Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-11-05
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idcnt Lincoln, in his inaugural address
This truth, the government as well as
the people should begin to realize. Yet,
some foolishly talk as though we might
figet on forever and, in the meantime,
the country grow populous, rich and
prosperous. Some may be benefited in
property and position by the war; but
| tue great mass of The people must inevit-
ably suffer. War selects for its victims
the very men upon whom rest the hopes
of the nation to carry it forward in its
career Of greatness and prosperity.
War on a gigantic scale, like the one
we ere now prosecuting, is too expensive
to be long continued without ending in
national bankruptcy and general poverty
and ruin. 1t has lasted already two
years and half, and we have in that time
accumulated national debt of two thou
sand millions. This is an enormous
sum Of which it is dihicult to form any
thing like an adequate idea. To attempt
to gauge It is like attempting to measure
in our minds the immense distance be-
tween the earth and the sun. If the war
were to cease now, this debt would soon
be felt as a national burden almost too
grievous to be borne, and would require
the wisest craftsmanship to prevent il
from giving rise to consequences disas-
trous alike to our peace and liberties.
1t is worse than folly--it s madness
to shut our eyes to tho obvious facts
of our condition. We must look them
sternly in the face, and be prepared to
meet and provide for them. AS the war
progresses, it will become more and more
expensive. The next year of the war
will be more expensive that the last, and
SO on in constantly increasing ratio
The end must come some time, as Mr..
Lincoln truly said, for property and cred
it, even Of great nation like ours, can
not last always. Exhaustion will come
some day.
As with money so with men. In this
regard it is also true that we " cannot
fight always" Already some two mil
lions of min have been called for during
war of thirty months. The calls fer a
year past have been made for filling up
depleted ranks. These must be continu
ed to be filled up with fresh levics. As
long as the war lasts, this process must
go on but in time a period will have
been reached in which men can neither be
raised by volunteering or by draft. So
for the want OF men to be sacrificed, we
"cannot fight always"
Both mon anl money must fail us at
last. Yet it is said that the rebels will
be sooner exhausted than we. That
might be true ifthey had an old establish
ed government like ours, and its credit
20 maintain, and were prosecuting war
of invasion, instead of one merely or
chiefly defensive. Besides, we have no
guarantee as to how long we shall have
nothing but a Rebel Confcderacy and its
armies to contend with. A fresh enemy
may soon appear in the field, to add to
the expense and waste of civil war,
that of pro ractcd foreign wars
We submit these things to the sober
reflection of every honest, patriotic man,
because they are naturally suggested by
the Presidents emphatic declaration to
his countrymen before the war began
"Hou cannot fight always" That dec.
laration has a double point and force
now; because it is every day becoming
more and more manifest that, under the
present management and policy in the
conduct OF the war, it will continue till
it is terminated from sheer exhaustion,
or in obedience to popular demand for
peace on some terms; and terminate, not
with res tored Union, but with per-
mancntly discovered and ruined country.
And this rcsnlt is nearing US with fear
ful rnpidity. 1t is even now at the
threshold. Either tho administrative
policy of the Government must
be speedily changed, or all the conse.
quences of divided, exhausted and ruin
ed country will be upon u.s. Statesman