The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-12-13
to the careful consideration of

CAIieH ahu hio'e aHPe SVoulius ior VIC N"sH
Academy. a.ftt
In the report of the Secretary Of War,
general summary is given OF the military cam
paigns of S64 and 1865, ending in the sup.
preston of armed resistance TO the national
authority in the insurgcnt States. The opera:
tiors OF the general administrative Bureaus OF
the War department during the past year are
detailed and an estimate made OF the appro-
priations that will be required fer military pur.
poses in the fiscal year, commencing the 30ll
Of June, 1866 he national military force,
on the lst of May, 1865, numbered ,0o0,5l6
men. 1t is proposed to put the military cs-
Enlistment to eacc footing, comprehending
fifty thousand troops OF all arms, organized so
as to admi. of an enlargement by filing up
the ranks to eighty two thousand SIX hundred
if the circumstances OF the country should re-
quire an augmentation Of the army. Tie vol.
unteer force has already been reduced by Tic
discharge from service Of over eight hundred
thousand troops, and the department is pro.
ceeding rapidly in the work of further rcduc.
tion. The war estimates are reduced from
$5l6, ,240,l3l, to $3s,sl4,46,, which amount,
in the opinion Of the Department, is adequate
for u peace establishm mt. The measures O!
retrenchmcnt in each bureau and branch of the
service, exhibit diIigent economy worthy Of
Communications Reference is also made in the
report to the necessity of providing for a. un-
form militia 5, stem, and to tie .proeriety of
making suitable provision for wonnGeI and
disabled officers and soldiers. . 81
The revenue system Of the country is sub.
Ject OF vial interest to its honor and prospect
ty, and o'.o~.d ce~ev~,s~l .," nansi.iar.
alton OF Congress. The Secretary of the
Treasury will lay before you full and de-
tailed report of the receipts and disbursements
of the last fiscal year, OF the first quarter OF
SAINT rC III hall ri,
and expenditures for the other three quarters,
and the estimates for the year following the
Both OF June, 1866 m ght content myself
with reference to that, in which you will find
all the information required for your delibera-
ton and decision. But the paramount import.
ancc of the subject so presses itself on my own
mind, that cannot but lay before you my
views of the measures which are required for
the good character, and, might almost say,
for the existence OF this people. The life o! IL
Republic lies eita;nly in the energy, virtue.
and intelligence Of its citizens but it is
equally true that good revenue system is the
lie of an organized Government. / meet
you at a time when the nation has voluntarily
burdeped itself with debt unprecedented in
our annals. Vast as is its amount, it fades
away into nothing when csmplr.d with the
countless blessings that will bc conferred upon
our country and upon man, by the preservation
Of the natiou's lite. Now, on the first OCCASION
of the meeting of Congress, since the re,ur,f
of peace, it is Of the utmost Importance to ius
augurste just policy, which shall at once be
put in motion, and which shall commend itself
to those who come after us for its continuance
We must aim at nothing less than the complete
etfaccment of the financial evils that necessa-
rily followed state Of civil war. We must
erdeavor to apply the earliest remedy to tbs
deranged state OF the currency, and not shrink
from devisng policy, which, without being
oppressive to the leople, shall Immediately
begin TO effect reduction OF the debt and, it
persisted in. dis harge it fully within a defin-
ately fixed number of years.
1t is first duty to prepare in earnest for re-
covery from the evcrncreasng evils of rredeema.
bic currency, without IA sudden revolusion and yes
without untmely procrsstination. For that end
must, each in respective Positions prepare the
way. l hold it the duty of III, Executive to insist
upon frusality in the expenditures; and sparing
economy Is itself great national resource Of the
banks to which authority has been given issue notes
secured by bonds OF the United States, must re-
qure the greatest moderation and prudence and the
law must he rigidly enforced when its limits
ceeded We may, each one OF us, counsel our activs
and enterprising countrymen to be thei
guard to quidae debts contracted in paper cuIren
cy and by conducting business nearly possibl,
IL system of cash payments short credits hslt
themselves prepared to return to the standard OF gol
and silver To aid our ieow-citizens in the prudea
management of their monetary affairs, the duty de
money now in circulation. Five years ago the bank
note circulation of the country amounted to not much
more than two hundred millions; the circulation
bank aud national, exceeds seven hundred millions
The simple stat mcnt of the fact recommends more
strongly than any words of mine could do the
sity of our restraining this expansion. The eradua
reduction Of the currency is the only that
the business of the country from. disastrous
calamites; and this can be almost imperct ptiby
accomplished by gradually funding the national circ
lation i'm securities that be made redermabe at
tie pleasure of the Government
Our debt il doubly secIre-frst in the actua l
wealth and still greater un,eveloped resources
of the country ; and next in the character Of
our institutions. The most intelligent obscrv-
ers among political economists have not failed
to remark, that the public debt OF a country is
safe in proportion as its people is free that
the debt of a republic is the safest of all. Our
history confirms and establishes the theory, and
is, firmly believe, destined to g We it a still
more signal illustrations The secret Of this
superiority springs not merely from the fact
that in republic, the national obligations are
distributed more widely through countless
numbers in all classes Of society; it has its root
in the char ,cter Of our laws. Here all men
contribute to the public welfare, and bear their
fair share Of the public burdens During the
war, under the impulses OF patriotism, the
men Of the great body of the people, without
regard to their own comparative want OF
wealth, thronged to our armies and filled our
fleets OF war, AMI held themselves ready to Of.
fer their lives for the public good Now, II,
their turn, the property and income Of the
country should bear their just proportion of the
burden of taxation, while in our impost system,
through means of VIII ch Increased vitality is
| incidentally impaired to all the industi ias
interests OF the nation. the datie5 should be 80
adjusted as to fall most heavily on articles OF
luxury, leaving the necessares of life free from
taxation AS the absolute wants OF the Govern
men,, economic lily administered will justify.
No favored class should demand freedom from
assessment, and the taxes should be SO dis
tributed as not to fall uaduly on the poor, but
rather on the accumulated wealth of the coun.
try. We should look at the national debt just
nc i: is-not as a national blessing, but
heavy burden on the industry OF tho country,
to be discharged without unnecessary delay.
1t is estimated BY the Secretary OF the
Treasury, that the expenditures Cor the fiscal
year, ending the 30th of Juae, 1866, will ex.
ceed the receipts $ll2,l94,947 1t is crafty
lug, however, that it is also estimated that tho
revenue for the year ending the 3Uth OF juno,
1867, will exceed the expenditures in the sum
Of $lll ,6s2,SlS. This am ,unt, or so much ~
NAV be deemed sufficient for the purpose, may
be applied to the reduction OF the public debt,
which, on the 3Iss day of October, 1860, was
$2740,Ss4,750 Every reduction will dlmin.
i,h the total amount Of interest to be paid. and
SO enlarge the means Of still further reduc-
tions, until the whole shall be liquidatcd ; and
this, a. will be seen from the estim ties OF the
Secretary of the Treasury, may be accom-.
p,i>hed by annual payments, even with period
not exceeding thirty years. | have faith We
shall do all this within a reasonable time that
as We have am zed the world BY the suppress
sion of civil war which was thought to be be-
vond the control Of any Government, 50 We
Shall actually show the superiority OF institu.
tisns, by the prompt and faithful discharge OF
our national obligations.
The Department OF Agriculture, under It's
present direction, is accomplishing much in
develo, ing and utalizns the vast agricultural
capabilities of the country, and for imtorma-
lion respecting the details Of its management,
reference is made to the annual repor. OF the
~,