New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-18
THE NATIONS AGONY.


that I. &c will insist on fighting one moro great
battle in the hope of surprising and overwhelm-
inc Grant or arresting the majestic progress OF
Sherman. but We do not believe it, Unless our
more ierocious philanthropiSts--ol the female
persua,ion especially-Shall succeed in per-
suading the Southern people that our triumph
involves their humiliation, We have high hopes
that what remain of the Rebel forces will crum-
bic and melt away before the majestic advance
of the Union armies Ike snow before
the brcezes OF Spring. All our advlccS
concur in representing the Southern masses aS
thoroughly sich of the Rebellion and ANXIOUS
for a peace that shall reconcile them 10 their
country, not tramplc them under the bloody
feet Of her legions. In fact the rawlings OF Inc
Richmond press concerning "dcSpondoncy'
"croakcrs," &c. &c, and THEN publication Of
assurances that The army does not deSpalr-that
ten. Lee considers their case by no means
hopeless, &C., &c.-what could cvince desper-
alton if all these do not Unless prevented by
some extraordinary and most improbable dis
aster We confidently look for II complete and
auSpiciou. pacification Of Our country AT very
early day.
But that will be by no means the end Of our
trials, though it ought to mark the utmost limit
of our public burdens. When the War ends
orr Public Debt should have reached its maxi
mum, and its reduction should, within a few
weeks thereafter, have begun. We are now
paving into the National Treasury about -Four
Hundred Millions per aunum-more than One
Million Dollars per day; and We would reduce
no tax till after the reduction of the principal
of our Debt shall have fairly begun. Give ns
Peace, Industry and Frugality. and we may
very soon be paying off the principal OF that
Debt at the rate of at least One Hundred Nil
lions per annum.
The indispensable condition Of our Financial
solyency is National Economy; and that is yet
to be secured. Our Congress. but especially
the House of Representatives. seems incapable
ofeven comprehcnding our Financial condition.
in fact, how could it be expected to do 80 when
It's leader imagines that irrcdecDable Paper may
be made equal in value 20 Gold by the easy
process of enacting that il shall be- and remain
sol Do we not hear from various respectable
quarters suggestions that our Currency shall be
suffered to remain irredeemablc for an indefinite
period after Peace Are We not told that the
country will not be ready for resumption for
yearsl and how does this differ from the
assumption that Slavery mus, be indefinitely
continued because the Blacks are unfit for
Freedom' or that counterfeit money must be
allowed to circulate because the volume OF
genuine Currency is insufficient
We hold it the interest Of every one who
lives by honest industry or by the honest en-
ployment of capital that We shall return TO q
currency at par with specie at the earliest pos
sible moment and that this moment will arrive
within sixty or at most ninety days after the
Government shall be able to desst from further
borrowing. But to render such presumption
practicable il is essential that We have Peace
and National Frugality. e.
That Peace cannot be far distant; but where
is the Frugalty7 What single expenditure
does Congress propose TO retrench' In what
department is the tendency to increased outlay
successfully resisted Only think of the propo-
sition to pay the builders of Iron-Clads twenty
per cent extra being seriously entertained by
Congress at such a crisis as this Think Of the
Patent Extension jobs, involvingth abstraction
of Millions on Millions from the sweat
and toll of the many TO swell The
- s L.. hat u..uf lsfu
pioted through the House! Think Of voting
S25, 600 at such time to painter OF very
moderate pretensiOns--at least, Of very moder-
ate achievemcnt--for picture TO ornament the
Capitol, Think OF the Millions layished on
that Capitol throughout the years when the
National existence was at stake, and when the
soldiers who stood between the Republic and
her ruin We're vainly asking for The money they
had so nobly earned, and for which their wives
and children were furnishing Truly, the pa
tience of the masses is cyplicablc only by their
profound unacquaintance with what is most
vital in the conduct of their public affairs.
The new Internal Tax bill now before Con
cress proposes to exempt Members OF either
House from the payment of Income Tax on their
81, 900 per amum and Mileage from the Treas
ury. We trust the advocates Of common de-
| cency in the House will take care that we have
the YcGs and Nays on this when the bill comes
out of Committee. We would rather give 500
| than not have them. Do let us see who vote
| that clerk who earns $1,000 per annum shall
pay 800 of into the Treasury, but tbat he who
lays the taxes shall not pay cent on his ~, 600.