Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-11-23

IL our National Wealth increasing.
Secretary Seward and Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher have just given rs their views on the
political economy of the war-the in his
stump speech et Auburn, the latter in his break
fast speech at Manchester. Either speech affords
very fair measure of the orators requirements
in the first essential of sound political reasoning
acquaintance with the facts and laws OF business
and finance. Mr.. Beecher simply disclosed his
ignorance. Mr. Seward leaves us IN doubt
whether his shallowness is that of the professions,
philanthropist or of the political demagogue. Mr..
Beecher disclaims with so much naioefe all
knowledge of the subject upon which he under
took 70 instruct Englishmen, 'because he was
not a fnancier, but a clergyman and patriot
only" and really in earnest TO put
national case with it's best foot foremost that he
can be pardoned his astounding bluRders if he
will only hereafter remember that before a man
can discourse 20 edfication on the course of trade
and the state of the currency he must really pos
sess some little knowledne of the grand princi-
piles of political economy.
To discourse wisely about our spiritual con
dition in this life aud our eternal welfare in the
next NAV not overtax the resources Of Ga
clergyman and patriot only" but to preach of
what Columbus. in his letter announcing the re-
suits of his first voyage 70 America, called "the
increment of our personal possessions, and our
welfare in the life which now is, requires more
than patriotism and more than piety. 1trequires
knowledge of the subject. Mr.. Beecher. though
he has talked hundred times as much as any
body else the continent about our great po-
itical problem, nov admits that he knows moth.
ing of the matter at bottom He Processes only
to deal with great moral eas.' But Mr. Sew
ard has been politician for a great many years.
In the opinion of his admirers he is a statesman.
He has, at least. held all but the highest Office in
the State, and should be a statesman If he is
Il l. l. l..
pound the laws and state the facts of ma
tional industry and prosperity. II states
manshp is worth anything. one would say,
il should be competent to that. MIR. Beech
er dsciaims such competency Mr.. Seward
asserts it by his position. and in so many words
But Mr. Seward. too. has thrven exclusively on
his treatment of great moral ideas" and makes
as bad "A mess OF il rs the preacher when he talks
about business and currency. One OF these days
the Northern people will find, as an excellent
preacher. Andrew Fuller, said once, that "Con-
science is not sufficient guide for the complex
civil fe-there needs Science as well' When
that time comes. professional philanthropy will be
at discount in the guidance Of the nation. aud
practical. business-lke statesmanship, like that
of oIr fathers. will come into fashion.
Mr.. Seward SAID, in his Auburn speech, 1.-The
whole of the suffering which the war has produced
has fallen upon the insurgents. and the iOyal
part of rhe United States is exempt. There are
hundreds OF thousands OF homes in the loyal part
of the United States each with its vacant chair
The son, the brother, or the father has gone and
will not return. Surely, though his own son
was convalescent when he spoke, Mr. Seward
cannot have come To such reckless dIsre-
gard OF human suffering his words imply
man may be a Tito or Nero and
vet have soft uffections. lie; suppose that
Mr.. Seward does bemoan our gallant dead and
sympathize with the stricken families of the na
ton. BY the suffering from which he says we are
exempt. he perhaps means pecuniary aud com
mercial suffering He says: I'm the insurgeut
States, there is not one citizen who is not the
poorer and more unhappy for the In the
loyal regions. there Is not State which is not
stronger for the same cause Let pass the
fact that the ge"gra phical position of some loyal
States has subjected them to merciless devasta
ton aud that 50 one half the statement is proved
false; let pass the fact that hundreds and thou
sands of loyal men along the border, down the
Mississippi, have lost all their possessions by the
mere circumstance Of residence or the chances of
war, and the abolition policy of the Administra
ton which has ruined all the Union men of the
Southern States within our army lines Let this
pIss though il proves the other half of the state
ment false. and consider it purely a matter of
political ec0nomy Mr. Seward fumbed among
words ill he reached this statement: "The in
crease Of wealth which arises from the ma
tional discipline of industry which the war has
Oblige,i 10 adopt. has enabled to pay all in.
cTet~ed dents and taxes eiSily a. paid the
debts and taxes when the war begun
This phrase l. obscure ard Oracular But in
all its possible meanings il j. false Whatever
significance IL has rs a whole or in part. is a
procla amatUn Of what IL not
Oar increased taxes not yet fully
paying. nor have We FULLY measured them Our
increased debt, two three thousand millions.
this generation will never paid, and, except it
becomes the object of the next abolition" mama.
will burden endless generations.
9 The ease with which debts existing when
the began have been paid. is simply the
measure of the robbery t. which Mr. Chase's cur
rency schemes have subjected every creditor in
the land l. robbery hard word? Robbery
is the word used by John Slusrt Mill, the high
est living authority on political econOmy. the peer
ut least of Adam Smith and Say. Debtors agreed
! to pay the value of so many dollars. Chase aud
! Congress made inconvertible pieces OF paper a
legel tender. worth to-day less than cents
each. though called Iollar. acd so robbed
every creditor. who must accept them for debts
formerly due, OF thirty cents each dollar, more
OF less
3. "Our taxes and debts are not "paid with
ease" Mr. Seward's assertion is untrue in every
respect Besides the taxes which we pay to the
assessors. this depreciation Of the currency is an.
other tax. and let the suferings of our poor. the
universal strikes of our laboring classes. answer
| If this tax is paid with ease. Does Mr. Seward
DENY that il isa tax? Mr. Chase will thank him
for propping the inllacy 1t is tax John Stu
art Mill SAYS: "A tax is virtually levied on them
[''all holders OF currency his 1.-the issuers
benefit" All holders of such currency ours
''lose by the depreciation of its value the exact
equivalent OF what the issuer gains"
Let Mr. Seward reid our columns. daily TEEN
ing with reports of the sufferings of mechanics
and workingInen and women of every class: lei
him look at the prices of the necessares of life
compared with those of former years. wages be-
ing about the same as then: let him enter the
house Of the poor man, and how the little
luxuries of life were long since abandoned, anC
how the scrimnIng "t its necesssries mas begun
| while iiis ,psr has n,,t ab tie IN time or fatigue
| one whit lie Mr. Seward see these things, anC
then blush Tor shame at his smooth aud deceitfu
talk about the ''new national discipline OF indus
| try and the increase of wealth..
We do not say that resf.red Union is no
worth all this TOLL this debt. this suffering. IL i
abolition journals like the Tribune and Post anc
Times TO which our readers must 90 for argu
ments that the Union Is worth less than dolla
bead TO every Northern citizen. But we d.
denounce the political cnsrlatanism OF the maj
who dares call national fever the flush o
health, who, when our wealth aud our means o
wealth, our treasure aud our lives are beln!
squandered by thousands and millions. dares at
front heaven and his fellow men with the asser
ton Of ''our increase of wealth"
4. There is no mystery of political econom,
surrounding this matter. We trust we have M
reader whose common sense Is not robust enough
to perceive, and prove. and denounce the charla
tansm of Mr. Seward. He says the nation ba
i