Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-02-11
Our Finances.
Prom the New York Tribune.


We do not, as ia known, agree with those
because or in spite of the gigantic war
wherein it is involved. Oh the contrary,
we think its wealth and productive capac.
ity are rather diminished thereby, notwith-
standing its peerless industrial energies
and it's immense natural resources. Indi-
Vidusls are amaseiug riches; but the coun
try-snd 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 nobIy
incurred and nobly endured, is not without
it's mitigstions and compensations; but it
is essentially an evil, aad only justifiably
incurred to obviate still greater evils
Nor are We of those who believe in prose-
cutting this or any war to the achievement
of political or social millennium. We
have grave doubts of the feasibility of
fighting this mulish world into a condition
of millenial purity and happiness; we ap.
prehend that there will be wrongs to
redress, grievances to consider, woes
to mitigate, 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 beeh
uon-resistauts and unconditional peace
men, have recently come to regard war Is
the Indispensable condition of human pro-
gress, if not of mundane felicity, and
whose latest ideal of "The True Grandeur
of Nations" seems to involve boundless
and interminable carnage. a nation in.
volved 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
wasteful and exhaustiug, has been render.
ed trebly 80 by modern invention and
science. The cost of a modern battle
would have supported an ancient cam.
paign. We move an army a thousand
miles in a week; but the cost is fully equal
to that of a like movement in times when
two months would hardly have suficed to
effect it. The feet wherewith we recently
attacked Fort Fisher would have
bought all the navies that Greece
and Rome eve heard of and would
have torn them all into fragments
in the course of a Summer afternoon.
The necessary cost of such a war as we
are now waging is absolutely stupendous.
Rascality, too, is, like war, progressive
science. The cormorants who prey on a
modern government involved in such a
struggle as ours would have bankrupted
the treasury of Xerxes long before he
could have led his grand army across the
HeIlespont. Ships of war, transports,
guns, tents, equipments, munitions, pro.
Visions-a world of materials and appli-
ances-must be provided before a cam.
paigu can really begin; and an irregular
army Of keen, alert, interruptions men are
always on hand to take advantage of apv
need of the goVernment-Any lack of ca
pacity or lack of integrity on the pars of
its purchasing or inspecting officers. There
are honest aud faithful men among the
contractors and purveyors; yet the aggre-
gate of the flchings and holder rob6eries
of the Treasury during this war, by the
infinite devices of " Shoddy," would have
betrayed the entire cost of the war of the