Washington telegraph., 1864-03-23

| DoCr aud helpless be forgotten. These 1--WE
have always with u.s. in times of peace as well
as in adversely. No public necessities can
supercede or excuse from that higher COM
mand, as extensive as humanity. and as per
manent the laws of God. Whatever can
contribute to the wants of our fellow men
should at no time be withheld for purposes Of
speculation, much less now, when the burden
thrown upon the public treasury by high
| prices may cause the ruin Of public credit
| But these considerations belong TO a separate
branch of the subject, npon which volumes
ght De written. We would now speak of the
evil of reckless and wanton extravaganza -
The practice of throwing away Confederate
money to crafty carnal whims or sensual in
dulgencies.
This has almost become mania. 1t per-
vades ali classes, except the very worst, who
avail themselves of it to build up colossal for
tunes. These last, like evil birds of prey. FIX
ten upon the corruptions Of society. They
amass in their cold, steady manner what is SO
| literally scattered by others in them foolish
LESS, and thus when the war is over, and we
prepare q enter again upon the peaceful pur-
| suits Of life, the wealth and capital of the
country, aud it, attendant influence is ant to
be found in the hands Of those who are least
worthy to exercise it, and will have the lea I
regard for those liberties which have been so
dearly won by the people whom they will have
desppiled.
To illustrate. All the Eastern cities have
been. and still are, (unless purged by the new
exemption law,) infested by warns Of Jews
aL other traders, who have been directly or
indirectly engaged in rum ing IL D., ckade as
it is called, although in fact it a,l.rg with
the enemy by connivance win their fleet,
They have exhaust ed the country of gold. 1t
would have been not so bad, but still OF doubt
fu propriety,) had they thus imported articles
OF prime necessity for our armies aad families.
and sold them at reasonable profits. There
would have been some show of good in that
Bat of this there has been nothing. Ariel q
OF necessity have been monopolized and held
mp amongst themselves for the most exor bit,ul
profits. to be wrung from the people in their ex
tremites, snd the bulk of importations have
been articles of luxury worse than us,les
Costly silks, aees, and other dress goods for our
women, and champaig ignes, brandies, cisn s,
and other material of extravaganza and dis l.
patton for the men, have been held forth to
tempt them to lavish waste of their neans
thereby rendering them less able TO endure The
| impositiOns to which they must submit for 70 d
and raiment.s
1t is notorious fact that these heartes-
traders are indifferent to either government,
and ready to take the protection of either Il
is equally notorious, that in place Of vestiua
their profits in the bonds of the Confeierrc..
thus making some atonement to the country
which protects them. they are laying them cur
largely in real estate. thus throwing the money
back to swell the already Inflated curreucg,
and acquiring the most subst ntial Of all inf u
euce in free cGunuy-the influence Of land d
property. If the enemy succeed they take tn,
oath of allegiance and a"e safe. If we s-ececd
they are in position to become an influence in
our government superior to that of our patriots
and soldiers, who will have been impoverished
by the
Whilst they are thus wise s'in their genera
ration" how is it with the great mass OF South
ern people? mo7t especially with the soidier?
We behold the reign Of an extravaganza lie
most star,ling-a disregard Of money the most
shocking. Such condition of things as NV
exists would, two years ago. have been con>i-
cred fabulous. The slightest whim Is gratihed It
any expense. Indulgencies freely taken Al
enormous prices. which men would have refused
themselves IN other times at trivial cost. Tn. re
seems to be sort of Saturn ALA of expense, as
if they sad let Us eat and drink and be merry,
for to morrow We may die. Men act if they
never expected to have any use for money OF
property after the war. As if the cud and
ann of life were only TO get through !hat as
| pleasantly possible, and then with pe.ce
would come a millennium of joy and plenty. in
| which they would find the vine and fig tree
already prepared, and nothing to do but sit
| down.
| 1t is woful error, and sad will be the swak
euing. Pea will bring joy certainly. But
no, rest from that labor by which man must
always ms bread. Peace will find
| country exhausted ur fields grown up in
hrushwo00-our fences and barns dilapidated
our trade ruiuel-our manufactures stopped
cur old stock Cf agricultural impI, meuts and
household furniture exha usteG-Our private
aifaiIs all embarrassed d. l. there ever will be
a time when capital viii be needed. il will be
then. Each man viii need every dollar to
| supply by purchase the labor and material
which he may lack, or form a capital for the
revival Cf his trade or av, cation. Still he
must clothe himself and children, and feed
them too. The ravens will bring neither food
nor raiment.
The proclamation of peace with the indepen-
dencc OF the South, will lie the most glorious
sound which we of this age and generation
may live to hear. Such subj me events do not
happen often in the history of the world. 1t
Is w rth the sacrifice of property. No patriot
would not divest himself of all to hear it to-
| morrow--this year, next year, five years hence,
| if he IN ight thereby attain it. But ii will be
| the joy of Liberty, not the joy of ideness, and
l IL -