The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-06-27

/ ssOur National Debt BLESSING"
The Philadelphia Ledger has the fol-
lowing sensible article on the recent
pamphlet of Jay Cooke, entitled 1Our
National Debt Blessing" That paper
says;
ave notice that some of our financial
writers have taken the affirmative of the
question, rs National Debt a National
Blessing ?" 1t is not our purpose at
present to enter the list in this discus
sion, because. beinga practical question
it should be treated in practical way.
Besides, as we are likely soon to COM
mand unmistakable evidence on the sub
.ject, we think it wiser to see what taX-
payers think Of the blessing" by the
glee with which they meet their tax
bills to pay the annual interest on the
debt already amounting to one hundred
and twenty-five millions of dollars :; II
the payment of this sum in semi-annual
instalments afford great satisfaction. we
think there is that in reserve, that will
make us the happiest people on cath
for there can be little risk in promising
at least fifty per cent to the blessing"
In less than two years. According to
computation made in the Census Office
of the Department of the Interior, the
national debt is now twenty-siX hundred
millions of dollars, and the proportion
per capita to such white male adult in
the country is 1858 62!. Sectionally the
| debt is divided as follows In the New
| England states there are 809,639 white
| male adults o. er twenty years OF age
and their proportion Of the national debt
is $500, $50 ,35I; IN the Middle states 2
063,696, and their proportion is S740,295,.
| 342; in the Western states ,490,527, and
their proportion is 1898 288,7Sli in the
Southern States |, 2a7 $50, and their pro
portion is S45l ,929,846; IN the Pacific
states 265 ,56l, and their proportion IS
S95, 995,671, making IN all6,91o, lU6 white
male adults IN The United States, owing
a debt of $4,000, 100000 Ii will be seen
from this statement that the wal hae cost
the South not only its whole repudlAted
debt Of thousands Of millions, and all
! the devastation Of property which the
contest has produced. but also the sum "t
| Si6l 500 Is, that being its proportion %!
! the debt incurred iD putting down thoI'-
! bsllou 4 wonderful blessing has thu
South, hut the stupid part ofthe business
| IS that, hgnctjctoTs rs We OI the North
are IN comforting il upon tbCm, they
won't aGe It. In addition TO the abov"
national liability, we see It stated that
| the annual pensions paid by the United
States amount tc $4,000 600, OF per capl-
| Ia 70 each white male adult over twenty
years oi age, u yearly sum et 81 SOL This
expense is divided among the different
| sections Of the country In this proper
! ton. namely The New EuLland States,
| II 6r,HOl che Middle e3.$i9,O&1 the
| Southern, S2,io1,Ull the Pacific c9ic
COZ The South, a. VIII be seen by this
statement. viii be yearly taxed ''.aGly
two millions and a hall lol tbr support
of the Union soldiers ii has wounded. o.
the families Of those killed, while the
soldiers wounded III iuficting these
wounds can necessarily have no .gnaions
This statement indicates how much
grearcr u the debt Of gratitude of the
South foI the blessing" conferred How
ever ably this side of the question may
be argued, and the question is not new
one, nor without advocates abroad IS
we'll as al home there Will he found q
stubborn old-fashloned prejudice enter
tanned By the people Of the United
States, that a debt Of any kind, personal,
state o. national. is an, annoyance rather
than blessing our people have al
ways had the notion that individual in
Gehtcdncss Is q anrt ot SYNONYM for mis-
cry. and il will he difficult 10 Vince
them that ~ aggregation OF individual
misery constitutes II blessing The prop
0sition, stated IN The came connection,
that the debt rs il exists IN cUr popular