The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-01-16

lions BY giving the statistics of lev OF the !
leading articles as shown By the last census.
| In 1860 there were produced 10 the State;
/ 60 GAL. sol bushels of corn, l5,2i9,l2o
/ bush of wheat, 5,02s. 755 bushels oats,
/ 7.246.l32 pounds of tobacco, ,, i66.264
/ mounds of Wool, 3,s7S.l30 bush. Irish
potatoes, 635. 322 tons of hay.
Although the population OF Indiana has
doubled 10 the last twenty years. and the
general growth of the State IN material
wealth has been in like ratio, yet We can
/ not doubt that the increase would have
. been far greater bat for the operation Of
/ G rtain causes. In 1886 the State embarked
| in an evtravsgsnt and reckless system of in
,ernal improvements. To prosecute it large
sums of money were required. and borrow
ed at heavy rates of interest. and the bonds
of the Stale were in many cases squandered
and passed into circulation without any ad
equate consideration having been received.
/ MANY canals, railroads, and tarnpikes were
survey ell and their construction commenced.
But a bad system In the beginning. Its
prosecution was badly managed, and the
result was tina. in 1916 the State found it
self in debt to the amount of S!l 100000,
and not a single work completed. the inter
est on the debt unpaid. and the credit OF
the State utterly Frustrated. In the mean
time many of our citizens, seeing that the
money of the State had been squandered
while but little had been accomplished be-
lieving that improvements had been in
definitely postponed. that cloud was rest
ing upon her reputation, and anticipating
high taxes for many years TO come, left the
State and sought new homes el>ew here
The financial character of the State abroad
had suffered greatly. Some supposed the
State had repudated her debts; others tina,
she was hopelessly bankrupt; and others
that to recover from her embarrassments
her people must be heavily taxed for gen
erations TO come By these notions, and
the general bal impression prevailing. the
current of emigration was turned aside in
great part, or swept over us 70 States IN the
+ West.
In lS46 an arrangement was made with
our creditors upon terms proposed y them
selves, by which nearly one half of the deb.
was Equida,ed by the transfer of the Wabash
and Erie Canal. and the State resumed pay
ment of the interest on the other half: but
it was not until many years of faithful dis
charge of her pecuniary obligations that the
/ credit of the State was entirely restored.
At the battle of Buena Vista an event
occurred which exercised an important and
pernicious influence on the growth and pros
| perity of the State. The second Indiana
Regiment. by the cowardice or incompetent
cy of single officer, was led into false
movement which resulted in confused and
| disorderly retreat The regiment was com
posed of as good and brave men as any other,
but through the malice Of the arch traitor,
jeff. Davis, who reported them to General
] Taylor as towards, or the indifference and
stupidity of those who should have vindica-
ted them they were publicly dsgraced and
with them the State to which they belong
ed. For years the Second Indiana Regi.
ment was bv-word, and the valor Of the
State sneered at BY the ignorant and thought
less.
This affair, combined with the bad fnau-
cial character of the State, led the uniform
, ed abroad to regard her with aversion and
contempt, and the emigrant was discouraged
from coming within her borders to seek q
home. When a man is about to seek a new
home. very small causes will determine him
to go to one State or another. The general
good impression he has Of one. or bad i'm
pressioh of another, fixes his choice.
1t one State IS charged with bankruptcy.
or heavy debt, or suspected of heavy tax
es, or the vaior Of the people spoken of
lightly. he will go around it. or rapidly
across it without stopping to seek his new
home in one beyond 1t is worth while 10
pause a moment and rehec ct upon what trif-
ling and irrelevant causes the progress and
prosperity of a State will sometimes de-
pend.
The disaster at Buena Vista, which should
have disgraced but single man. retarded
the progress of great State; and | am of
opinion that but for the causes l have been
considering, the population OF Indiana in
1860 would have been quite 100000, in
stead OF l $4,000. Our disaster at Bueua
Vista has happened to others during this
war. but the frequency Of the occurrence
seems TO have diminished its Importance
We are taught by this passage in our histo
~ that the honor ofaS.ate should be Jealous
ly preserved. Whatever il may cost to pre-
serve It's faith, it will cost more if it be suf-
tered to tarnish. The folly of the system
of 1886 was only exceeded by that which
subsequently permitted the interest on tue
Public Debt to remain unpaid for six years
Bat now, throug h the progress of wealth
and population and the faithful performance
of all obligations for many years, the credit
oil the State is entirely restored and placed
upon the high and secure basis. while the
i valor Of her sous has been INDICATED upon
an hundred battle fields, and may now just
| ly challenge the admiration of the world.
THE wAR-PREsIDEN1'S PROCLAMATION
A number OF States are in rebellion
against the Government, endeavoring to dis
solve the Union, aud establish a new Con
federacy; they have large armies in The
field, and are making war upon a grand
scale 1t is said BY some that we can compro-
mise. and make peace. But what is meant
by compromise? Would consentiny to
dissolution Of tine Union. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of
our territory and establishment OF an Inde-
pendent Confederacy be regarded as com
promise: If so, we can compromise. Have
the rebels ever intimated, or held out pro-
posals for peace on any other terms9 II
they have, have no knowledge of it. On
the contrary, they have, in every form, ar
on every occasion, declared their unalteratle