The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer. (Bel Air, Md.) 1862-1864, 1862-07-12

loyal, then there amt eny SIGH thing as
loyalty" SEES he, "Majer, you're rite, an
what kin I do for you this mornin Pr
l"Wal," ses l, "Mr. Seckatary, I've cum
around to inquire into the state of the
fnancies. The President ses he's very
busy, an bein as 1 was good at 6ggers, he
wanted me to jest take a look at the books
an see how the ackounts stand"
Wen [ sed this, l see he didn't look
pleased at all. He began to make sum
sort Of apologies, that the ackounts were
behindhand, and so on, but [ telled him
warn particular about all the little items,
an that / only wanted to get at the gin
neral sum; but as he still seemed to be
hesitatin, thinks I to myself, now's the
time to show him the Presidents letter.
that will fix him, sure. So took off my
hat and showed it to him. When he red
it he was as perlite as niger when he
wants to humbug you. He looked at it
a long while before he sed enything.-
Wen he did speak, ses he, "Majer, what
do these last words lin partickelar' mean?'
"Wal," ses |, 81 don't know as | can tell.
The President put 'em there, an I didn't
ask him what he meant by EN-" You
see, warn't goin to be fool enough to let
him think had him put 'em there, for
that would have spoilt all my plans. I
see he was worried, on that was jest what
/ wanted.
After that he asked me to come in his
office, and he begun to tell lie that the
fnancies were in very prosperous con-
dishin. He took down big book, which
he sed his clarks had prepared for him, SO
that he could see every Saturday mite, jest
how much the Government was in debt
| took look at it, but I couldn't tell
head nor tail to it. He sed they kept
their books by dubbel entry. l telled
him that a single entry would be as many
times as such debt as ours ought to be
chalked down. Now, ses I, Mr.. Secka.
tary, | want to get at this subject in way
that "plain people," as the Kernel ses, can
understand it. SEES I, what is the debt
now? s'Wal," ses he, sit is $491 ,000,-
00O." Is that all, ses /? Why in your
report last winter you estimated that it
would be $517, 100000, and you don't
say that it is less than the estimate
|"Wal," ses he, "Majer, that is what the
books say" Now, ses l, Mr. Seckatary,
them books by dubbel entry amt worth u
peck of saw dust. There was Deacon Doc,
Titles son, Hosea, of Downingville, who
went to York and set up the dry-goods
business. When he failed his books show
ed that he was worth two hundred thou
sand dollars, and yet he didn't have mon
ey enough to get bis wife hum to his
fathers. You see dubbed entry is good
deal like tryin to ride two HOSES at once /;
you can't manage 'em, and things get SO
kinder mixed up in profit and loss, and
notes payable and notes receivable, that
you can't tell how you stand..r Now, ses
1 |, Mr.. Seckatary, | want to ask you some
Iquestshins by single entry, and | will put
the ansers down on the slate. SEES l.
IHDidn't you say in your report that the
estimate for the army was for 100000
soldiers, $4OO,O0O,OOO; for 100000 SOL
diers, $500,000,00O, and SO on?" eyes,
Majer, that was the statement, / believe"
.|"Wal, now,' ses I, eve kin fgger this
down in short meter. How many soldiers
have sou had ~ "Wal,'' SEES he, over
100000 have been paid for, nigh about
100000" s'Now," SEES I,"Mr. Seckata-
Try, you don't want eny double entry or
threbbel entry to get at that; the multi
lplicashin label is jest as good q dockyment
as want. Take that and my slate, and
ken fgger it up in minnit. You see,
there is 500, 600, 900 at one clap. Your
books may show what you have paid, but
you see, Mr. Seckatary, you are runnin
this war on credit, and because you ain't
paid all your debts, that is no sign that
you won't have to. Besides" SEES ], ssMr.
Seckatary, you have made, you know,
some observation-disclosures, and mebby you may
make more. In your fust report in July,
1861 I've been readin it keerfully, and
I've got it marked down on the slate here,
yoused the expenses for 1862 would be
S3l8, 000, 900, bnt III December, you sed
,Ethey would be S543, 600, 600 Now, here
was a mistake Of over $500 ,000, 900. You
sed in July, the tariff would yield $751;,
100000. In December, you sed you
could not calculate on over &82, 900 900.
You estemated the receipts from land
sales in July at $4,000, 900. You cut
liz down in December to $4,000 900,
land now Congress-, By passing the Home
stead Bill, will whittle it all Of. Here
uo,4 "a arm, ess, Z, ysa 40 M; 1oaa hsrf f1sr