The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1862-02-12

Ex- Governor of one State offered to an
ex Judge of another State 5000 to get
him permission to raise one of these regi-
ments of cavalry, and when the ex Judge
brought back the commission the Ex-
Governor takes it to his room at the ho.
tel, while another plunderer sits at the
keybole watching like mastiff while he
inside counts up $4,000 profit on the
horses, and calculates $40, 900 more upon
the accoutrements, aud on the other de-
tails of furnishing these regiments. In
addition to the arms in the hands Of the
100000 soldiers in the field, there are
numerous outstanding contracts, made
with private individuals ls-not made upon
advertisement, not made with the knowl-
edge of the pnblic. but made by ex.mem-
bers of Congress, who knew no more oil
the difference between one class of arms
and another than does Methodist min.
lister. There are outstanding contracts
for the manufacture of Springfield mus.
kets, the first one of which cannot be de-
livered in six months from this day.
There is a contract for the supply of one
million and ninety, thousand muskets, at
twenty-eight dollars piece, when the
same quality of muskets are manufactured
at Springfield for thirteen and half q
piece; and an ex member of Congress is
now in Massachusetts, trying to get ma
chinery made by which he will be able 20
manufacture in some six months hence, a:
twenty-one dollars piece, those riaed
muskets manufactured to- day in that arm
ory for thirteen dollars ard half
Providence. before six months, will dis
pose of this war or he will dispose of us.
Not one of these muskets, thus contract
! ed for, will be of the slightest service in
this emergency, before the Providence of
Goo, whether for good or for evil, will
dispose of it. l ask my friends from the
North and Northwest how they expect
to benefit by an army at Chic ago. at
Rock Island, and at Quincy, when ,0s2,
600 muskets will, according to this con-
tract, be thrown upon the country, and
that after the war is over; and at such
an enormous price, in additIon to other
outstanding contracts fer the manufac.
ture, some time hence, of 272,00O En-
field rifles? Besides. there are T5,543
sets of harness, to be delivered by and by,
at the cost of $l,97S,44S 1 have no,
time to enume:ate all these contracts
When we appropriated at the last session
of Congress, for this purpose $20000,.
| 600, tn ty-seven millions aud some thous
and dollars had been already pledged to
contractors-not for the purchase of arm.
for men in the field not to protect them
in lighting their country's battles in this
great emergency and peril, bnt for some
future occasion, or to meet some presen
need Of the contractors, | don't know
which at this moment And not only tn,
appropriation at last session has been ex
hausted, but $l1,0OO.G00 put upon it
The riot of the l9th of April, in Balti
more. opened the ball, and on the 2Ist o
April, 10 the City of New York, ther
was organized corps of plubderers 9
f the Treasury. Two millions of dollar
were intrusted to the poor, unfortunate
honest, bat entirely competent editor of
paper, in New York, to dispense it in th
best manner he could. Straightway thi
. gentleman began to purchase linen panta
5 looms, straw hats, London porter, 6re
behring's, and such like provisions of th
army, till he expended in this way $3.50
600 of the money, and then be got scare
and quit. Laughter.
There is an appropriation, also, for th
: supply of wood in the army. This cor
tractor is pledged the payment of 81
, cord for all the wood delivered to tn
different commands wood collected afte
The labor of the soldiers themselves ha
E cut down the trees to clear the grouG
a for their batteries, aud then this col
: tractor employs army wagons to draw
: to the several camps, and he has no fu
. ther trouble than to draw his 81 for
!, cord, leaving the Government to draw u
wood. Laughter.
1t costs two millioa dollars every d,
n to support the army in the field. A hui
n dred millions of dollars have thus be,
b expended since we met on the I'd day
!, December, and all that time the army h
: been in repose. What the expenditu
will increase to when our eyes Shall
9 gladdered With the sight Of an army
> motion, I do not know. Atother hu
: dred millions will go with the huudre
= more I have enumerated. Another hu
it dred millions may be added to these b
d fore the 4th of March What it nj
:, cost to put down the rebellion care We
d little. provided, always, that it be p
e down effsctually. But, sir. faith wi'ho
l. works is dead, and I am fir, e to confe
y that my faith sometimes fails mel me-
. . my faith in the men, not my faith IN The
cause When the history of these tim
IS shall be written, it will be a question up
is whom the guilt will rest most heavily up
.e him who has couspired to destroy, or up
ID him who has proved incompetent to pl
at serve. the institutions bequathed to us
ID our fathers. 1t is no wonder that I
~ public treasury trembles and staggers, j,
ID strong man with too great burd