The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1864-07-26
July e.,
FOR THIS LANCASTER LEDGER1
Eternal Vigilance is the. Price of
Liberty"

ASoAsys
There Is large class Of persons, that is
not only useless, but positively dctI imeDtnl
10 the peace and security OF our country
IL is that vast horde Of carpers, croakcrs
and eeucors that crilicise aud condemn eve.
ry th'ng that does n OF exactly tally with
their superficial and contracted yiews-
They imagine the whole world is ignorant
and inexperienced but them selves and
",hey nre the people ard wisdom will die
with them. Those initvidu ais have ia
fhetrd immense injury upon the country
during the present war. Near its incipjency
these oifcious critics wounded the tender
sensI bilities Of Gen A. y. Johnson, and sac.
rihced him to their ignorance and s,unidi,,:
and lost 10 the Coniederacy not on o,ie
Of her best Generals: but, also Teun.,,r.
and large portions Of Missis.ippi and Ala.
bama. Aud now that same mischi.y ion,
spirt Is rampant with invectiv. and vi,upe
ration against the Secretary of'the Treusu.
~, because money IL some times too abun
dant, and some times on opposite extreme
DO such persons know that Mr. Memm,o
ger Is the Agent OF Congress, controlled
and directed by Its behests! DU thsy no,
remember, when he recon,m .nded NOR. ia.
dicioss mea.urss, they We're rejected by
that body. Perfection is not claimed Tor
Mr. Memmingsr: but it rsrtsiuiy is unrsa.
sonable 10 expect him 10 make something
out Of nothing. And il IL equally urea.
sonnble to make scape goat Of him 10
0cnr away the sins OF Congress. Until
Congress attains 10 judicious and practical
counsels eur finances ennBot improve. But
this .tate OF affairs Is now initiated.
These are errors Ut n grave aud danger.
Gus character, and should be carefully svoi
ded. Bnt there are erross on the opposite
extreme even more pernjcious if the seias
ct Gosernment are entrusted 10 any ciass,
even The very best: if their official depart.
ment Is not mihutely scrutinized and they
held to n rigid accoonta biIity corruption
and renaliiy will be very likely TO epsue
That people are Fastening To political ruin
who. .conhde every thing To their Legislators
aud Governors, aud exercise no jealousy
over their own personal rights When
delegated powers are diverted froiIr ,heir
Legitimate objects, aud employ yed in scI,emes
I ambition and personal sggrandizemeot ;
the people should liiL up their voices like a
Trumpet md sell their faces like flint a.
gninst NIL such abuses. That sieepiess Wig.
lance, which 10 the great safe guard Of
liberty shonid DO INCREASINGLY xs1cised
over the Official acts Of pubic funciiona
ries.
Now amer viewing the subiset from yari
ons stand points, aud with no disposition to
be esnsoTious, II does not appear nnreason.
able to object to some Of Che enac,uients
Of the late Session Of Congress. The sal.
aries Of the men bers were doobled mt
time when the country anticipated r~duc
doo Of th0ss inflated prices which had 40
long prevailed. And whilst they doubled
their own pay, they did not half double that
OF the soldier, whose wages was mach less
IN proportion than their own; aud whose
claims aud importunate entreaties had been
KNOCKING uaifesdsd ut The door Of Congre re-s
for n long pssiad. Aud soals arc Of the
opinion no advance would have been made
on the soldiers pay, IL the increase OF their
own had not been la contemplation. They
refused any advance on The salaries OF the
President sud Cabinet though the Presi.
dsDt has loSt laege amount Of his. fortune
NY the casualties Of war !: and tbs duties 0i
the Cabinet officers are moro onesous and
consi0ing than their o@n. And TO cap the
climax, they adjourned TO remain six months
at homo without any additional expense
whilst the Executive aud the heads uf De
partn'ents are let TO toll the entire year
through the exorbitAnt expenses o! life Ia
Richmond. Now these things .aAy be right
But 70 40 observer occupying q stand. .poin,
i've hundred miles from Richmond and
| whose isstrumeat Of observation h nssurai