Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-01-05
Total which, under s,o circum.
Leaving for Emal! au,l usa icI
pi,ryr,.ntc Dnlu

empiovmen,s only j,@%2:22
1t will be seen thai, wSh tie exception u
the 3,S1l militia ctfccrs. Eho have no COL
diers, and consequently 70 utterly ust':ess
and the ,9i5 details (thc reaa ors of t!a'2 1e-
tell not being given, it is ir possible 70 say
whether they could be d:vpena ed with )-h1at
the above eIempts are OF mere service 20 :hc
cause and the country o'is OF tho ranks ti:"n
they could be in, brcGu &c, .hough they nun,
Der in the aggregate G0O0U yet wlthou:
them :he army itself and tIe conr,ry could
not He supported.
The 1850 eSsmrxs LIZ Substitution, having
been put in sac a:oy. reduces the .eunl-
ber Of exempu to 5l,.,5,!-an average tax Of,
say $3.50 eect. would amount to Si2 9a8, 500;
and for all the State,. to twenty-five, or ihilsY
millions of dollars Annually. whici, ann,Nt
tax belongs to :he Sc liiers that fight and pre-
tect the exempts that pay the tax. The gov
crnment could well afford 70 ay interest
upon this ;.:ncurt raised by this iai on c&-
empts and at thirty millions i: would amcurt
10 81, 800, 600 for distribution among w'ounded
soldiers CT the indigcnt families o. those
killed, OF wh;. have tie! in the service
.As The Congress may 50 iac.sae" rhe' army
as 70 make it exhaustive Of the din:ni saca
resources, and thus burden instead q! q
blessing to the country, SO it may re'i,H2t tie
currency so low that it will not answes The
purposS OF trade, or by laws so harsh ard
severe, destroy popular confidence IN The
pledge of public faith. and the remedy ja
worse than tho disease. The currency may
reqHire reduction, but tie preservation OF PuS .
lie faith, intact and unI%iured, is Of more vitar
importance than the voEcmc of thc currency
Inequality Of public burdens 10 a'o1e IN
jury than their weight the people will suS-
tain the imposition of equal and jnst measures
of financial relief, however great they may be-
much more satisfactorily than lighter burdens
unequally distributed: An n& rairrcm tax
Of even twenty-five per cent. W nla not so ln-
peril public faith al tho suepici IN Of rerudis-
alton, involved in Fictitious machinery Tor
funding provided by some iina !cial schemes
It seems to be accepted ey rywheTe as an
iucontrovertiblc poss,:iasc thay redundancy of
currency, and increase OF rrit rs bear the re-
lation to each other Of canse und effect. We
greatly fear that Congress, :: citing uron such
principle, may fad that it. has legslated
to ircrease rather than dit ,,nisli the evil
Prices nre compounded Of many clements,
aud currency is among The cast Of those ele-
ments. Production first c,I transportation
next, each exert Ear greater Influence than cur
rency. Any measures Of elief that stop wit!
reducing the currency W & fail of benetitins
the country Measures b. diminish the cos
Of produc1ton, and ihcr uase the efficiency q
transportation. coupled rit3l legislation which
shall preserve intact Bio puhli: faith. ar'
needed fer successful III ld permarcpt relief.
The States, bY este histirg State manu-
factories oitS laT'erma: aers stores, can accomp
lish that which prlvG ente-prise viii not IN
dcrtakc, in the preSei Ii unsettled condition {
public affairs IfQG artermaser' : s.oycs, sue
rs clothes, blankc,s.. shoes. &C.. werc manu-
factured by the Sta es and furnished st COS
prices to the Confed .erats Govern ament. one in
meuss element of high prices wonle he re
moved, in tho pre- Il. required by ndirldu;
enterprise IF 81 Rtes and r,.iiroId cfNapenis
would, by. camh; ned acsion. either imrort
manufacture th roilroad Iron and engine
now 50 mvch nts lded, TAnsp astatirn you'd
in ,reased apl il approved so { much thet price