Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-01-15
Changes Caused by the War.

In an article On the changes caused by the
war in the South, the Baltimore Transcript
says:
Misery is said to make strange bed-fellows,
aud the distresses caused by the late war have
certainly thrown many Southern men into
po:itions aud associations extremely alien to
their former pursuits and habits.
Lord Stafford mines for coal and SALT
The Duke of Norfolk deals in malt,
The Douglas in red herrings."
General Lee teaching school, Joe Johnston
and Beauregard railroading, other Generals
running express wagons and take photographs,
= are specimens of some of the changes which
the results of the war have wroug ght in the
change of vocations and habits. But these are
nothing in com pariSon with the metamorphosis
in the lives Of civilians, of men and women
once in affluent circumstances, and who are
now betaking themselves by force OF necessity,
to every occupation which can be named
Gcntlemen, once the proprietors OF large estates,
may now be found equipped With yard sticks,
holding plough handles, or weighing out sugar
and coffee by the pound IN grocery shops;
ladies', high bred danes, who were once the
leaders OF society, are now taking in sewing for
the bare means of subsistence. And happy
are they who are able to find even such a
refuge from the wild beasts of poverty and
want Others there are, and the number is
large, who, with families of little children
dependant upon them, have absolutely no re-
sources no means Of life, no earthly hope of
ultimately escaping the horrors Of starvation.
But We know of no change Of fortune, either
in civil or military lie, more remarkable thao
that of the naval officers Of the United States
who left that service to join their native States
in the late war. The proVerbial unselhshness
aud disnereste6ness Of poor Jack, was never
more signally exhibited than in the conduct OF
the Southern naval officers. The Southern
military men made no sacrifices to be spoken OF
in comparison. We do not impeach their mo-
tives but they exchanged subordinate for high
pastions. Captains and Lieutenants in the
United States Army became Generals of Divi-
siou, and occupied a conspicuous. position IN
the eyes of the world. The Naval officers, on
the contrary, gave up their fue ships to work
on land batteries, or take charge OF plgmy gun
boats The close Of the war left them high
and dry ashore, totally unified by their pre-
vious training for almost all the ordinary occu-
pations of civil life. What most Of them have
dooe with themselves we are unable to say
In spite of the most intense eagerness to look
at the brightest side OF the dark thundercouds
still impending in the armament, We cannot
shake of the sadness which these sombre
shadows cause, and are unable to see how the
bright side is to be looked upon, except by
those who have departed this life, aud are
taking birds eye view Of it from the heavens
GREAT BRITAIN is burthened with public
debt Of four thousand millions Of dollars, the
interest on which is paid from her internal tax
receipts and customs duties these being limit
ed to revenue purposes and not for protection.
The United States has public debt of about
twcaty-seven hundred millions of dollars on
which the interest is also derived fiom her in
ternal tax receipts and customs duties, based
upon high protective tariff. A single illus
tration will serve to show more clearly than
any amount of argument the difference between
taxation for revenue purposes merely, as in
England, and tariff that is designed to pro-
tect the manufacturing interests at the expense
Of the mass of the people, as in this couutry.
The cost OF the principal articles OF an outfit
Of the best quality in the two countries, will
compare as follows: