The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1866-05-12
One Hundred Millions of Dollars
Stolen last Year.


hcans stole, robbed and plundered the
government during the early portion
of the war; the millions of dollars of
frauds, peculations, and swindles,
brought to light by Congressional
committees; how men in high places
became rich by the most unblushing
rascalities-in contracts, supplies,
ships &C., furnished to the Govern
ment-rascalities so enormous and
widespread, of SO colossal and gigan-
tic a character as to awaken in the
minds of many doubt whether the
rebels in arms were more to be dreaded
by the American people than the horde
of sharks and land pirates who, in the
name of loyalty, were growing rich by
taking advantage of the necessities and
misfortunes of country suffering the
pangs of the most terrible civil war
the world ever saw. The newspapers
teemed with columns of figures, statis-
tics, and facts of the most startling
nature, and even the corrupt and mer-
cenary men, composing the majority of
Congress were compelled to investigate
certain mats RS, and find few scape-
goats for popular reprobation.
The war went on and perpetual steal
ing and thieving marked its progress.
Itreally seemed as though the govern
ment selected for its officials, its trust
ed agents, its counselors and soldiers,
all the knaves and rascals IN the land.
Cabinet officers, generals, treasury
| agents, collectors, tide-waiters, all
| plunged their arms to the elbows in
the government treasury, and fattened
on their ill-gotten plumber. The war
was the very carnival time of roguery.
But the war is over. For almost a
year the shock of armed hosts, the
noise and tumult and strife of battle
fields, Redeemed with the life-blood of
Americans shed by Americans have
not been heard in the land, and return
ing peace had restored, it was hoped,
the old order of things when men were
honest, or at least, not dishonest by
wholesale. Therefore, though know
ing the rascals to be thoroughly dis
honest, we thought they would "as
sumo a virtue if they had it not" and
strive to forego their "pickings and
stealings" from fear of detection, now
that public attention was no longer en-
crossed with the absorbing interest of
''grim visaged war" Judge then of
our surprise on reading, a few days
since, the startling announcement that
investigations had disclosed the fact,
that the treasury of the United States
has been defrauded out of more than
one hundred millions Of dollars during
the past gear! and further, that these
frauds had been mostly perpetrated at
the South, by the military and civil
officials of the Federal government,
petty Massachusetts and New England
radicalpolitieians, who had placed
in positions of emoluments and profit
in consideration of services rendered
the administration-loyal pap-suckers,
who could take the test-oath and doiai-
neer over the conquered citizens of the
South-pensioned hounds, every one
of whom is to-day an opponent of re-
construction, and in favor of retaining
the States of the South in a position of
vassalage and inequality, the better to
enable themselves to continue their
careers of shameless robbery.
1t is high time these rascals and the
party which upholds them was driven
from power. The Republican party
was conceived in corruption, grew up
in lnfamY and crime, and its course has
been one continued scene of usurpa-
ton. robbery and murder.
One HUNDRED MILLIONS OF Doll
LARS! Think of it, workingmen, me-
chanics, farmers, and laborers, groan-
ing and sweating under the burdens of
calling and grievous system of taxa
tion-struggling and toiling in and out
OF season-giying up SO large a por-
ton of your earnings to the tax gather
er-you are furnishing, by your mus
Gle and labor, your taxes, the material
or money for these knaves to riot with.
Pleasant, isn't it, hard handed, hard
working man! Nice to think of, in
your humble home, at your forge or
workbench, in your place of business
or about the labor of your farm !?
One hundred millions of dollars -
There was time. reasoning, thinking
man, when you enjoyed the blessings Of
government where hard, metallic
currency was the circulating medium;
when you were free from stamp duties,
and the visit of Federal tax-gatherers,
and there was no national debt-when
you possessed peace, prosperity and
brotherly love at a cost of many mil
lions less year than is now stolen
from the Government administered by
Republican hands That, however,
was in the good old Democratic days,
before shoddy loyalty and abolition
patriotism we're the controlling inhu-
ences. Shall we ever see return of
that blessed. that truly good time a.
La Crosse lWis) Democrat.
y Below We give the time fixed
IL. - L.