The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-11-10
The Advertiser on the National Debt.

In our issue of the 9th of October, we pub
lished Mr.. Chases statement in our telegraph
ic columns that the National Debt was S640,
100000: and in our issue of the Goth of Octo-
Der, we re-published the same information In
the form of an editorial item. We believe the
National Debt at the present time to be be-
tween nine and ten hundred millions. Can
not the amiable and truthful Press discover
any other way in which the Advertiser sup
ports the Government?
Surely we can: you do it in publishing Mr..
Chase's statement on the 10Th of October, and
then, too days later, in your leading editorial,
virtually giving him the lie by declaring that
"Ten Hundred Millions of national indebted
ness we have seen incurred, and yet all we
have to cheer us is periodical telegraphic re-
port that washington is safe"
You say, in your apparent disposition to be
exactly truthful, "We believe the national debt
at the present time to be between nine and ten
hundred Millions" This exaltation of an
editorial "tce' above the highest official au-
thority, is, we suppose, the Advertisers style
of supporting the Government Mr.. Chase
has stated emphatically, that on the 7th of
Oct. the national debt ,rds less than 100000.
900; Nov. Sth the Advertiser ''believes'' it is
more than S9o0,000,0o0; in other words, it Ell
Their believes" that Mr.. Chase uttered de-
liberate fasehood to deceive the people, or that
our national debt has increased more than
S26O,O00,000 in single month!
We trust the Advertiser will pardon us for
pointing out one or two of its erroneous state
ments-little pecadlos which result from our
neighbours. peculiar weakness. He says, SIN
our issue of Oct. 9th, we published Mr..
Chases statement in our Geographic columns"
Permit US to say, with all due respect, you did
no such thing. Mr.. Chase's statement was
made in a private letter to Hon. Samuel II.
Valley, President of Revere Bank, Boston,
and was not Geographic. The Advertiser did
publish on the 9th, in its general dispatches.
that son the first day of the present month
lOetoberl it 1.-THE public debt was only sir
hundred and tuenty millions, and is now
(Oct. 26thl less than sir hundred and sirty
millions. This amount includes the entire
calculation, and eoery species Of notes, and
between seventy and eighty millions debt Of
the late administration but except claims for
which no acquisitions have been nude, but
which, adjusted and unadjusted, cannot erceed
twenty millions"
In the Advertiser of the goth, we do not
find 're-published the same information, but
we do find the following:
According to a recent statement of Secreta-
ry Chase, the National debt now amounts to
about $660,000000, and is Increasing at the
rate of one and one-quarter millions of dollars
per day.
This was for Oct. Goth; "a million and
quarter day." to Nov. sth. would be sixteen
and quarter millions, but the intelligent head
of the Advertiser of that day says, we be-
lieve the National debt at the present time, to
be between nine and ten hundred miliionsi
or more than s240,000.000 in thirteen days, or
more than eighteen millions. four hundred and
sixty-one thousands, five hundred and thirty
eight dollars per day! That's supporting the
Government, is it?