Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-03-05
The Relative Cost.

Throw out of the account the valuable lives Of our
citizen soldiers lost BY the late raid throw out too, the
negroes horses mules and cattle stolen the mills aud
lson works burnt the bridges destroyed the railroads
torn I'D. tbs alarm Of the women and children in the
country and city-cass all these aside aud look at the
matter from another point of view.
For three or four days all the Departments and al
IN. workshops have been olosed. We may &c sure that
the clerks and employees, tagged out by marches e1-
Dosure aud privation will be in no condition to work
TO- day The Day Of Rest comes in good time for them
On Monday next, them the public business VII DO Ie
sunsd-unless, indeed, some misohsVOus scou! takes
il into his head to give the people Of Richmond another
shaking up. Nearly week will thus have been lost
and lost Al q time when every moment is Of priceless
value Thirty days grace in which to fund sI hu adrsd
millions Of dollars and the Treasury closed during
seven of those daysl
If We turn from tbs Treasury to the great workshops
where the munitions Of var made, the case is ss
had or worse for the time LOST cannot be made up in
either Of these pisces. But count the cost Eich
clerk and each artisan is paid Eve ten fifteen twenty
dollars day. His pay goes on, while the Government
is furnishing him rahons in the field and losing his
skill ed lAbor-the Oaly thing which saves him from
regular military ssrVice. Taken suddenly from warm
room and exposed to rain and see oss of sleep scant
aud badly cooked food il IA but sirto infer that the
larger number of these clerks Aad hGpderaftsmen will
be made mere or less sick and rendered incapable OF
official labor for weeks TO ;me. The chances are that
some Of them will die. And skilled labor ia scarce
enough In this CcnfederAcy while all or nearly al the
Departments are behind hand in their work.
Tie pay Of q cAvalrynAn Is thirteen dollars month
his horse costs moro than that but the two together
do not cost per month more than clerks or arsAns
pay par week, or very little more The cavAEyman,
properly disciplined and kept in hand few have been
N hia vicinity ia efficient soldier, capable OF doing
hard service without injury to himself or the civil bust
ness Of the country. What Is more to the point be
can intercept the raider pursue him. cut him CT follow
him in all his lodges and Wndings and bring him hnal'
ly to grief.
But We are short of men and horses. True, yet not
% short that We cannot afford for the detection Of
Capital At least Oae full brigade oil the best cavalry in
The service If We are too weak for this We are too
weak to live and ought to 90 under. We are not too
weak, however. Tho men and the horses can be bad
BY proper management and little head work.
This cavalry brigade need not be kept here alWays
Il can 20 70 Gen. Lee in tunes Of emergency. Il can
return whenever II is needed Il render material
assistance in ASCsrtAinns with certainty the movements
Of the enemy and save non constant bell ringing dil-
fractions and needless Interruptions OF the public busi-
ness In aos the relative cost Of the Brigade a. com
pared With the repeated suspensions Of the Department.
and work shops would be nominAL