The Placer herald., 1864-07-30
From the Washington National Ineligencer
The Blood and Treasure which the Natio n
is Spending.

!
red in the U. S. Senate on the 9th Of June,
while the bill modifying the Conscription Act
was under consideration, Wilson of Massa
chusets, the Chairman Of the Committee on
Military Affairs, referred as follows to the
number OF men at present composing the
armies of the United States. lie said:
"As listened to the earnest, intense, not
to say passionate words of the Senator from
California, (Couness,) almost wish that
too WAS man of courage-that too had
this confidence, this hope and this boastful-
ness. The Senator from California speaks OF
the spasmodic action Of the administration
OF the Government in raising men during
the last few months Does the Senator know
that we have raised or recruited since the
18th day Of October last, 900, 900 men, no..
to count black men, and that within the past,
year we have put into the field 7OO 900; that
we have made an exertion such rs few ma
tions ever made and few nations can make;
that we have spent 1925, 100000 in boun,
ties; that we have drafted; that we have
used the whole power and influence Of the
Government TO increase our military forces?
Sir, we have put forth an effort that exctes
the astonshment and commands the admrar
ton of the world; vet the Senator from Cal
itornia, whose constituents are not drafted
nor called upon, rises to-day and rebukes the
Administration, rebukes US, and talks glibly
OF the timid counsels Of men who are quite
as hopeful, determined and brave as himself"
The 100000 men put in the field during
last year are exclusive of those whose pre-
vious term of enlistment for three years,
I'll " 6
has not yet expired, and we suppose, excu-
sive of the 'hundred days" men recently
added TO our present forces. The vast agl
gregate OF the troops now under arms in our
service, and on the pay rolls. can therefore
be easily conceived if not accurately known,
in the absence of official statistics. The
number cannot fall bu, little short of mill
hon of men and certainly touches height
which justifies the statement of Wilson
when he says that the country has made ian
exertion" TO fill up the ranks of the army
''such as few nations ever made and few ma
tions can make" Rome in the time of Au.
an army Of only 100000. When the French
Empire, in the year 1918, under Napoleon l.,
embraced within its limits the territory and
people of Belgium, Holland, the Hanse
Towns, the: Roman States, etc, comprising,
with that Of France, a population of 1000,
the army numbered at the highest point,
about 100000 Of men, thus implying, as
llison states, the absorption of one in forty
OF the whole population in the profession of
arms; whereas, it has never been found, by
experience, that an empire, how powerful
soever, can for any length Of time flourish
with more than one in hundred engaged
in such pursuits. The total population Of
the loyal States cannot much exceed 23,-
100000 and force of 700, 900 drawn from
such population implies the diversion of
one in thirty three from the pursuits Of pro.
ductive industry-a rate considerably higher
than under the conscriptions for the French
army during the period when Napoleon was
waging war against combined Europe. We
have adverted TO these facts because of the
confirmation they lend to Wilson's statement
when he says that the "exertion" made by
the country in putting 10000 men into the
field during the last year is one "few nations
have ever made" 1t may be within the re-
collection Of our readers that Wilson, speak.
ing in the Senate on the 9th of January last,
Of the Government for 100000 men, held
the following language: "The Government
has called for 100000 men, and presume
that is the number the Government wants,
either Of old veterans who reensl or Of
new men. More than half of those men
think we shall have enlisted within the next
twenty or thirty days."
On the same day and in the course Of the
same debate, Wilson said: "A large number
of the States will furnish volunteers; some
will not. think we shall have draft; but
| DO not believe it will be necessary to con.
tinue drafting. We have in the service of
the country, and are paying in our army,
think not less than 650,0OO or 700, 900 men.
We must have from 100000 to 100000 ef'
fective soldiers in the fed. | do not believe
that the rebellion has over 225, 900 men in
arms, and have very good reason SO to be-
Iieve. believe that if we do our duty the
military power of this rebellion will be
crushed out before the lst Of October next.
want to adopt policy that
shall bear as lightly as possible upon our
people-upon our productive industry-and
shall fill up our armies. That is tho first
question:; and | want 10 save the treasury
all the expense that can possibly be saved. |
believe our danger is more from want of
money than from want of men,"
w. L. Card, of Virginia City, has invent
ed an "agtator" that will save ten pounds Of
quicksilver in twenty.four hours run of a
battery in silver mill. That Gard will be
considered trump by his fellow-ciizens.
Compositions of Zinc and Copper are now
made SO hard tha. they will cut steel and
stand we'll for tools. The ancient art of al
loying and tempering these metals, seems to
have been re-dscovered. This art was doubt
less lost soon after the discovery Of steel,
which is much more suitable material for
such purposes. The mixing of these hard