Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-01-22

not for the purchase of arms for the men in
the field, not TO protect them in fighting their
country's battles in this great emergency and
peril, but for some future use, for some future
occasion, or to meet some present need OF the
contractors, l don't know which at this mo-
ment. And not only the appropriation of last
session has been exhausted, but S17 ,000. 900
put upon 1t. The riot of the 18th of April, in
Baltimore, opened this ball, and on the 2lst of
April, in the city of New York, there was or
ganized corps of plunderers of the Treasury.
Two millions of do liars were intrusted to a
poor, unfortunate, honest, but entirely incom-
petent editor of paper in New York, to dis
pensett in the best manner he could. Straight
way this gentleman began to purchase linen
pantaloons, straw hats, London porter, dried
herrings, and such like provisions for the
army, till he expended in this way S390, 900
of the money, and then he got scared and quit.
Laughter There is an appropriation, also,
for the supply of wood to the army. This
contractor is pledged the payment of 81 per
cord for all the wood delivered to the differ
ent commands-wood collected after the la
bor of the soldiers themselves had cut down
the trees to clear the ground for their bat
terieS, and then this contractor EMPLOYS the
army wagons to draw it to the several camps,
and he has no further trouble than to draw his
81 for cord, leaving the Government to draw
the wood. (Laughter.] 1t costs two millions
of dollars every day to support the army in
the field. A hundred millions of dollars have
thus beeu expended since We met on the 22d
day Of December, and all that time the army
has been in repose. What the expenditure
will Increase to when that great day shall ar
rive when our eyes shall be gladdened with a
sight of the army in motion, do not know.
Another hundred million will go with the hum
dreds more | have enumerated. Another
hundred millions will he added to these before
the 4th of March. What it may cost to put
down the rebellion care very little, provided,
always, that it be put down effectually. But,
Sir, faith without.works is dead, and | am free
to confess that my faith sometimes fails me-
L mean my faith in men, not my faith in the
cause. When the history of these times sha II
be written, 1t will be question upon whom
tho guilt will rest most hcavily-upon him
who has conspired to destroy, or upon him
who has proved incompetent to preserve, the
institutions bequeathed to us by our fathers.
1t is no wonder the public treasury trembles
and staggers like strong man with too great
a burden upon him. A strong man in an air.
exhausted receiver is not more helpless than
to-day is the Treasury of this Government be-
meath the exhausting process to which it is
subjected. The mighty monarch Of the for
est himself may hold at bay the fiercest, might
lest of his foes, while the vile cur, coming up
behind him and opening his fangs. gives him
a fatal wound, and although he may struggle
on boldly and vallantly, the life blood is ST.
lently trickling from his heart, and he is at
last forced to loosen his grasp. and grows faint
and talters and dies. The Treasury notes is
sued in the face OF these immense outlays,
without revenue from Custom Houses from
land, from any source whatever, are beginning
to fall in the market. Already have they be-
gun to sell at six per cent. discount at the
tables of the money changers; and at the very
time, too, that we may here exhibit the slngu-
nf md ot.,xx he
Committee of Ways and Means ITSELF in an
endeavor to lift up and sustain the Govern
ment of the country. Already the sutler-that
curse OF the camp-is following the Paymas-
ter, the shark follows the ship, buying up
for four dollars every five dollars of the wages
of the soldiers, paid 10 them in Treasury notes.
1 have no desire to hasten the movements OF
the army, or to critsciSe the conduct of its
leaders, but in view of the stupendous drafts
upon the Treasury, must say that long for
the day of striking the blow which will bring
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 sixty
days longer and an ignominious peace must
be submitted to unless we see TO it that the
credit of the country is sustained, and sustain
ed, 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
bold and manly enough to meet us face to face
in the field of strife, but all those, also, who
andestinely and stealthly suck the life blood
from us in this mighty struggle. Whatever
measures may eminateifrom 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
surance, that these extraordinary and extreme
measures to resuscitate, revive, and replenish
the Treasury, are not made to fill further and
longer the already gorged pockets of the pub
lie plunderers. How, then, are we to con-
tribute in this matter to revive public conf
dence in our public men here, if it be not
when these appropriations come up that we
probe them, that we ascertain whether there
be nything in them that at this moment can
be spared. Our pressing duty now is to pro-
tect and save the Treasury from further whole
sale or other system of pundering. In con-
cluson, he argued against paying for printing
the Treasury notes, on the ground that the
contract was improperly obtained.
Lord Lyons lives in royal style at Washing
ton. He is unmarried, and only forty-five
years Of age. His bachelors hall is one of the
best furnished houses in the city, and his plate
is more costly by half than that used in the
Presidents house.
The rebels brand their deserters with hot
iron on the left hip, impressing deep in their
skin the letter D. They then shave their
heads, give them fifty lashes on the bare back,
and drum them out of camp to the tune OF the
Rogue's March.
A factory girl at Manchester, New Hamp-
shire, committed suicide upon receiving in
telligence of the death of her sweetheart, who
had enlisted in one of the regiments from that
State. Poor girl-She was only seventeen