The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-01-06

past wears as to render uncertain the success
| of an appeal to 1t at such critical perlod as
the present. The total debt OF Prussia, In
Guiding the loan negotiated last August 70
meet the expenses OF tne on, war, ar bUndred
and twenty-five millions of thalers, or
less than three hundred millions OF dol
lars in gold. AS Prussia proper has a
population of nearly twenty-five millions,
and an annual public income of nearly one
hundred and eighty millions Oh tnalers, Her
financial condition must be acknowledged 70
be O very sound one In comparison Win mat
of other European monarchlal states. Ine
other German States engaged IN Inc war WIN
France. with total population OF fifteen NIL"
lions. are burdened with public debts amount
ing in the aggregate, to little over Blk hundred
millions Of thalers, or four hundred ana twen-
ty millions of dollars gold. But OF the aSgre-
gate of one thousand aud twenty-five millions
of thalers, thus representing the public debt OF
all Germany, about one-third was contracted
for the construction OF railways; which have,
in most cases, regularly earned the interest
guaranteed by the States, and in not few yield
q profit over and above it. The railway pro-
perty thus created also possesses a value
very nearly equal to fs cost; SO tnat, on tMe
whole, this part Of the na1ionai deot mas naro-
ly proved public burden.
Youhave learned ere this, from the estimates
| laid before the North German Parliament, that
in the four months from July 10 till November
l6, the expenses of the Government Oh tne
North German Confederacy on account OF the
war have amounted to juss one hundred no
twenty millions Of thalers, or at the aYeIase
rate OF one million thalers, OF seven nunureu
thousand dollars in gold, per day. me war
expenditures of the four South German States
I'D to this time have amounted together TO
sixty millions of forms, or about thirty-lour
and half millions of thalers, or between
twenty three and twentyiour millions OF DOL
lars In gold. Adding the South German TO the
North German disbursements, we obtain an
aggregate expenditure during four months OF
war OF one hundred and ffty-four and half
millions of thelers, or at the rate OF little
over one million and quarter OF thalers, equal
to lust about a million In American currency
at the present price Of gold, per day.
Now to American eyes, accustomed 10 tne
huge figures of the Federal War budget during
the civil war, this rate Of expenditure Will no
doubt seem exceedingly moderate. But to
Germany, whose prices aud wagesare much
lower, the amount appears just as formidable
as three times larger rate would appear 10
the American public. And yet the amount is
is really small when the magnitude OF the part
PLAYED by Germany In the contest, ana the
cost of maintaining 1000 prisoners is con-
sidered: and this is owing to various reasons.
In the iirst place, the stricE discipline enforced
in the German armies prevents the waste by
carelessness of uniforms, arms, acce rtrements,
ammunItlons, horses and vehicles, Whlcn
added so much to the cost OF the American
war, Ex-volunteer officers Will no doubt be
astonfshed to learn that the German forces
have not been reuniformed since the outbreak
of the war. In the next place, the large supply
OF war material collected By the German Gov
ernments in peace times has saved them
great deal of expense. Then the pay OF the
German soldiery Is very small, prirates re-
ceirlng only about s. IN gold per month; ana,
finally. the fact that the war has been carried
on in a highly cultivated and thickly settled
country, where the invading forces have lived
and still li7e largely on the enemy's resources,
has greatly diminished the cost Of feeding the
troops.
The figures given reprcsent however, only
the amounts expended b. the several govern
ments, and not by any means the entire COST
In money or its equivalent TO the German peo-
pie. Ihave had occasion during the progress
of the Southern rebellion to become thorough
Iy familiar with the generous private sacrifices
made from patriotic motives In the Northern
States, but do not hesitate to- say that indie
pendently of the government expenditures the
Germans, as people, have made and are Still
making even greater contributions to the
cause Of the Fatncrland. The central bureau
of the National Aid Society Of Berlin has re-
ceiyed so lar nearly three millions Of thalers
for the sick and wounded. But this amount,
though large in itself, Is insignificant with the
aggregate of the additional Sums raised and
expended directly by local committees
throughout the country during the last four
months and halt. There Is not o city, town
or village in all Germany where patriotism has
not manifested itself IN this direction 10 moss
liberal extent. From the scores Of statements
by committees of the larger cities and promi-
nent communities which have seer In print,
know do not eXaggerat, In estimating the
amount of money raised up TO this time for the
benefit OF the sick and wounded at fifteen MIL
lions Of thalers.
Nor has the earnest patriotism Of this nation
confined itself to contributions IN money.
Those in kind for the benefit OF hospitals as
well as for the troops in the field have been
still more generous. Every day witnesses the
departure tor the seat of war, from different
parts of Germany, of long trains loaded down
with 'sllebesgabez," or gifts of love, as their
freight is 50 appropriately named, lor tne inca
tre OF war. In the published reports OF aid
committees. the value In money OF the con-
tributions in kind is placed uniformly at a
much higher lgure-sometimes three, four
anil five times higher-tllan the amount OF
moley received. The hospitals established in
Germany, moreover, have been built and sup
piled almost entirely as che expense OF the
inhabitants of the localities in which they are
situated.
\ The people everywhere sacrifice large
amounts oil money for the benefit of the SOL
dIers in the field in still another way. The pay
of the rank and file being entirely inadequate
to the satisfaction Of their customary wants, a
very large portion Of the business OF the army
post consists in carrying valuable letters con.
tanning remitances to soldiers from friends at
home. According TO the published statements
of the. postal authorities the amounts thus
sent have averaged between fifty and sixty
thousand thalers per day.
The support. too, Of the families OF the SOL
ders constitutes another and no light bur-
den. The pecuniary aid extended to them is
furnished in part by the municipal authorities
of the localities where the soldiers families
live. but the largest share of it is derived from
private benevolence. AS the average allow
ance is two thalers per week to every wife and
aged parent, and one thaler per week to every
child many millions have already been ex-
pended in this direction also.
Now, what Is the effect ot the large eXpendi.
lures of money by the governments and OF
s'gifts of love" in money and In kind OF the
people, which latter amount in the aggregate
to probably as much as the former? Have