The Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1861-1862, 1862-01-25

I
organized corps of plundersrs of the Trsasu-
ry. Two millions Of dollars were intrusted ts,
the poor, unfortunate, honest, out entirely In!
competent editor Of paper. in New York, to
dispense it in the best manner he could
Straghtway this gentleman began to pHfchaas
linen pantAloons, straw hats, London porter;
dried herrings, and such like provisions for
the army, till he expended in this way $780,.
COO of the money, and then he got scared And
quit. [Laughter.]
There is An appropriation, also, for the sup.
ply of wood to the army. This contractor 10
pledged the payment of 81 a cord for AL me
wood delivered to the different commands.
wood collected after the labor of the soldier.
themselves had cut down the trees to clear
the ground for their batteries, and then this
contractor employs army wagons to draw il
to the several camps, and he has no further
trouble than to draw his 81 for cord losy-:
ing the Government TO H11sw the wood
HNusn'er.I Il cJSts two million dollars eve.
ry Cay to support ths army in the field. A.
hundred millions of dollars have thus been
expended since we met on the I'd day Of De-
cember, and all that time the army has been
in repose. What the expenditure will in.
crease to when our eyes shall be glsdened
with the sight of an army in motion, do no.
know. Another hundred millions will 90
with the hundreds more have enumerated
Another hundred millions may be added to
those before the 4th of March. What il NAV
cost to put down the rebellion care very lit.
tie, provided, always that it be put down ef-
tectuslly. But, sir, faith without works 10
dead, and l am free to confess that nv faith
sometimes fails mel mean my faith in tho
men, not nay 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-upon him who has conspired
20 destroy, or upon him who has proved in.
competent to preserve, the institutions be.
queathed to us by our fathers. 1t 10 no won
der that the public treasury trcmbles and stag
gers, like strong man with too great bur.
dsn upon him. strong man in an air.ex.
hausted receiver is not more helpless than 10
the Treasury Of this Government beneath tho
exhausting process to which it 10 subjected.
The r1ighty monarch of the forest himself
may hold at bay the fercest, mightiest Of his
, foes, while the vile cur, coming up behind
, him and opening his fangs. give him AtNl
wound, and although he may struggle on
boldly and valantly, the life blood is silently
trickling from bis heart, and he 10 at last for.
ccd to loosen his grasp, and he Crews faint,
and fAlters and dies.
The Treasury notes issued in the face Of
these immense outlays, without Q revenueS
from custom-houses, from land sales, from
any source whatever, are beginning to fall in
market. Already have they have they begun
to sell at six per cent. discount at the tables
of the money changers; and at the very time,
too, that we here exhibit the singular specta-
Gle of fraud, and Of q struggle with the COM
mittee of Ways and Means itself, in en- enlea.
vor to lift up and sustain the Government Of
the country. Already The sutler--ths curse
of the country-s following the Paymaster,
as the shark follows the ship, buying up for
four dollars every FIVE dollars of the wages Of
the soldiers, paid to them in Treasury notes.
. have no desire to hasten the movements Of
: the army o. to criticise the conduct Of it,
l leaders, but in view Of the stupendous drafts
D upon the Treasury, I must say that I long for
: : the day of striking the blow which will bring
II this rebellion to an end. Sixty days longer
Of this state of things will bring about result
one way or another. 1t is impossible that
the Treasury of the United States can meet,
and continue to meet, this state of things six
- u"SS UtiHeiI oiAo "h i6HoihIhiou~ P0oS"
must be submitted to unless we sec to it that
the eredit. of the country is sustained, and suS-
t ts;ned, too. by the conviction going forth from
! this hall to the people of the country that we
=, will treat as traitors not only those who are
r bold and manly enough to meet us face 70
face in the field of strife, but all those, also,
It who clandestnely and stealthily suck the life
t blood from us in this mighty struggle
n Whatever measures may smanate from the
= committee on Ways and Means to meet and
It retrieve this state of things they will but fall
: like dead pail upon the public unless they
q give this assurance, that these extraordinary
. and extreme measures to resuscitate, revive,
!, and rcplenish the Treasury, are not made to
!. fill further and longer the already gorged pock-
| cts Of the public plunderers. How. then, ara
we to contribute in this matter to revive pub
f lie confidence in our public men, If it be NOT
: when these appropriations come up that We
= probe them, that we ascertain whether there
t be anything in them that at this moment can
|, be spared. Our pressing duty now is TO pro-
5 tsct and save the Treasury from further
It wholesale or other system Of plundering.
> O-r "Here's what it says about ron" said