of his
foes, while the vile cur, comiug up behind
him and opening bis fangs. give him u
fatal wound. aud although he may strug-
gle on boldly aud valiantly. the life- blood
is silently trickli.g from his heart. aud he
is at las, forced to loosen his grasp. aud
he grows faint, and falters ard dies The
Treasury notes issued in the face of these
immense outlays. without revenue from
Custom Ho use, from land sales, from any
source whatever. are beginning to fall in
the market. Already have they begun
to sell at six per cent. discount at the ia
bles Of the money-changers; and at the
very time, too. that We here exhibit the
singular spectacle Of fraud. and Of u strug-
gle with the Committee Of Ways aud
Means itself, in an cndcayor to lift up and
sustain the Governments of the country
Already the sutler-that curse of the
camp-is following the paymastcr, as the
shark fellows the ship, buying up for four
dollars every FIVE dollars Of the wages Of
the soldiers, paid to them in Treasury
uotes. l have no desire to hasten the
movements Of the army, or to criticisc the
conduct of its leaders, but in view of the
stupendous drafts upon the Treasury. l
must say that long for the day of strik-
ing the blow whicli will bring this rebel
lion to an enc.
Sixty days longer of this state Of things
will bring about result one way or
another. 1t is impossible that the Trea-
sury of the United States can meet, and
continue to meet, this state of things six
ty days longer; anl All ignominiouz peace
must Le submitted 10 unless we sec to it
that the credit Of the country is sustained,
and sustained, too. BY the conviction 60
ing forth from this hall to the people Of
the country. that We will treat Us traitors
not only those that are bold and manly
enough to meet us face to face. in the field
If strife, but all these. also, who clandcs-
timely and stealthily suck the lifc-blood
from US in this mighty struggle. What
ever measures may emanatc from the
Committee on Ways and Means to meet
and retrieve this state of things, they will
but fall like dead pail upon the public.
unless they give this assul ance, that these
extraordinary and cxtrcme measures to
resuscitate, revive and repleni-h the Trca-
sury, are not made to fill further aud
longer the already gorged pockets of the
public plundcrcrs. How, then. are We
to contribute in this matter to revive pub
lie confidence in our public men here, If
it be not when these appropriations come
up that We probe them. that VIC asccr-
tain whether there is anything in them
that at this moment can be spared? Our
pressing duty now is to protect and save
the Treasury from further Wholesale or
other system Of pIundcriug. In conelu-
sion. he argued against paying for print
ing the Treasury notes. on the ground
that the contract was improperly obtained.