Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-09-04
Gov, Seymour's Misstatements in
Regard to Army Expenses,


In the House of Representatives, June
9th, 1868, Mr.. Blaine, of Maine, made
the following comments on a misstate-
ment made by Gov. Seymour, of New
York, in his Cooper Institute speech:
+" Mr.. Speaker, desire to call atten-
ton to statement made by Gov. Sey-
mour in his recent speech at the Cooper
Institute in the City of New York. In
arranging the Republican party for ex-
traVagance he makes the following dec
laratiOn, as reported in the New York
World, which hold in my hand:
"Since the war closed in 1865 the Gov
ernment has spent for its expenses, in
addition to its payment on principal
and interest of public debt, more than
one thousand million dollars. Of this
sum there has been nearly eight Lun-
dred millions spent on the Army and
Navy, and for military purposes. This
is nearly one-third of the national debt.
This was spent in time of peace"
The charge thus brought by Gov. Sey-
mour is that in the three years that
have transpired since the war closed our
army and navy have cost us $500, ,OOO, 900,
or at the rate of nearly $4,000, 600 per
annum in time of profound peace The
statement is cunniRgly made with the
evident purpose of misleading the pub
lie mind, for while it is quite true that
the military and naval expenses since
the close of the war have been $3.50, ,00O,-
900, it is absolutely untrue that they
$270, 900, 600 per annum. When the war
closed by the surrender of Lee on the
9th of April, 1865, the armies of the IN
ion bore the names of nearly million
men on the rolls, and our navy, in its
vast and widely extended duty of block
aiding 5000 miles Of coast, had nearly
500 vessels IN service with a corresponds
ing number of men. The first result of
Grants magnificent series of victories
and triumph over the Rebellion, was to
muster out these countless hosts which
had borne our standard with such glory
on the land and on the sea. Months of
pay were due TO more than half the
army; the well eg1ned closing bounty
was due to all, ar1d the sailors, beside
their back pay, were to receive millions
of prize money honestly their own. the
vast and almost incalculable amount
needed to be provided for these purpo-
ses must be had at once, and thanks to
the patriotism and the wealth of our
people it was had at once. j have this
morning visited the Treasury Depart
ment, and by the official statements
which hold in my hand it appears that
the disbursements for the army and
navy for the I74 days following Grants
closing victory amounted to S625, 100000.
Hence it will be seen that more than
three-fourths of the $500, ,00O, 900 so tri-
umphantly Paraded by Gov. Seymour
as the War and Navy expenses of the
past three years, were really dis sburSed
almost in one sum at the close of hostil-
tiles as the necessary expenses of mus
tering out our enormous military and
naval forces. To supply this vast sum
the current receipts of the Government
were consumed, ana the people directly
sivanced $3.50, 200, 600 by subscribing
that amount to the ever-memorable 7.30
loan. Do Gov. Seymour and his friends
find fault with the expenditure thus In
CURED in mastering out the Army? Do
they begrudge the soldiers their back
paw and bounty, and the sailors heir
hard-earned wages and the prize money!
IF not, let them cease to attack the Re-
publicans for promptly discharglng the
honorary debts of the Republic, for thus
paying the men who risked their lives
to saye the life of the nation.
Six hundred and twenty-five millions
of Gov. Seymour's $500, 1000, 900 being
thus expended in mastering out the
volunteers, his own figures show that
the current and legitimate expenses OF
both Army and Navy for the past three
years of peace have been but $l75,0O0,-
900, or little more than sos, 900, 900 per
annum for both branches of the service.
The Governors figures thus reduced are
not far from the truth, and they show.
degree of economy quite unknown in
Democratic times, Take the year 1858,
for example, in the administration OF
Mr.. Buchanan, and we find that the eX-
penses of the Navy were Sl4, 200, 900, and
of the Army nearly $4,000, ,000-for the
two well nigh SAC, ,O0O, ,0O0- and that was
in gold, and with an Army and Navy Of
less numbers than have been deemed
necessary for the security of the public
peace during the past three years. TAX
ing the difference in the amount of force
and the fact that the expenditures of
Mr.. Buchanan's administration were in
coin and the present expenditure in
paper, it will be seen that the result
shows strongly in favor of the economy
of Army expenses as administered by
General Grant. THE ARMY TO-DAY IN
FACT Costs MUCH LESS PER REGIMENT
IN PAPER THAN IT COST PER REGIMENT
IN GOLD UNDER THE LAST DEMOCRATIC
ADMINISTRATION. So much for Cover
nor Seymour's figures.