The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-07-25


the Union up to its high standard in
the past.
OUn public debt, the existence OF
which Is due to the fact that the south
ern wing OF the democratic party, in
its attempt TO rule or ruin, forced the
government into an expensive war, Ia
now receiving particular attention at
the hands of the democrats. Some
time since the New York Express tried
it's hand at figuring on this subject, and
enlightened its readers by The startling
nnnOu ncement tbut since the close Of
The war the public debt had not been
d!mlnl-hed, but on the contrary, had
increased over Gig bit and "a half millions.
This, of COURSE, WIS siEIply untrue, the
debi actually having been decreased at
that time ABOUT sI25 600. OOO since the
close Of the war, and nearly twice that
amount rom The highest point which
the debt had reached. The World
now, Withdrawing for moment
from the earnest pursuit of Information
as to what General Grants Chris
tIau name may be, md from chnrac-
teristic attacks upon his private habits,
finds Itself particularly anxious "to
find out how it came TO pass that, after
paying into the national treasury dur
ing the past three years more Than ty-
teen Hundred millions of dollars, we find
ourselves with nn uureduced national
debt, an unrestored Union, an undi-
minIshed federal army" One of its
contemporaries, the EUeninG Post, in
endeavoring to relieve its anxiety, is
forced to point out several little inacur-
acies in the statement put forth. 1t calls
attention TO the fact that instead OF
more thanfifteen hundred millions paid
into the Treasury, there was but little
more than eleven hundred millions,
making trifing error of three
or four hundred millions to begin
with, in the amount available for re-
ducing the debt. "Our Introduced
national debt' is also found rather
open to criticism In view OF the fact that
II has, as stated above. been reduced ac-
tually nearly two hundred and fifty mil
lions (s247 .GSI 59l. These matters
having escaped the attention of the
World. it wRs. of course. proper to al
Iude to them, If only for the purpose
of enabling 1t "to find out how II came
to pass" &c. The World aslo tlnds us
with an "unrestored Union" This
statement may perhaps be incontrO-
vertible, but would it not have been
we'll to make a passing allusion TO the
fact that seven OF the once rebel States
have been reconstructed, and their rep
resentaLlves admitted to Congress
The :"undiminished federal army" is
put rather too loosely to stand close
examination. From an army number
ing over a million, it was rapidly redu-
ced to 766. 600, which was, as nearly as
can be estimated, the number three
years ago, and 1t is now below $4,000.
That $1,000 is less than 766. 600 ia a natu-
raj inference. The Post closes its re-
visw'as follows:
The notion that the Democratic pa
per In question is in the habit of refer
ring to unofficial tables OF statistics is
confirmed by its allusion to-day to 1.-THE
radical faction, to whom we owe it that
three years OF peace have cost us nearly
as much rs four wears of warn Now
Tue Jour years of war have cost the
country more than s. OOO. 900. 900; and
the three years of peace have cost H.
not much more than $500 600 OOO. not
counroE, OF course, the war debt and
war clalhsi since the World surely
does not mean war when IL says DnocS
II Is evident, therefore, thut the tobIos
to which tue World has referred havs
contained Typographical error in ~,
cipheFs. These mistakes in figures ore
not always to be avoided; out DOIi,tCsI
TO
ton besides mistakes. Yet, howevsr
exalted WRITER'S contempt for yeFy
little things. the disregard of a differ.
snce like 81, zoo. 600 600, much more than
the whole national debt. cannot reason
ably be ascribed to it.