Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-03-01

Let It be decided by the country to which |
we are responsible, and to which high e1-
ecutive officers ought to acknowledge their
Whatever else ensues, may
our country be saved.
Bv order of the delegation, /
THOMAS S. -BOCOCK,
Chairman.
February II, 1865. -
THE FOUR HUNDRED MILLIONS
DEFICIENCY. - !
The astounding intelligence which reach
ed US sometime ago OF the above detlclen-
cy, struck us dumb with amazement, and
we may add, terror. We could not, we
would not, believe that so gigantic fraud
as this could possibly have been permitted,
without the knowledge and criminal collu-
sion of men high in the confidence Of the
government. We had thought at first that
there might have been some Topographic
cal error, and RETAINED from making any
special remarks; but alas, the tale we find
is but too true, lamentably true, to saddle
iton the poor printer. There is no deny
ing the fact, and the people of the Com
federate States may as well prepare them
selves to meet it with the best fortitude
they can command. -Four hundred mil
lious Of their money is gone, and nobody
knows where.
The atrocity and bare-faced rascality of
this swindle is still more CALLING and thou
sand fold more aggravating to our people
when they are made to feel, that the crime
has been committed in such a way, and
by parties which it would be unsafe to
bring to justice. Such is the terror in
spired by the perpetrators Of this Infamous
business, that our representatives, in Con-
gress are, afraid to entertain "6sW to pun
ISL. frauds against the government" Such
bill as this was introduced the other day
in Congress, but was peremptorily reject
ed. What does sthis meant What will
the people think OF this action of their rep
resentatives coming almost in juxtaposi-
ton with the overwhelming intelligence
that their treasury has been defrauded OF
four hundred millions of dollars :. It is
prominent trait in mans fallen nature to
suspect the honesty of transactions which
take from him his property, without pa
per consideration, and certainly suspecn
the purity of the Judge who refuses to per-
NIT either explanation or redress in the
premises. This is the precise situation of
our people at this time. They are told in
genteel, finiken terms that there is def
cheney in the treasury, when it is meant
that stupendous fraud has been commit
ted upon them, which it will take the last
chicken in the Confederacy to make good,
and Congl ess very complacently informs
them by the rejection Of this bill, that there
is no remedy. 1t is to be hoped, for the
honor of. human nature, and Confederate
human nature particularly, that the men,
bers Of the present Congress are not free
agents. That either their senses have
taken their departure with the four hun
dred millions of dollars, or that they are
about to adjourn to Castle Thunder to leg
iseate under bars, bayonets, and sentinels.
A petty thief is pretty generally known
by the nature and character of his depre-
dations. He will steal your pocket hand
kerchief, Or some such small article, use-
full to the person, but relatively of small
value. We can also recognize the bold
and professional fancy fnancier, who,
with white delicate hands, and gentleman
| ly bearing, flehes the Golfers Of plethoric
corporations, by few well-executed dash.
es of the pen, Of thousands at blow. The
miserable petty thief would dissolve into
his original constituents at the bare thought
of entering into the magnificent speenla
tions of his NOSE lofty confrere. The EN-
terprising burglar who enters our domici
at midnight, prepared to stake his life
| against our property, can be readily dis
tinguished by his professional adroitness Of
address in overcoming the obstacles which
come between him and the object of hi
pursuit. But this transaction is SO gigan
tic, 80 unparalleled in the annals of an,
government that ever existed on God
earth, that men are made to hold thei
breath and gasp out, "who is this magni
! ficent burglar that has broken into tn
treasury department and has stolen fou
j hundred millions of dollars Of money 2'-
Why, sometime ago, after being engage'
in bloody and expensive war, with larg
, armies paid and fed and clothed in til
; field, for the period of nearly tour years
we were told that the whole debt Of tn
Confederacy. amounted only to one thor
-, sand and fourteen millions of dollars.
other words, an amount nearly equal t
one half Of the whole debt of the Confet
l.. crate States has been distracted, nobod
knows how, by some parties necessarii
+ high in authority, and Congress says the
! must not be punished. Perhaps it is 70,
f tunate for the people that Congress hi
pursued this course, as it will enable thel
to locate the transaction in the prope
place, or at any rate, in Its near vicinity
But what we regard as the worst aspe,
of the whole matter is, the feeling of d
preston which it has produced upon OF
people, coming Ikea bird of ill-omen Q
the heel Of our recent disasters. Alas
p. alas! for our poor bleeding country, in tn
, | hour of darkness and dismay. We con-