The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-03-28
RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY
Can we stand q Long War?
From the New York Times March "a

The latest cry of the croakers is that We must
end the war at all hszards this springfield il
We can whip the rebels by vigorous effort
! very well, but if not We must "bow to our deg
tiny and make the best attainable peace"-
And the reason given for this advice is, that the
war is exhausting our resources-that our BUSH
ness is Frustrated, our population diminished,
our taxes becoming insupportable the career OF
our prosperity checked, and the whole vigor and
vitality of the nation wasted. We must stop
the war, say these timid or disloyal souls, or
rush upon financial, commercial and national
ruin.
We believe in vigorous war, and have strong
faith that such war would speedily bring the
rebellion to an end. But in this we may be mis-
taken. The rebe, States may hold out still
longer, and may derive substantial aid from for
eign sources. To that case what are we to do?
Abandon the coDtest-surrender the nation
give over all further effort to cave the life of the
Republic? We do not believe the great mass of
the American people are in favor of such a
course. As to our ability to carry on the war,
there is no room to Doubt it. Our resources are
abundant. The country has not vet put forth "a
1.-THE of its strength. We have population
enough, wealth enough, business enough, and
vitality enough to prosecute this war FIVE years
longer, without materially srresting the nation in
its career of prosperity. Indeed, at the end of
that time, whatever we might have lost in mum
bers and in actual expenditure, if the war should
continue so long, will be more than compensated
by what we shall have gained in discipline, in
compactnese, in the development of national
feeling aud of national power.
Let US consult history as to the ability of ma.
tons to maintain long war. And as the best
example, let US look at England and the war she
waged with France from 1892 to lSl5-a period
of twenty three years. When that war COM
menced, the population of England was little
over 100000 1t was war of the Govern
ment and not Of the people, waged in the inter-
est OF dynasty and not of the nation. The
taxable income of England at that time being
the aggregate annual product of her industry
subject to taxation in al departments, as stated
by Adam Smith, was $685.. 0OO,O 900. And she
began the war with debt, incurred in previous
wars, Of 81 200, 0O0, 900, upon which she was
quired to pay an annual interest Of SAC 900, 900.
in addition to the ordinary expenses of
peace establishment, which at that time
we're as much more This was the condition Of
England when she entered upon the war. If its
duration and cost could have been foreseen, the
war would doubtless have been avoided; but
once commenced, the pride and self-respect of
the nation forbade all thought of ending it, ex-
cept in triumph.
What did it cost: The most careful writer's
on this subject estimate the expenses of the
Government for lite pe1ce establishment from
1898 to 1903 at 5000, 900 annually, and from
1903 to 1915 at 81 10 100000. This would have
been the requisite annual expenditure if there
bad been no war; Over and above this annual
amount, the sums raised every year for the Dar