Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1868-08-15

HoRATIo SEYMOUR declared as he was TAX
ing the chair to preside over the Democratic
Convention that nominated him, that 'they
(the republicans) have used full $500,000,0O0
of the taxes drawn from the people of this
country to uphold despotc military authori-
ty To crush out the life of the States" On the
ID of April last at Bridgeport, Conn, he said,
now when the Republican party inaugurited
! the policy of governing the South by force, it
involved the necessity of maintaining great
standing armies. 1t involved great national
expense. The war ceased nearly years ago
and yet it will cost this year more than SLOW
00O,O0O to maintain an army TO keep ule Peo-
pie Of the South in subjection.
AT his Cooper Institute speech he SAID, since
the war closed in 1865, the government mas
spent for its expenses in addition 10 It's pay
ment on principal and interest OF puollc dent,
more than 900 millions of dollars. VI TINS
sum there has been nearly 500 millions spent
on the army and navy, and for military pur-
poses This was in time OF peace
Now if the above assertions are truth and
the whole truth, Mr.. Seymour would be en-
titled to some credit for his researches. He
would be entitled to more credit, however, if
he had also stated that the democratic admin
IStr1tlOn OF Auu1cN kDllC vi illS COHl-
petitors before the convention,l was q most i'm
portant agent in the expenditure of the peo-
ple's money. But what are the facts Since
the close of the war according to the authori-
ty of the Special Commissioner of the Trea-
sury, Mr.. WellsO there was expended by
the War Department $647, ,6SS, 900 during the
first months after its close, in paying off our
troops and other necessary expenses Of tie
nar Since that time Jan. 1st, 1866, 10 July
1st, 1863 or so months there was eXpended by
the War Department S269, 42S,9SG,1O. OF this
sum nearly 80 millions were expended IN
bounties for soldiers, II, 600 0OOfor state militia
ry claims, over 10 millions for Harbor and River
improvements, besides all the expenses OF the
Indian war, the Frecdman's Bureau, subsist-
ence for Indians, &c. sc. The whole amount
expended by the War Department after pay
inr off the soldiers of the war being 230 mil
lions less than was expended, according to
SEYMOUR "to uphold despotic military au-
thority to crush out the life of the States" So
much for his 500 millions. Now for the more
than $50 millions to keep the south in sub
lection this year 1. e. the fiscal year from July
1st 1867, TO July 1st 1868.
Just $123, ,246, ,G4s were expended by the war
department that year, 81 millions less than the
$50 millions stated by Seymour. Now let us
see how much of this 1913 millions was used to
keep the people of the south in subsection.
3S millions of it was devoted to paying sol
diers bounties, more than 10 millions OF 1t for
re-imbursng state war claims.
For Engineer Bureau (mainly river and har-
Dor improvements moro than six Millions
Payment for property lost or destroyed in
military services, over five millions. For ma
tional cemeteries Communication of rati0n5 for
prisoners of war, subsistence for Indians &c,
several millions more. For actual army cx-
penses-including all for the Indian wars,
garrsoning forts, freedman's bureau, recon-
struction expenses, &c-in fact every thing
that could be tortured into army expenses,
whether for keeping the Indians in subjec-
ton or their more savage neighbors-the peo-
pie of the South, (Ku-Kluxers)-the whole
sum is a little more than sixty and a-half
millions of dollars,-$G1, ,747 $50, or S0millions
less than Seymour stated
NOW lOF Tic nearly clSnI nunClreu mllllOnS
for military purposes in time of peace" In
the first ia days after Grants closing victories
six hundred and twenty-five millions were
disbursed for the army and navy, according to
official statements from the treasury depart
ment, leaving one hundred and scyenty-fivc
misunderstanding TO Seymour) for the re-
naming nearly three years, at the :" time Of
peace or less than sixty millions per year. The
six hundred and twenty-five millions was for
back pay of soldiers, &c, for :" time of war"
The great standing army" of Seymour num-
bcrs 10000 with proposition to Immediately
reduce it to 25 25,O0O-cither number being much
less than the standing army of most of the
small European nations. The army and navy
expenses for 1853 under Dnchanan-(in goldA
were nearly forty millions of dollars, or more
in gold for each Regiment, than now in cur
rency.
So much for Seymours honesty and intel
ligence." The facts show that under Grant and
Stanton the expenses of the army have been
reduced to the standard of the strctest econo-
my.