The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-08-23
The Necessity for a Large Army.

| l yesterday morning our washington dis
patches said: The secretary of the treasu-
Try thinks the department will be able to
meet all acquisitions before the assembling
of Congress, IS receipts are largely on the in
crease, while expenditures are rapidly being
reduced, owing to the disbanding Of the
army and other causes" This is . state
merit which will, if true, do much toward
|auieting the general alarm felt in view OF
the fact that the secretary had expended
IaIl of The six hundred million loan author.
| lied by the act Of March 3, 1865. It has
been currently estimated that the treasury
receipts would fail to meet acquisitions ac-
cruing between now and December by sew
eral hundred millions. The country there
fore may not readily confie in the cheerful
prediction Of the secretary. 1t willremem-
Der dsappoitments resulting from credullty
| in similar prophecies. While much conf
dence is felt 10 the financial skill of the sec-
rotary, the fact he is but disbursing off.
Ger, having no control over the expenditures
of other departments, viii tend very much
to the production Of doubt of the correct
ness of his calculation. We have been In
formed that it is the intention of the gov
ernment to reduce the army TO a hundred
aud fifty thousand men. The war has been
lclosed some three months, and we are now
probably paying two hundred and fay thou
sand men as officers and soldiers Of the ar.
my. The New York Tribute Of tie 9th
instant said We believe Il ere are less
than Two Hundred thousand effective men
left to-day in the military service of tie
United States, OF whom each secular day
sees one to four thousand paid off and dis.
chared. 1.-TWO hundred thousand effective
men would give nearly three hundred thou
sand in all, as. non, electives may be counted
as one-thirl The proportion of the latttr
has been somewhat higher during the war,
From this it will Be seen that the reduction
of our army has not been very rapid one,
nor is it now being very rapidly reduced
Slow as the process has been, and is, TIE
country would be greatly encouraged by an
assurance that it will continue until it is
brought down to 4 standard commensurate
with our actual necessities. it is by no
meats certain that this viii be done Tie
article OF the Tribune from which we have
quoted closes with this significant declara-
ton:
J" We are surprised to zee heartily loyal
Journals unite in The copperhead clamor for
an instant and general DISARMAMENT Of our
armies when it is SO lilahifest that this would
throw Ten or eleven states completely and
Immediately into the hands Of those not yet
wearied Of their devotion to the slayehold-
Iers' rebellion"
I There has been no copperhcad clamor
/ for an instant and general disbandnent Of
our armies" There has been demand that
our armies should be Immediately reduced
! to peace standard, because the country
was at peace. The expenditures for the
military and navaI service are consuming
The entire receipts of the government from
customs and internal revenue, and our pres
i nt enormous debts being daily increased,
Notwithstanding se are in state, Of pro
found peace and our revenue is four times
greater than before the war. The people
ask that there may be retrenchihent in every
| department, aud that it begin with the army
| and navy, FOR the obvious reasons that they
are the principal objects Of expenditure, and
are treble the force required by the actual
condition of the country.
What is the pretence for ksepiag them
up to standard approaching their present
dimensions? There is apprehension ex-
pressed that their material reduction ''wonId
throw ten or eleven states completely and
Immediately into the hands of those who
are hot wearied with their devotion to the
shareholders rebellion" What is here
meant by devotion to Tie Shareholders rebel
lion is not plain. The rebellion no longer
exists, and thefeis n0tsa sane personin the
country who Believes that it Is ipteuded by
any one to attempt another rebellion; GER.
Itsinly not another Shareholders rebellion,
for we sre constant assured that slavery.
lIis dead. But suppose ten or eleven states
should pass to the control Of those who were
prominently engaged in the late rebellion {?
What would they do with the power thus
acquired? What could they do otherwise
than to exercise il lawfully, it being eonce.
| ded that there is no thought Of attempting
another lnsurrection? What have we to-
fear from the exercise of lawful authority
| b7 them? How can it injnre Us? The ten
| or eleven states would have majority
against them of three to one. Will not the
unionism which has preseryved the union in
the field shield it ID the national councils?
There is no fear expressed upon this point,
but the Tribune, ID the subjoined extract,
informs US where The danger lies
!" In Louisiana, we are assured through
various channels the power has already viz
tnally passed into the hands Of the paroled
rebel soldiers, who will return whomsoeyer
they prefer at the ensuing elections. The
acting governor, Madison Wells, is already
their tool he appoints, IN the main, thinly
Vanished rebelsto office; the cry Of Down
with negro sufragc!~ is as patent as down
with the abolitionistss' was IN the had old
times; on ayowed, ontspoken npholder of
the rights Of man Is barely tolerated in New
Orleans and not tolerated in the rural dis
tricts. Take away what is left Of our. ar.
|my, and Louisiana would be virtually q
slave state witEina year" IS s'.,l
The nation is. to be taxed half million
OF dollars per DAY for the maintenance Of
the army, to the end that Chase radicalism
and negro suffrage may be enforced III the
south BY the bayanats Of our soldiers, Thus
& to be fulfilled the constitutional tsauaran.