Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-09-30
Decrease lTtbe National Debt.

What was the actual amount of the
national debt incurred in consequence
of the Davis rebellion? This is the
important fact first to know.
tits evident that if man is build
ing house and has employed work
men by the jOh ur month, and has or
deTed and made use of materials for
its construction, that the cost of the
house is not the actual amount paid
out on the day Oi its completion, un-
less all the bills for work done and for
materials furnished have been pre-
sented for payment. The house may
be finished, and yet q month or three
months wages may be due the work
men, and the amount due for lumber
and brick and glass may not even be
| known. This illustration is so simple
that no one need betOld what the cost
of a house would be in such a case.
Now what was the cost of the slave
| holders rebellion?
Is it estimated by the cash actually
paid out, and the claims duly present.
ed and audited on the day that john
sons army surrendered, or must we
take into account in addition to this
| the liabilities incurred by the Govern
ment up to and subsequent to this
| time, in consequence of this rebellion? ?
Unliquidated claims, claims for sup
plies and materials furnished, not yet
| presented, compensation TO n vast ar
my in the shape of monthly wages,
pensions, bOunties, &c, are just as
much a part of the cost of putting
down the rebellion as the AMOUNT paid
for gunpOwder and cannon balls used
at Gettysburg. The apparent debt as
it stood upon the books of the Treasu-
ry Department April l, 1865, that is,
the debt already liquidated or audited
/ for payment, was S2,366, 6,955, ,O77.
Now to get at the actual debt or cost
of the rebellion we must add to this,
disbursements made under the direc-
ton of the War and Navy Depart
ments during the months succeeding
4 April l, 1865, on account Of the rebel
lion. Those disbursements amounted
to S774,S65. .S5; They were for pay of
army fifteen months, 206 millions /;
cOmmissary and quartermaster's de
partment, go millions; medical and
| hospital department, Il millions, and
for other similar purposes.
| 1t is therefore not only legitimate,
| but strictly in accordance with the
facts, to assume that this large eXpen-
| diture of nearly eight hundred mil
lions of dollars, from April !, 1855, to
June 80, 1866, was in every sense a
war expenditure, and that it was Ii
ability on the 1st of August, 1865, the
date on which appeared to be at its
maximum by the Treasury books, rs
much as if : $40 notes or 90 bonds
| had been issued and entered upon the
| ledger; and this expenditure is to be
measured and estimated by the same
standards as those by which the eX-
penditureS of the active war are adj
Judged to have been necessary and un-
avOidable on the one hand, or un-
necessary and ineXpedient on the 9TH
er.
In addition to this, then, must be
includedas as a part of the war debt, pen
siOns, bOunties, &c, amounting to
Sis, ,9l2, ,40l, which liabilities have
been recognized and paid. Adding
those two classes of expenditures to-
gether, and we have the total amount
of the war debt which did not appear
on the books of the Treasury at the
close of the war, 1920, ,77S,252. This
sum added to the amount of the debt
audited for payment April l, 1865, be-
fore stated, makes the aggregate cost
of the Davis rebellion,
S3,277,733,329.
Subtract from this the debt of June
so, 1868, and we find that the war debt
has been reduced $500, ,733, ,32S--an
actual payment of more than one
fourth the entire amount in three
years.
1t tisnOt strange that the eparty which
is not satisfied with this progress
should favor wiping out the debt in
one year by the greenback system of
reputation.
The other point to which the atten-
ton of every voter should be called is
this, that 4 Republican administration,
hampered by hostile Executive, has
been cheaper by 154 millions per an
mum than the administration of James
Buchanan. 1t il now about time that
the stuff and nonsense uttered about
Republican extravaganza should cease.
-ObjO NfCIfe Jo1yyy1CI