The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-04-30


vate the land.-N. Y. Tribune.
Home PatF1otisn..1ts Duties.
Foremost and highest on the bright roll
Of those whom their country delights tC
honor stands the Volunteer, who. obeyinp
her call because he loves her and holds il
his duty to serve her at whatever personal
cost, presents his breast as . rampant be-
tween her and her foes. Men have become
soldiers under the impulse of unworthy or
Indifferent motives-the promptings Of am
or taste for the license Of camps and the
spelling Of the defenseless; but the true SOL
der, whom no lure of bounty, no thirst for
office, has drawn to swell the ranks Of this
country's defenders, is and ever must be
regarded and honored AZ one who gives the
highest proofs of generous and devoted pat
riOtism.
Yet the soldier is not the only patriot; nor
is his the only sphere wherein . high and
holy love Of country is manifested. The
angels Of mercy who minister to the suffer-
ing in hospitals and on the battlefield are
also justly ranked among those who nobly
serve and honor the land they love. And,
in our great Civil War, the number and the
efficiency Of these is wholly without prece-
dent. The glorious Sanitary Commission,
50 early organised, 80 comprehensive in its
means by the wise generosity of our fellow
citizens, has already prevented an incalcu-
liable amount of suffering. It has saved
thousands of soldiers lives, and restored
to their families and to usefulness thou.
sands more who but for il would have lam
guished for months longer on beds Of pain,
and finally been discharged, permanently
manned and helpless. No battle ever
fought on this continent was SO favorable
to the victors as is the Sanitary Commits
sion, with its works and ways, to the rent
and shaken, tried and afflicted nation,
which deepOtisms and hierarchies shall yet
again fear and hate ~ the Great Republic.
One OF the merchant princes of our city
has caused to be collected and printed !
systematic account of the free-win offer
lngs OF our people to the cause of our ma
fnl, memorable years. These already
amount, in the aggregate, to over zs0o Hun
dved Millions Of DOlLars-an amount which
human history may in vain be CHALLENGED
to parallel. And there never was an hour
when our people were giving to this end
more generously or more literally than at
present.
But again: The American People have
loaned to their cOuntry-that is, to its Ma
tiona], State and Local organizations-for
the prosecution Of this war, more than Nco
Thousand Millions of Dollars. This vast
aggregate far exceeds all the money that is
or ever was in the country, and is probably
equal to a 1.-THE of all the property that will
be left in it when the war is over. And, as
more 10 wanted, more will be forthcoming.
And yet there are to-day too few who real
ize that to loan the Government in crisis
like this whatever money he can spare, il
no less patriotic duty than volunteering,
or paying taxes, or contributing freely to
the great charities that the war renders nec-
essary. We are prone to forget that great
rivers are made up Of innumerable rills,
and that few hundreds from every third
or fourth dwelling would amount to q total
Of hundreds of millions.
Our Government needs money, and must
need 1t so long rs this tremendous struggle
shall continue. After raising all It can by
taxation. it must borrow two millions per
day till the main str0ngholds of treason are
exunguished or carried. And this money
must be lent it BY the people-by the many,
not the few. Brokers and great capitalists
have hitherto had the credit Of employing
money for such contests; but this credit
was 6ctitious-fallacious. They simply
stood between the governments which Dor.
rOwed, and the people, who lent-charging
the former one to i've per cent. for the
agency. Our Government wisely appeals
directly TO the masses-whose cause il de.
tends, whose creature 1t is-asking them Il
trust themselves for the sums necessary &c
prosecute their contest. 1t asks the man
who has but 500, or even $50, that he does
not need for his current expenses, 20 take
Of her bond for that amount, giving heI
the money, and taking therefor her promise
TO pay q dollar in gold after ten and with.
in forty years for each ''green back" dollar
loaned her, with interest meantime in gold
at the rate Of five per cent. per annum,
which il equal to eight per cent. in the cur.
renew actually lent.
If you should happen to be one Of those
who have 81 900 in specie laid by for re-
source in the last emergency, you can to-
day exchange this for about &l,700 in the
''Greenback'' or legal tender notes Of the
Government.but say $1,000. With this
National bank, or Of some one in each city,
the Ten Forty" bonds Of tie United
States for q like amount, wherein you will
receive $50 interest in gold per AMMAN,
with your 81 eco principal in gold after ten
years-prcbably at the expiration Of that
term-long before which your bonds will
De worth more than specie par in the mar
ceive 80 in gold per annum and 81 eco in
gold at the maturity Of your bond; though
you can doubtless sell it At par for gold
much sooner, should You desire to do 50.
So, if your money 10 now in greenbacks
or ordinary currency, yon can invest it in
the Government Loan, and receive i've per
cent. interest thereon in gold-equaf to
eight per cent. in the currency loaned,
with your principal also payable in gold
q dollar for each paper dollar invested
Who can ask Of his country better terms
than these?
Lending to our Government is not like
lending 70 an individual, who may die, or
fail, or abscond. 1t is not like lending on
good bond and mortgage, because these
can rarely be sold unless at q sacrifice;
whereas a Government bond is q security
Ut al times convertible, and . sure basis Of
credit. Any bank, or capitalist, or money.
lender will very gladly lend you money
on such bond at his lowest rate, when
your neighbor, perhaps richer than you,
cannot borrow on his mortgage, though il
is perfectly good, but not universally
known to be 80. He who owns Govern
ment bonds need never want for money:
for, while earning him interest, they are q
ready foundation for credit, and in practice
little less than money in bank.
Patriots all and everywhere! Your
country asks you to LEND her the means OF
paying her armies bountifully, and ena-
bling them to advance fully provided
against the very last reserves that can BE-
conscripted and forced to fight against