Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-03-24

swell tie amount p Otherwise would
GLADLY dimi.h 70 IL IN my power. | have simply
taken tie amounts appropriated by former
Congress ard added The amounts which The Sec
re,sry OF the Treasury asks hall be appropriated .
for the yeaSs 1864 aud 1865 assume. and
most safely think in view Of the Psst. that all .
the money thus appropriated BY Congress Tor
specified objects will be spent This IL all. and I
you behold the appalling result. DO not stop
to take an account Of State debts. which cOuai
by hundreds OF millions. pass BY the debts Of
counties cities town. and various corporations. T
ell OF which direct tax upon the people
simply compute the Federal Indebtedness, and
YOU have thee frightful figures.
SIR. this debt nov inevitably fastened upon the /
American people. has no parallel in the history
OF nations It, ike il unknown Ia the snuals OF
mankind. IL stands alone IN IL career OF de
vastaton. The power OF language cannot ex-
aggerAts il agent Of destruction. More
than four thousand millions o; dollars. The
debt OF England, which is now permanent
curse. u less. Yet. since le2y no British states
man has thought for Al instant that il would
ever be finally paid II commenced accruing in
small proportions during the reign Of Charles ii
two hundred wears ago Succeeding wars
rapidly increased il. and b. flied all the wsium
and resources OF the English people. in their long
and faithful efforts Ia accomplish ~ ptymeDt.
They pay the interes.. and bequeath the principal
With all its crushing weight 10 each succeeding
generation. And even this burthen on the labor
OF England il so great and soperpetual, that one
eighth OF her citizens are inmates OF the
poor house. and almost another eighth
have been driven by want from their native
land. We are TO tread IN the same biighted
pathway, groaning YEARLY under a stll heavier
lOad-the cursed fruits of a sectional party and
financial corruption We look out upon the
field Of the future II lies dismal and endless
before Us There is land OF rest in the dis
lance for the tired taxpayer; there is promise
OF deliverAnce Frightening the sky hefoFe him.
His step from this on i ceaseiess Iresdmlil,
from which he will never escape Are you
afraid, men of labor throughout America. 70 look
at this pcturel viii YOU turn away your faces
and hug yourselves IN the deluspn that all is
well a little longerg Will YOU punish and de
nounce the faithful sentinel who cries out To YOU
the approach of destructong Ii may be sO yet
awhile IL is in the heart OF man TO put off the
evil hour. We often take refuge from danger by
affecting not TO see IL, when we know it Is newt
able Death itself at last surprises Us in the
midst OF the busy plans aud pleasing aspirations
OF life The voice of warning dies away on the
ear. UNDECIDED by the heart But this fact does
not divorce "A man in the public station from the
performance Of his thankiesS duty ] shall here
perform mine. and take all the reward seek or
desire. in the appreciation of my conscience
4
that ] am acting for the welfare of nv country
Sir. in order To enable To grasp tie might,
figures which will sum up our national debt SIX
teen months hence let us indulge for a moment
in comparisons The growth of the American
Republic in all the elements of material wealth,
from its birth TO the hour of its present msfor
tunes. had been the marvel anu wonder OF all
time IL had strobe upon the loftiest peaks of
greatness with easy and familiar step In
ar Iu war al oil "A no fha Hr-f
OF all nations Our actions at home and abroad
upon scale OF magnitude which dwarfed
the giant achievements OF history by contrast
but IN all that time every item OF public ex-
penditures would scarcely suffice To meet the de-
maRds OF one year under our present system OF
ruin. Take the period of seveuty-two years
those halcyon DAYS OF liberty and fraternity
from 1859 to le6l During that space OF happy
time. for year. and for all purposes. the
expenses OF the Government were:
sl45a 700, rec
For four years from 1861 to 1s65 4,oIO2is os3
Increase Of expense in four years over sew
enty-two years q 056, 42S,JO7
Four brief but terrible years under the present
Administration will have consumed more than
three times as much of the wealth. the labor.
the taxes of the people every other Admins.
tration of the Government put together from
Washington to James Buchanan Do you still
saw, in view OF this startling fact. that there is no
necessity for "A change IN policy and in our
rulers in order 10 from utter overthrow
Are you still content that this rate of expend
ture shall continued How long can it coprnueI
BY the statistics furnished in the census Of 1860,
the value OF the real and personal property of
the entire United States. before war and destruc
ton had assaulted it, Was SIP 1854 600 O05 Even
admitting that il possesses the same value TO day
yet the debt is one-rhird of the shole amount.
But every one will acknowledge that assess
ment OF the value OF the property throughout
the United States would not show more than
to-thrds OF its former value. This would he
about S. 600 QUO 900 OF this SUN the public
debt in few months. will he than
half Halt the grain in the field; half the horses
in their stalls half the cattle in the pastures half
the hogs in the pens: halt the land itself. every
other acre. will stand mortgsged for the payment
of tour wears dreadful experiment in the use
of the sword. aud the sword alone. in attempting
restoration OF the Uuion And even now, all
over the land. the exc>emen the tax gatherers
swarming To enforce the foreclosure of this
crushing AMI relentless mortgage IL is held by
creditors who have iron hearts There will no
grace given; no equity OF redemption. Aboli-
tOnlSm Is the principal holder: and then contracts
AMI fraud hold the balance
But allow me TO make an application of this
debt TO that great Staie-a portion OF whose PEG
OF all the real and personal property of the people
of Indiana in 1860 WAS SAL / .042 i24 The pro-
portion ot the Federal ieht which will attach In
that State June 80. 1865. will he 1855 9sil $40
IL will. therefore he that If three-fouIthS OF
everything which the citizens and property hold
ers OF Indiana possess put up at auction and
sold according "a The appraisement OF tie census
report il would barely suffice To meet the de-
mands which the Federal Government j. making
upon the wealth and industry of that State.
am aware that all this will fall idly upon the ears
OF those who proonging this war from
tives of despotism aud unhallowed gain: but |
speak to-day for the farmer and the mechinic-
for the iabOrer whose heart is filled with unselfsh
patriotism, and whose hands are uDstaned by
plumber. call upon that class to carefully esti-
mate these buIthens for on their weary shoulders
ihev are TO toe borne.
Bat again will he met here by the fact that
the "a, ment OF the principal of the public debt
will be postponed from one generation 10 another
aud that ike the people of England We will only
be called upon tor lis interest. Taking even that
unworthy view OF the question let Us see what
Will be the inevitable annual demands upon
American labos in order 10 avoid opep and &C
/ know led. ed bankruptcy This estimate | make
upon the basis of pence after this war shall have
closed. and the utmost reduction made consist ent
With our altered condition. ] challenge scrutiny
I into its substantial correctness:
Civil list. ..... ss5oOuo'