Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-05-05

. - N-AN'Aa w viz NtNb Y
arithmetic
What is our present condition Whe,
this war commenced we had but smal
number OF warvessels less than one hun
dred all told Since that time we hay,
built or purchased ships, steamers, iro,
clads, monitors and gunboats, so that
now we have one of the finest nayies ir
the world, or in round numbers over six
hundred vessels. We have made O,
bought rified cannon and cannon OF i'm.
mense calibre with other field equipage
so that our ordnance and ordnance stores
are now absolutely immense. We have
inade or bought rifles and muskets, wag-
ons and horses almost without number.
Our armies are the largest and finest we
have ever brought into the field. surpas-
sing any ever known under the great
est war captains of the world. They
are IN position. Our officers, weeded OF
the incompetent and those who have no
stomach for the fight, possess the con-
hdehce OF the soldiers and of the coun-
Try All this has been achieved at great
lapor ana great cost, but il is all paid
for. All the eneinery of war is ready,
ana the first outlay has not to be re-
! peated. We have but to supply the
means to keep it in motion and to make
| good the wear and tear of its mighty op-
eratlons. With ONLY ordinary prudence
ON the part OF commanders. the very
weight ofour columns must drive the reb-
el armies rearward, and with the dash of
lfse general who never falls TO march
~1 their works." we are not too san
tguine in expecting more important and
crushing results than any hitherto
vouchsafed to our arms.
But let us set our house in order finan-
cially, and we can withstand even heavy
disasters in the field. do not look for
them, but would take bond of fate.
With sound credit and with military
success we shall be indeed
"0'er all the ills of life victorious
Let us show to our enemies and the
world that we are stripping for the fight,
and that "faip' is not an American word.
But to carry on this struggle to a tri-
umphant termination, to sustain our f.
nances, (the only spot assailable on the
United States map,) there are duties to
be performed by Congress. The utmost
economy in all departments of the gov
ernment mus1be rigidly'insisted upon or
we perish. Congress holds the purse
strings of the nation, and if appropria-
tions shall be made lavishly, or for any
but immediate and most pressing neces-
sites, it will be held to fearful respon-
sibility, We must not call extravaganza
generosity, and economy meanness. We
have no treasure to squander If there
be any jobs or buncombe measures sup
posed to be necessary to be carried thro'
in order to secure reflections, the coun-
try can better dispense with the services
of the sponsors of such measures. | trust
there are none such, and that there is no
member on this floor who has not the
courage to sacrifice himself rather than
the greatest good of his country. To
force the treasury to issue legal tender
notes in any way beyond the present
limits-though the wages of labor,
though the pay of salaried men and of
the soldier should be increased-would
result in disappointment and DISASTER
When the business of the country re-
quires only S400, 900 of currency, an
increase of the volnme to 5000 100000
will buy no more property than the
S400, 100000 while it unsettles the values
of many times that amount of property
by increasing the price fifty per cent
Let us have taxes, let US have loans; |
something at all events, which will re- |
duce the amount of legal tenders now
outstanding, and increase the value of
the pay of the soldier
1t is to be hoped that the internal rev.
enue bill and some inc .ease of the tariff |
will enable the Secretary Of the Treasu-
ry to obtain from loans all the funds |
which may be required for future wants
and also to retire some share of our re-
dundant legal tender issues.
There is one topic, sometimes discus
sed in tone of discouragement, of suf-
ficient Importance to justify word or
two of comment for the satisfaction of
those who are not unwilling to accept
of truth come from where it may.
The large number of freedmen to
whom the rebellion of their masters has
opened new world, with new tasks and |
new duties, has been sometimes prophet
ically announced as likely to add to the I
burdens of our loyal people who patriot |
ically sustain the Government in the day !
which tries the pocket-that modern |
seat of the soul-by paying cheerfully |
all taxes demanded, and then lavishing
untold thousands into all the blessed
channels of charity; pouring oil and
wine into the wounds of the soldier in
the field, and not forgetting the widow |
and the fatherless left at home but / |
think the facts already developed show |
that freedmen are contributing and will |
contribute much more to the national |
wealth than their friends have hitherto |
claimed. Already they are largely in
creasing the amount of their produc- |
tions beyond the amount to which they
seem limited while in a state of unpaid |
and forced labor. | am looking at the |
subject merely in an economical light, |
and not for the purpose of sustaining
theory. These men have been true when |
Others have been false. They fight for
us, they work for us. and even If it |
were true that something was required |
for their support for a time, they have
confided in our good faith, and our hon.
or is pledged to give them shelter and
protection. By the report already pub
lished it appears they not only produce
much that is subjected to national taxa |