The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-02-18
The Finances.

We DO not, as is known, agree with those
who hold that our country is growing rich
because or in spite of The gigantic War
wherein il is involved. On the contrary,
we think its wealth and productive capac-
ity are rather diminished thereby, not
withdrawing it's peerless industrial ener-
gies and it's immense natural resources
individuals are amassing riches; but the
country-and even the loyal States-are in
process Of gradual impoverishment.
Nor do we account a vast National Debt
nor any Debt at ala National blessing.
Such Debt, like any other burden nobly
incurred and nobiy endured, is not with
out its mitigations and compensatione; but
j. is essentially an evil, and Only justifia-
bly, incurred to obviate still greater evils.
Nor are we Of those who believe in pros
ecuting this or any war to tie achievement
Of political or social millennium. We
have grave doubts of the feasibility of
fighting this mulish world into condition
of millenial purity and happiness; we APP
prehend that there will be wrongs to re-
dress, grievances to consider, woes to nit
igate, and sins to deplore, long after our
present struggle shall have terminated.
OF course, we sometimes differ with old
friends who, having all their lives been
non-resistan:s and unconditional peace
men, have recently come to regard War as
the Indispensable condition of human pro-
gress il no; of mundane felicity, and whose
latest ideal Of 1.-THE True Grandeur Of Ma
TONS seems to involve boundleyb and in.
terminable carnage
But, being forced into war, constrained
to fight for its existence or its essential
rights, we hold that nation should make
| war its business SO long as it shall be re-
CURED TO make war at all. It should have
bat one purpose, one impulse, one thought.
| War is SO unnatural, SO destructive, so re-
voting, that it should be waged with all
the energies, all the resources of q people
while the necessity shall exist for waging
it at all. All suggestions of moderate,
measured, graduated hostlli:ics, intended
to wear out or tire ont the enemy rather
| than to overwhelm and crush him, are to
our view alike mistaken in policy and per-
! vaded by cold blooded inhumanity.-
Their spiri. is that OF the torturer or secret
| poisoner rather than that of chivalrous
and manly warfare.
| A nation involved in war. as we are,
should husband its resources with jealous
vigilance, aware that it's greatest danger is
that of Financial collapse and break -down.
War, always wastefu! and exhausting, has
been rendered trebly so by modern inven.
ticn and science. The cost Of modern
Battle-Ground have supported an ancient
campaign. We move an army q thousand
miles week; but the cost is fully equal
to that of a like movement in times when
/ TWO IUOUt00 WOulO U6IOly lave SUAuC6O
| to effect it. The fleet wherewith We recent.
" attacked F.. Fisher would have bought
| all the navies that Greece and Rome ever
heard Of, and would have torn them all into
fragments in tie course OF a Summer after.
noon. The necessary cost OF such a wal
as we are now waging is absolutely stu'
| pendous.
Ruscali.y, 100, is, like War, progress
! i've science. The cormorants who prey or
\ {vO..a~Nnnnf n
struggle as ours would have bankrup,ed
the treasury Of Ierxes long before he could
have led his grand army across the Helles
pont. Ships OF war, transports, guns, tents
equipments, munitions, provisions-a vas
amount Of materials and appliances-mus'
be provided before campaign can really
begin; and an Irregular array fkeen, alert
Inscriptions men are always on hand Il
take advantage Of any need of the Govern.
nent-any lack OF capacity or lack of in
tegrity on the par. Of its purchasing or in
speeding officers. There are honest ant
4 faithful men among contractors and pur
veycrs; yet the aggregate Of the 6lching!
and boller ROBBIE ries OF the Treasury dur
ing this War, By the Infinite devices o
'Shoddy,' woult probably have defrayet
the entire cost Of the War Of the Revolu
ton. And some OF the most rapaciou
plunderers are among the noisiest vaunter
of their own loyalty and patriotism.
}, These are Only old faces under nev
masks. From the days of Judas 1scario
down to those of Arthur Gorgey ana since
every good cause has been cursed with bat
upholders. These are accepted and encure'
as necessary evils. But the thoughtless
short-ninded greed Of those not decided,
bad and rascally, who press their scheme
of persona, or local advantages in time
like these, regardless of their bearing o.
the National ability to maintain and pro
, tract its great struggle, is scarcely less de
plorable, while far more amazing. Whe
our Governments inevitable outgoes ar
nearly Three Millions per day, our dee
gigantic, and our ability to borrow, even q
I ruinous rates, barely not exhausted or 9
> least outrun, men who are not oonsciousl
traitors persist in their petty schemes {
selfish Acknowledgement at the public COZ
as though we were EMPOWERED in prosper
ylity and safety, with Hail Columbia
adopted as the music Of the spheres, an
> every earthly potentate insisting that b
will be soothed TO rest with no other melc
dy than yankee Doodle"
Is this madness or treason? or simpl
want Of sense?
> We scarcely meet q man who does nj
: tell us that he never doubted the ultima1
|! triumph of the Union over its traitorous 81
! sailants. We suppose all mean what the
3 say; but how is it, then, that Gold 10 ut
premium OF more than two for one
Q other words, that the obligations of OF
: Government are selling for less than fit
9 cents ON the dollar? This day every hui
r dred dollars in Gold viii buy more thu
OI<-n h,,uAvnA ln11arn IN Tinted Sfatl