Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-08-25
Prom the PhIladslphiA American.
A Rnd Lack OF Pnfriofiam.


their arithmetical faculties in efforts to
magnify the national debt, and indulge
their lugubrious faneies in estimating it's
probable expansion2 1t had been more to
hepurpose had they tried to prevent the
war which now taxes Us SO heavily, or la
bored to terminate it at the earliest moment.
They did neither. When traitors mutter-
ed of rebellion ear northern pro-slavery
men encouraged an outbreak by promising
assistance and corporation. Over and
over again, at public meetings and through
all their journalism, did they give this
fatal counsel. The Judgment of posterity
must hold them guilty of participation in
the original crime, since they were evil
IDENTIFY accessories before the facs.
These incitors to revolt having thus
brought on the rebellion, are logically pre-
cluded from complaining Of its cost. Were
the whole burden oftaxation to be imposed
on these men, scarcely would their com.
plicity in the gredt villainy be adequately
punished.
AS they sinned thus in the firstinstance,
they have continued. their uupatriotic con-
duct through every stage of the War-dis-
couraging enlistments in the army, stir
ring up resistance to the drafts thereby
necessitated, and decrYing the nations
ability to repay its loans. VallandighRm
proclaims in his speech at Syracuse that
our currency is worth but thirty-eight cents
on the dollar, and predicts that the south
ern rebellion must necessarily triumph.
When we were contending against Brit
ain in 1914, our government was glad to
get loans at seventy five cents on the dol
lar, payable in paper temporarily redeem
able as now. The present administra-
ton negotiates loans at one hundred and
ten cents on the dollar; and the dollar of
the present day will buy just as much now
of every commodity as it did then. We
then ran up public debt ofone hundred
and thirty millions of dollars, and there
were ravens then as sombre colored as those
who now croak ruin, to prophecy that the
debt never would be liaHidated. Yet 1t
was paid in full principal and interest, to
the confusion OF the eroakers and the profit
OF those who had confidence in the nation.
So will it be again. The indebtedness of
this great war, present and prospective,
exceeds not the ability of our people to re-
pay II and will impose but moderate pri-
walton In the process. We have country
Astounding in natural wealth, and popu-
lation eminently capable in its developer
ment. Steam and its manifold applica-
tions on land and water is ready to lend
its aid in the augmentation of every pro.
duction, and n any mechanical aids OF
modern continuance contribute still further
to multiply that power. We shall hence
forth manufacture for ourselves, and thus
avoid that drain of the precious metals, so
hurtful to commercial stability and 80 in
imical to our steady progression. Immi-
grafton will aid US much, and we shall re-
pair our waste of population in this bloody
contest in q far shorter period than ever
did any nation before, II France recupe-
rated from the Nspoleonic wars in a man
her that astonished the nations, is it not
nearly certain that we shall also spring to
new lifo and a glorious career.
The copperhead might have aided US
much in terminating this war at an early
period, had he been patriotic and loyal
He might have somewhat atoned for his
original guilt if he had accepted the offer
of the Republicans for fusion of both
parties in noble effort to suppress the re-
belIion. But the Democratic leaders made
no such atonement. By word and act they
aided the rebellion which their arts had
fomeuted. Some of them Joined the insur-
gents in the field, but most remained among
US, embarrassing and clogging the Admin
istration in every measure calculated to
weaken the rebellion. Had they chosen
the better part, and aided their country in
her hour of peril, who can believe that this
war could have lasted so long? 1t was in
their power to increase the popular enthu-
siasm in favor of liberty and union they
chose, instead, to deadeu and repress it,
poisoning the minds of the masses by false
insinustious, and preventing that full and
early display of military strength which
long ere this might have crushed the trail.
tors. Who can tell how many gallant Irish
men were thus secretly dissuaded from join
ing their countrymen on the battle fields of
Virginia, aud securing preponderauce to
the Union armyf
We do not deny that many Democrats
came ,nobly to the rescne, and aided ma
terially in the progress we have made. But
we wanted more from those stalwart multi
tudes, and would have got them were it not
for the disaffection of their political lead
ers. These are the guilty men who began
and have protracted the evils of which they
now complain. The war, grievous as it is
in many aspects, has some redeeming fea-
lures which we have elsewhere pointed out.
But were the concomitants all evil, and
their sum in treasure or suffering far be-
yond the actual totality, still would it be
Justly chArgeable to the very clRmorers
who now Rsssil us with their loud COM
plants. They melted the war in the first
instance, and are responsible, equally with
the rebels themselves, for all its conse-
quences. They forbore to change their
course when the calamity burst upon us,
and added to their previous criminality by
a logged persistence in political misdoing.
Even now they would pander to the rebels,
and put them again in the seats of power
to rule and ruin the country. Will the
people ever again entrust with the reins
of government politicians SO unpatriotic
and dangerous2