The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-02-05
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Wednesday Morning, February 8. 1868
Re,reneh,aen., Real and Ima.,uar,

| "sunssuay morning. febfnary 0. 1868
Aetrenehment Real and lima ginary.
When the gise-like pinches of taxation he.
gan TO be felt after TIE ebb of the great war
frenzy that made the people for time insen-
sible TO taxation or death itself, both parties
began 10 give assurances of their special in
terest in and entire devotion to retrenchment
and economy. Time enough has already
elapsed to test the sincerity Of those profess
sions on either side. The two parties may
now walk up to the tribunal with which
rests final jurisdiction In the matter and pass
III their accounts. The issue was fairly made.
and the party that Is founddelinquent can ex-
| pect no mercy. 1t were better such party
had never aspired ~ come down that river Of
saline properties which by acruel pleasantly is
supposed TO afford refuge 10 defeated politi-
! clans. astt
| First let the Republicans be called. Most
likely they will be found guilty, They were
! al the outset less blatant in their prOtesta-
tons than their opponents. Some of them
had pen-knives La their pockets, to begin With.
| surreptitiously obtained under the name of
| stationery" Conscious of the pen knives
and other little populations, and col scious,
too, that the destiny Of the nation in things
nscal was wholly In their hands, they promis-
| ed with some diffidence. Yet methinks the,
come INTO court with some assurance, now
that the day of trial has arrived. But the
grand inquest Is In session ard we shall see.
The testimony in favor Of the Republicans
is this: They have taken measures to reduce
the army and navy so as to make them acom-
paratively small police forces. There are
three times as many special constables in the
city OF London as there are men in the army
OF the Uni.ed States. Forty three thousand
men In all branches of the service. Bank
rupt Austria has 100000; bankrupt Italy
has 100000; Russia has 100000; the North
German. Confederation has 100000; France
has 100000. All Of these nations, with the
exception of Germany, are embarrassed by
debts amounting In some instances to more
per capita than our own There is not mere
ly business depression among the people of
those countries, there Is starvation. Herein
MAJ. be seen the beauty ofrepublican institu-
tons and OF Republican administration.
And The navy, too. Is made subject to the
same inexorable law Of retrenchnent A
bill has just passed Congress directing the
sale OF all but twenty of our forty three IRON
elails. Old Admiral Farragut must RELY upon
bis favorite wooden walls" hereafter in ex-
ecnting his duty as chief of the marine police.
Truly the case oftbis alleged cupSit is bright
enins, and tits ten to one he gets off scot free
But this Is not ail-no not half When
Congress assembled In November the com
mittee on ways aud means adopted as the
basis of their deliberations in the formation
of new tax-bill the determination that the
total amount to be derived from internal rev.
enue should not exceed s150yO00.O0O. The
House committee on appropriations assumed
the same basis In thelr deliberations. In
consequence OF this harmony of opinion be-
tween the two committees the knife has been
applied IN most merciless manner to the es-
Inmates OF heads OF departments Nothing
has been spared. The army, the navy, the
civil service and all departments and bureaus
of the government have been put on short pc
cuniary rations. Everything but the sacred
debt to the soldiers and sailors and the debt
TO the public creditor has felt the influence of
the new economical revival. These may not
be touched without burying the common
wealth under such depth of infamy as would
blast it forever. 1t now looks as if The pris-
oner at the bar would not only Ego without
day. but receive vote of thanks.
But wait; there is more testimony. The
State department has been buying real estate
in vacation. The people can't afford to pay
for it So the House hesitates on Alaska and
puts IDS foot down on st. Thomas. If the ma
tional faith Is involved in the matter of paw
ing for the Arctic region, it viii be done, bur
not otherwise. 1t Is nratt. that Den
---.... carry her wares to another mar
ket. Mr.. Washburne OF Illinois, the father of
the House, has just carried bill through that
body, the importance of which as retreneh-
ment measure has partially escaped public at
tentlon. 1t foabids the payment of war claims
out ofthe public treasury without the exer-
else OF every possible precaution against
fraud. Here Is serious leak stopped The
facility with which all sorts of trumped-up
| accounts were settled at the treasury before
the passage Of that act was proving serious
| matter,
As further p'oot OF the thrift and finau-
cial wisdom of the party of moral ideas, the
condition OF the State debts may be referred
to. Iowa is known to be entirely out of debt.
Indiana has paid City per cent. of hers. The
| financial prosperity of States Is found to be
| In almost every case In direct iatio to the
purity OF her politics from copperheadisln.
Where that offshoot of Democracy is in the
| ascendant, the debt is usually correspond
inety large per cent. of the valuation. Ken
| tucky, Maryland and New York city are evil
| dences OF that fact.
| Its no use 10 continue this tr1al The case
l. clearly to be decided In favor of the accus-
ed. The other party, however, has not par
| ticle of evidence to adduce in It's favor. 1t
has originated nothing but clamor 1t has
not even seconded the retrenehment move
mepts In which Others have taken the Initia-
| tive. 1t come out strong ON the increase of
salaries tor members of Congress. 1t has
sisnalized its restoration to power in the
New York Legislature by doubling the expen-
ses ofthe lower house. Democrats are ad-
mlrable theoretical economists, but practic-
ally they fall as far short as Tupper does in
poetry.
| BULL-RrS RUssELL.-Gen. McAllister, OF
the First New Jersey Brigade, gives the fol-
lowing amusing account OF the manner in
which William Fl. Russell, who furnished the
London Times such an exaggerated account
of the panic at the first battle of Bull Run,
fed from the field:
| A civilian. with a hr1aah- -hri,nmad hat LII.