Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-08-15
THE NATIONAL EXPENDITURES.

For months past, falsehoods with regard
TO the current expenses of the Federal Gov
crnment have been the principal stock in
trade with Democratic journals and speak.
ers. The assertions of Horatio Seymour in
his Bridgeport speech that, in the fiscal year
then current but since closed, it was costing
"more than S150,000,000 per annum to
maintain an army to keep the people of the
South in subjection"-that More than
$500, 900, 900 year have been wasted in
order to uphold this policy of Reconstruc.
tion"-that now "$4OO, ,O0O,0 600 are raised,
and out of it the public creditor gets only
500, ,OOO, ,000"-are fair specimens Of the
atrocous lies that have been put forth as
facts in Copperhead narangues and edito-
rias for the last ten months.
The Hon. Wm. B. Allison, of Iowa, soli-
cited of the Hon. David A. Wells, Special
Commissioner of Revenue, an exhibit of the
actual income and expenditure of the Fede-
raj Government for the fiscal year, which
closed about month ago.
Gov. Seymour guessed the Income for the
current fiscal year at $400, 100000; and it
was actually $4O6, 800 900 (very nearly; so
that it is proved that he can make very
good guesses when no political capital ia to
accrue from making bad ores.
Now look at the other side of the account:
He asserts that the cost of maintaining an
army to su5jugate the South for the fiscal
year lS67-'S was "more than $3.50 900, ,000;"
and that "more than $30O,o00,OO0 year
have been wasted in order to uphold this
policy OF Reconstruction" Mr.. Wells's re-
port shows that the entire cost OF maintain
ing our army, supporting the Freedmen's
Bureau, and defraying the expenses of Re-
construction at the South, amounted in the
aggregate at S62, ,727 $50; though this in
cludes the outgoes of a wasteful Indian War
on the Plains and 81 100000 appropriated
to feeding Indians whom we had ceased to
fight. Very much of the $4,000 900 spent
by the Freedmen's Bureau went to feed the
helpless widows and orphans of White Re-
bells left destitute by the collapse of the
Confederacy; nearly all the residue was
paid for registering voters and holding cleo
reau is now being closed out, while Military
rule is already abolished.
Gov. Seymour asserted that of the $400,.
100000 of revenue the public creditor gets
but $lo0,00O,000. Mr.. We!ls's report shows
that no less than S141 ,635,551 were paid
in that year for interest on the Public
Debt-much of it being the back interest
on the Compound Interest Notes, which
were paid off in that year with the three
years compound interest due on them
so that the interest on the National Debt
henceforth is bat $l26,OOO,O0O per annum.
After paying this current interest, there
were $34 ,749, ,747 left wherewith to reduce
the principal of the Debt Thus the years
revenue yielded for the payment of interest
and principal of the Debt no less than $176,-
8s5 ,29s, being $40, 1886, ,29s more than Sey.
mour asserted.
Gov. Seymour asserted that "more than
$500, 100000 year have been wasted in
order to uphold this policy of Reoonstruc.
tion." Mr.. Wells's report shows that the
payments from the Treasury for every pur
pose except payment of principal or interest
of the National Debt were less than Two
Hundred and Thirty Millions (precisely
$229 ,0l4, ,G74) and that OF this amount, be
side many millions for Pensions, there wer,
paid
For Bountes to our Volunteers SIR, 900 G0
For reimbursing War Claims, lO, $50 Is
Payments for property lost in the Mill
tary Service Of the United States, 5,lll 80
These three items-together $53, ,44l AS
are payment of Public Debt as much a
though they had bought up and Cancelled s.
many Five Twenties. They are so much O
the cost Of putting down the Rebellion pal,
off and extinguished, once for all so tha
really the amount of our National Debt wa
reduced during the fiscal year just closed
including the payment OF back interest OF
the Compound Interest Notes, by little les
than One Hundred Millions Of Dollars. And
instead of the entire current expense Of thu
Federal Government, except for the pay
ment OF principal and interest of the Public
Debt, being more than $500, 900, ,OOO," i
was considerably less than $500, 900, 900.
How do Seymour's pettifoggers meet thi.
crushing exposure OF their masters false
hoods and calumnies