The weekly union record., 1864-07-30
Our War Debt.

Some have misjndged Of the policy of car
nense debt which it is entsiing upon the Ma
ton. They would shrink from The Immaculate
dictates Of duty and honor, for fear that the
piledup weight of almighty dollars" in the
shape OF q war debt will break the back Of the
Nation, and sqneeze the last Gime without re
turn. from the pockets oi the people Let such
take courage. and look the facts of history
sqnsrely in the face and take few hints from
Others. If they can gather no wisdom from their
own affections. They will find, SAYS the Hon.
Geo. Barstow in his 4th of July Grafton at San
Jose, that the resources Of vigorous people
are increased by the necessity which brings
them forth; that whenever nation is driven to
The ordeal Of battle, if it fail to stand the test
its glories must end. Let Us see how these por-
tions are supported by history:
England commenced her great contest with
France on the third day of February, 1898
thirteen days after the execution of Louis XVI.
AMI closed II on the 9Th day of July. 1915, when
the victorious armies Of the allies headed by
wellington, entered Paris in triumph. They
were from the field of Waterloo Thus. with
trihing intervals OF peace, Engiand waged war
twenty two years. 1t has assumed the name OF
''the twenty Years war" Every student Of his
tory knows that during this whole period Eng
land kept her foes IF from her own soil and
was all the time growing Fich. There is 10
reason why the same cannot be done 10 our
own country. The year 1898 was the first
year Of the war, ana the revenue raised FIR
that year, by tax aud loan. Was a little over
tweuty-four millions sterling. In 1873 after
she had been at war over nineteen wears, she
raised by direct taxaio forty miiIious more.
and borrowed thirty nine millions that year a
fraction over five per cent. Interest. In The
hrSt year Of the war, they we're one hundred
and twenty millions of dollars. and in The nine
teenih. six hundred and ninety five millions, or
nearly two millions per day. Parliament 70
ted, IN 1879. To the navy eighteen millions
s'ering AID for ordnance extraordinarv, hree
millions eight hundred Thousand pourdS Sc
gave away that Year enormous subsidies tn er
allies To Russia. G3 24l go: 10 Aus, Ia.
81 1876 22n; To PRUSSIA, G2:3e2 923 10 Han
over, E2H6,590; to Spai', Gl41 333 10 Port
ngal. 9l00,000 to Sweden. e52l 06I to
lttiE atftl tle -NP'eFtdiG>. = OLA To tIe
minor powers. 9l "a 600: lur miscellaneous
subsidies eS31 n34 IN all ell GS5 232 The
population of Great Britain cid not exc, ed
eighteen millions und from This W. may >ee
that The people OF he United Sfatts have hard
y yet begun to pat forth their siret 9Th either
in men or money. England, however entered
upon that war under all enormous load of pre-
existing dea'. We commence ours a most free
from debt. England relied for external reve
nue,oulsde OF taxation. epon her commerce aud
her colonial possessions, some cf which were
profitable and others not. We have millions
of acres of public Iaud. vauble aud not yet dis
posed Of. We have undevelopcd mines which
may suTpass riches OF Ophir and !avilah Eng
land had p0pnla'iou Of eighteen millions aud
in the loyal Stiles We have not much less
England emerge d from her long war the richest
nation in The world, and with the exception OF
Russia the most powerful. Most OF the cd
vanrages see had, We also p,srss-a govern
meni more free hau hers edncaton more gen
eraI by far, and he same habits of order and
industry. We have 40 agriculture vastly
greater than hers commercial and manuiaclur
ing Advantages hardly less. If we can keep
the enemy cut OF The free States, w can carry
on war forty years, and be richer at the close
than at the beginning Of ii.