The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-04-25

want Of diacipline In our trDepa, tho rnschIlly
Of our shOddyt4s, md the corruplioa and ID.
trigue of our s6-oalled statesmen. tAat he
Southern eanss seemed in the aacsndsnt, ysG
there never wassn hour, even in the darkest
days Of the rsballiOn, when the iaW q The
contest Or the sslsimsts triumph Of me Ma
honal cause became . question Of doust.
The Overwhelming odds, twenty-five millions
against 9Th Of their number; the respect
i've status and resources Of the combatants !;
the one with its ports blockAded, cribbsd,
eabinsd and confined recognised bT NO
power on earth dependent on the escape Of
blockade runners for supplies deprived Of
lie richest agricultural districts; without
manufacturing skill or smporiums; without
even the means Of rsplsniahing its continually
exhausting resources l. men and material
and with an element of weakness in its midst,
which alone rendered success . shser impos-
sibility; the other contestant. which, apart
from its superior srreugth, coHid rely on its
demand Cor men and money from the old
world to recuperate it, armies being honored
as promptly a. . BANKERS cheek, which held
possession Of every outlet on the sns@y's
coast; with the wealth and akill Of the
country at its command with its rspresen-
tatives acknowledge At every European
Court, and the eIhaustless fertile praiEiss
Of tie West uuder lie control, presented .
contrast toe unequal to admit Of even .
dou 1t Of the issue.
,des these cream sssssees, o.erestlmated
in no instance, 10 it not an insult TO the
American people to pirate about the sacrifice
demanded, or the risks incurred by our Shy
locks, in giving = deprecated currency in
return for government bonds, which it is
modestly claimed are payable both
principal and interest in coin.
But for the sake Of argument lot Us ad-
nit that the probabilities were in favor Of
the triumph Of the Southern svras and the
secession Of the Southern States. What
theni Where was the tremendous risk in
CURED? Grant all that the most en-
thusiastic ever claimed, or the most des-
pondent conceded, and the result remains
virtually unchanged. Had we not even then
the richest, the largest, and most fertile
country, and the most thrifty, Intelligent,
enterprlsing and ingenious population in the
worldf an expanse OF territory to satisfy
the most ambitious, with mineral and agri-
cultural resources scarcely developed, and
almost exhaustless, and q climate ard
geographical position furnishing security to
the most exacting bloodhound?
But reader there were risks run, and i'm
portant ones too. There were risks worthy
Of the name, run by the hsrd-6stsd
mechanic, who owning no palatial mansion
or broad acres, but, actuated By the pun sst
and most patriotic motives, took HE life In
bis hand, and sunderng the ties Of affection,
went forth to do battle for his country and
her cause for the muniAcent sum Of eLeven
dollars per month, whose services have
since been recompsnsedsin promises to pay,
snd who is now required to liquidate every
dollar of Indebtedness then incurred; while
the capitalist who skuIked at home, and
manufactured the cry and the thirst for
blood, blood, blood, while he manufactured
cof6ns in the shape Of shoddy for our SOL
diers who ba.tisd at the front, has the
efrontery to rant about the breach Of ma
tiOnal faith in paying HIM dollar for every
ffty cents be loaned, while crsven-liks, he
refuses to contribute one penny 10 hquidats
a burden which is parAlySing the entire in
serests Of the country, o, shame where 10
thy blush Reader, who do you think
assumed the greater risk