Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-12-12


The President and the Secretary Of the Tres
sury do not agree 10 their views Of the condition
Of public Affairs. or ss 70 The effect OF The war
upon the national resources. In his recent mes-
sage Mr. Lincoln remarks:
The election has exhibited another fact no,
Lea. valuable to be known-the fact that se do
not approach exhaustion in the most important
branch OF national re-ourccs--thst OF living
men"
Referring 70 the increase Of votes In the late
Presidential election, be adds:
1T Is not material to inquire hor the increase
has been Bodnced. to show that 10 would have
been oreafsS but for the war. which u probably
true. The important fact remains demonstrated
that We have more than when the war
tsosn: thar We are not exhausted nor in the pro-
cess Of exhaustion; that We are gaining strength.
and may. If need be, maintain the contest indef
nitely This il as to men Material resources
nos more complete and abundant than ever
The President appends table showing By the
votes cas-, at the election in the States adbering
70 The Union fha, the net increase Of votes over
the election Of 1850. during The three years and
a half OF var. 10 be l45 sol, and this does not
include the soldiers in the field who could not
vote away from their homes. We shall not
make any issue a. to "kOp" this increased vote
has been produced for il is patent to every sensi
bic and honest mind that the statement Of the
President the results of the election Is based
upon the returns, and not upon the number Of
the actual voting population. Mr. LINCOLN con
GRADUATES the country. not taking into consider
alton "her" the increase has been produced.
s'thai &c have more men ner than We had when
the war began" and that our national re
sources are now more complete and abundant
than ever"
Mr.. FEssESpES. the Secretary Of the Treasury.
Ia his repor; to Congress. does not represent so
hopeful view Of the resources of the nation
Hesays:
On the Attn day Of March. \. ID 1861 the
national debt comparatively 30 inconsdera-
BILE a hardly TO deserve the name. Accustomed
10 a degree of prosperity heretofore unexampled
ia the history CT nations, the people OF the United
States had grown rich and powerful without be
ing conscious Of national burdens and equally
unconscious OF their vast and increasing
ability TO sustain weight which, could II have
been anticipated. might have seemed altogether
beyond their strength Unaccnstomed. for a
long course Of wears. to great national efforts, II
fortunate that their power of>endurance
should be tested only by degrees, "a the struggle
which Providence prepared for them developed
its vast proportions. and the necessity ot great
and long continued effort became apparent Had
il been then foreseen that shst was believed TO
be a contest for months was to be continued Tor
years. and that hundreds of millions of public
debt would he swollen into thousands OF millions
before the close Of that contest. il may well be
doubled whether. ignorant as they we're of their
own immense resources, the people might not
have shrunk appalled, from an undertaking which
contemplated sacrifice FAR exceeding all
former experience.
The people complained Of the expenditure OF
several millions of dollars uLder the administra
ton of Mr. BUCHANAN. although this amount vas
raised mainly by import dnty This SUN was
levied upon population Of 80 100000 Under the
present administration Of affairs Indiana, Illinois.
and Ohio. with population Of less than six mil.
lions. will be burdeaed with taxation fully
equal 10 The whole amount levied during Mr BIT
eusxAS's administration upon 80. 900 600. for the
entire support OF the national government. Well
might Mr. FrssExprS remark. in this view Of the
case, if the people could have anticipated the
burden which would have been placed upon them
they would have shrunk from sacrifice 80 fas
exceeding all former experience. Bat the bur
dcns of taxation have not yet been felt hs the
people They will be before long, aud then II
will be sscertsined whether our material
resources are now more complete and abundant
than ever" Id sustain the vastly decreased bur
dens which have been fastened upon the country
burdens which are increasing daily and to al
alarming extent The Secretary of the Treasu
~. in discussing the financial policy OF the sd
mnstrsticE, and in presenting IL present c"ndi
tioa and future necessities. does not take tho
hopeful view that the President assumes. but esi
IDENTIFY doubts the sbiliiy Of the people TO stand
the burdens which that policy has aud viii inn
pose UPON them.