New-York tribune., 1868-10-06
THE FINANCES.

| and paid One Billion and Half, leaving Two
| and Half Billions to be paid hereafter. And
| meantime, until we can considerably reduce it,
we must pay One Hundred and Twenty-Five
| Millions per annum rs interest on this Debt.
| This is not all. We are paying Twenty-Five
Millions per annum rs Pensions to our fellow
citizens wounded and disabled while lighting
against that Rebellion, or to the widows and
children Of those who died in their cOuntry's
defense. This charge will be gradually dimin-
ishcd by the death of the pensioners; but 1t
will not fall off much for the next few years.
as new claimants are still being placed on the
pension rolls. This il War Debt, just as
much "a the bonds issued to those who lent
money TO our country IN her sorest need.
Congress thought it just to pay our honora-
bly, discharged soldiers in the War for the
Union a musteTing-ou bounty Of 800 or less
for longer or shorter terms of service. This
was right The soldiers had served longer,
fought harder, and endured more prvations,
than were reasonably expected when they were
called out: and they had been paid in de-
preciatcd currency. The mustering-out bounty
was fairly due them. IL called on the Treas
ury for over One Hundred Millions. most OF
which has been paid the residue will be nearly
aIl paid Of during the current fiscal year. And
Boun,ics, unlike Pensions. when paid once, are
paid forever.
When the War had ended and Our troops had
been in good part mustered out, on the ist of
September. 1867 our ascertained. hquldated
War Debt was over Two Billions Seven Hun
dred and Ffty-seyen Millions. OF this vast
amount, we have paid the current interest and
reduced the principal 10 Two Billions Five
Hundred Millions. The fact that we have paid
OF Two Hundred and Fifty seven Millions OF
the principal of our Debt cannot be disputed.
While doing this we have been paying State
War-Claims. claims for Property lost or destroyed
in the Military service, paying oil regiments
mustered out since sept. l., 1855, paying for
iron -clads and other vessels completed since
that date. paying Bounties, &C., &c. Mr. At
kinson says We have reduced the principal of
our actual indebtedness Eight Hundred Mil
lions since Sept. 1, 1865. We say that no hon
est man who ia familiar with the facts can
make the reduction of our total Indebtedness
less than Five Hundred Millions. In other
words: Our War Debt of all kinds was more
than Three Billions three years ago. and is
now but little over Two and Half Billions.
Meantime, we have been steadily reducing
the interest on our Debt. Buchanan's Admins
tration borrowed several Millions at trelre per
cent TO defray the cost of the Government in
peace in December, 1851; we had to borrow
near the close of the War at : $40 per cent.
but now no part of our Debt draws more than
six per cent.
That is too much. We ought TO be able to
reduce it decidedly Our Fiye-Twentcsr
l. "a.
pose that We might be able to redeem them
with money borrowed at lower rates. This we
have not yet been able to do simply because
of the fear that we shall try to cheat our cred
tors by paying them in illegal tender" when
we promised con After Gen. Grants election,
we shall surely be able to borrow at lower rates.
And. if we faithfully apply the money thus
saved to discharging the principal OF our Debt,
we shall soon pay it off without additional
taxation. .r...
We have a Democratic President, with
Democratic Secretaries of the Treasury, Navy
Interior, &c. Congress steadily endeavors to
reduce their expenditures. The Secretary OF
the Navy asked for Thirty Seven Millions for
the service of the current year; but Congress
cut him down to Twenty Millions. And the
Army expenditures, which were over Fifty
Millions last year, will this year fall below
Forty Millions. So VIC are cutting down
wherever we can.
The Democrats in Congress systematically
vote for tho largest appropriations. Nearly all
of them voted to buy and pay for Alaska
yet, when we came to pay for it in gold,
(s7,2OO,OO0,) their journals and stumpers
shrieked, "There! the Debt has this month
been increased by the Republicans Ten Mil
li0ns.r Yet the only increase was by the pay
ment for Alaska and Three Millions of bonds
loaned to hasten the construction of the Pacific
Railroad.
The Army has been largely reduced each
year since the fighting ended. Do you ask why
il is not abolishedi Let Memphis New-0r-
leans, Camilla, give answer! The Rebels kill
enough Unionists as it is. They want to kill
more, and TO kill them with more absolute i'm
punity. Elect Grant, and We shall not need
nearly so many soldiers to keep them in order.
It il Johnson's treachery and venom that makes
them so actively murderous.
Countrymen who withstood the Rebellion
Shall the burdens imposed on us by Rebel
shot and shell impel you to vote these Rebels
into power over yOuf DO you want such n
change as their ascendency would give you
Answer at the Polls
Mrs. Lincoln has partially outwitted the news