New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-08

destructive, so revolving that It should be
waged with all tho enorgioe oil tho resources
of people while the necessity shall exist for
waging it at all. All suggestions Of moderate
measured, graduated hostilitiOs, Intended to
wear out or tire out the enemy rather than TO
overwhelm and crush him. arc 10 our view alike
mistaken in policy and porvaded by cold.
blooded inhumanity. Their spirit is that Of
the tortufcr or secret pOisOMer rather than that
Of chivalrous and manly warfare.
| A nation involved IL war. as NO ere, should
husband IFS resources with jealous vigilance,
aware that It's greatest daDgor " that Of Finen.
cial collapse and break down. War, always
wasteful and eyhaustng, has been rendered
trebly so by modern invention and science.
The cost of modern battle would have sup.
ported an ancient campaign. We move an
army thousand miles in week; but the cost
| is fully equal to that OF Ike movement in
| times when two months would hardly have
suffced TO effect it. The feet wherewth wo
recently attacked Fort Fisher would have bought
all the navies that Greece and Rome over heard
of. and would have torn thou al! into fragments
| in the course OF Summer afternoon. The
necessary cost Of suoh war Gs we arc now
wagng is absolutely stupendOus.
RaScality too, is, like War, aprogrcssye SCI
once. The corlnorauts who prey on modern
Government involved in such q struggle as ours
would have bankrupted the treasury Of Xerxes
long before he could have led his grand army
across the Hellespont. Ships Of var. transports,
guns. tents, equipments, munitions, provisions
"a world Of materials and appliance be
provided before campaign can really begin;
and an irregular array If keen, alert. unscrupu.
lous men are always on hand 10 take advantage
Of any need Of the Governmont-ony lack Of ca
pacity or lack Of integrity on the part Of lis pnr-
chasing or inspecting officers. 1hcreare honest
and faithful men among contractor and pur-
veyors; yet the aggregate Of tho feelings and
holder ro5beres Of the Treasury during this
War. by the infinite devices OF "Sboddy,"
would probably have betrayed tho entire cost Of
the War Of The Revolution. Aud some OF the
most rapaoous plunderc-s arr among the nosies,
yaunters of their own loyalty and patriotism.
These are only I'D faces under new masks
From the days Of Judas Iscariot down TO those
of Arthur Gorgey and since, every good cause
has been cursed with bad upholders Those are
accepted end endured az necessary evils. But
The thoughtless. shcrt-sghted greed Of those not
decidedly bad and rascaly. who press their
schemes Of personal or local advantage in times
ltir. Of lsir h.a- ~ m fha
National ability 20 maintain and protract it,
great struggle, is scarcely less deplorable while
far more amazing. When our Governments
inevitable outcoss are nearly Three Millions per
day, our Debt gigantic, and our ability TO borrow
even ut ruinous rates barely not exhausted or
at least outrun, men who arr not consciously
traitors persist in their petty schemes Of selfish
agn0ndizeilen, at the public cost Us though We
were cmboworcd in prosperity and safety, With
| Hail Columbia adopted 81 the music Of the
spheres, and every earthly potontate insisting
that ne will bo soothod to rest with no other
melody than Yankee Doodle.
IL this madness OF treasOn7 or simply want
Of sense
We scarcely meet man who does no. tell us
that he never doubted the ultimate triumph of
the Union, over hs tratorous assailante
We suppose all mean what they say
but bow is il, then. that Gold il
at a prcmiim Of more than two for one
in other words, that tho Obligations Of Our
Government are selling for less than fifty cents
on the dollar' This day. every hundred dollars
in Gold viii buy more than two hundred dollars
in United States bonds, payable principal and
interest in Gold; ard Europeans arc largely in.
obtain them 70 cheaply if our people really felt
the confidence which they all profess1 Why
should any loyal American lend money
on bond aud mortgage at lower
rate Of interest than bis Government urges him
10 accept, ana tlus hasten the payment, already
too long delayed, q the heroes who 80 lately
,raverscd Georgia, or hunted Hood out Of Ten
nessee, or planted our flag on tho ramparts Of
FOrt Fisherl How can loyal men put their
money into mines, or wells, or ventures Of any
kind instead Of lendingt to their country in this
her sorest need And what shall we think Of
the patriotism OF those who. claiming TO De
loyal, sre buying Gold BY wholesale on specula
ton, and thus betting down the credit and dry
ing up the resources Of The Unicn' Might they
not as justifiably, and far more manfully,
shoulder their muskets and stand guard on the
ramparts OF Richmond, or march in the ranks OF
Beauregard and Lee