Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1864-11-01
THE COST OF A REBEL PEACE
PLAIN WcgDs 10 WogkisGHEy.

The war is costly; there is no doubs Of
that. Taxes are heavy, and prices high.
Aud some are crying "Let IS stop the
war; Let Us have an armistiee, and get
cheap bread"
ba, think Row long We have had the
beet Government in the world, without
being taxed for it at all and, now that
the Rebels are trying to break down the
Government, and to steal from US nearly
half our territory, We ought to pay wha,
it costs to hold our own.
1t isn't the Government that causes all
this cost Of war; it is the enemies o! the
Government who compel US to pay SO
dearly FOR its defence. The aristocrats o!
the South, who look down upon working.
men with contempt, who mako their own
lsborer. slaves, and call the free laborers
Of the North, "mudsills," are trying to
break down our Government--the work.
ingmen's Government-so that they can
rule in their own way. 7hot's rhafs The
matter; and that is Why We must fight,
and pay the cost Of keeping our Freedom,
our Union, our Constitution, and our
Country. 1t is worth fighting for, aud
worth paying for; and all the more be-
cause We have SO long had it free.
Besides, the Government spares the
workiDgmsn, as much as possible, in its
taxes. 1t doesn't tax the farmer on his
land. 1t leaves the laboriDg man six hun.
dred dollars a year, and his rent, and his
tools, free from tax. The Government
looks out as well as it can for the work.
ingman, while it is bearing such heavy
burdens to defend the nation, which is the
vorkiDeman's home.
1t isn't fair TO charge all the high pri-
ces to the Government and the war;
There have been hard times and Ligh
prices, before now, when there was no
war. Then, work was scarce, and wages
were low, and many o workingmau was
brought to poverty. But now, in spite of
war aud taxes, work is plenty, and wages
ore high SO that high prices do not pro-
duce the hard times of 1857. The farmer
can make bushcl of wheat, or a load of
hay, 60 as far as ever in supplying his
family; and a days work is worth ss
much, and more in proportion, as the
necessaries Of life lave advanced.
Much Of the advance in prices is due to
Q class Of spectators in gold who are
working against the Government fer their
own gains. The Government; should not
be blamed for the work Of its enemies
aud the surest way to bring down prices
is to sustain the Government in crushing
The Rebellion. Reinforce Grant and
Sherman, and their victories will soon
bring down the price Of gold and the
price of bread.
"But would it not lessen taxes and low
er prices if We would have an armistice,
and make peace with the Rebels upon
terms that they would agree to Z" Let
Us see. An armis,ice would not stop any
Of the expenses Of the war on our side,
nor help the cause of the Union in any
way. In an armistice We would simply
agree to stop fighting for certain time,
until we could see whether we could come
to q settlement, or must 60 to Sighting
again. But, unless We mean TO give up
everything in advance, to "oRn beat"
and let. the Rebels have their own way,
we must still keep our armies in the field |
ready to fight again if We could not come ,
to terms. And it would cos, jast as much
to keep our armies standing idle, as it
would to keep them at work, winning new
victories for our cause.
Would any man be willing to recall
Sherman from Atlanta, Grant from Pc
tersburg and Farragut from Mobile, to
give up Tennessee, and New Orleans, and
the Mississippi river again to the Rebels,
10 order to tall to them about terms of
peace? No; if We have an armistice,
We must still hold all these places and pay
FIR holding them-pay our Army and
Navy for doing nothing. But We must
raise the blockade; and the Rebels would
send their cotton to England, and their
tobacco to France, snd would buy feet
Of iron clads to defend their ports and to
prcy upon our commerce, if they chose to
renew the war-as they surely would,
unless we agree to give them half Of the
Union as their own. Then, too, Euglapd
aud France would interfere, if we should
once attempt to renew the blockade after
once raising it. Would it relieve taxes
and reduce prices, to have to pay all the
cost Of an idle army. and afterward to
have to fight the SOa,b, reinforced with
money, ships, arms, aud men, and with
England and France Oh her side =? Would
it rot be cheaper far to 60 tbrOusb b with
our fighting once for all
Bu, suppose a peace. Very we'll; We