New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-13


some part Of the responsibility for this
expensive result, without throwing the
whole responsibility upon their opponents
who waged the war. The object of all
Just government is to avoid war. It al
ways brings relaxation Of law. 1t gives
to men consideration for military quail
ties which would not have been vouchsafed
them in state of peace. It involves ex-
penses of an extravagant and exceptional
character. It unsettles the equivalents Of
value, disturbs the supplies of commerce,
and institutes q scale of expenditure
wasteful and irresponsible in its character.
While, therefore, the Confederate
courtmartial sits in inquiry into the direct
and consequential debt and expenditure
of the government, suppose we cite the
example Of the Confederate government
itself, at the same time and from the
same causes, a proof of our obligations:
Toward the close of the war Mr.. Jefferson
Davis, President of the Confederacy, an
nounced that the financial expectations,
based on import duties, had been frus-
trated by the blockade, and the concilla-
ton of neutral nations. Internal taxes
were only collected in three States. The
chief revenue, then, of the Confederacy
consisted in the sale of bonds and treasury
notes. SIN this state of things" said
President Davis, "superinduced almost
unavoidably by the fortunes Of war, the
issues of treasury notes were increased
until the currency in circulation amount
ed to more than six hundred millions OF
dollars, or more than three-fold the
amount required by the business of the
country" The funded debt of the Con-
federacy was immense, as the currency
declined, until ultimately it was six
thousand for one. The decentralization
of Congress and of the public service
was notorious.
The expressions of the Confederate gov
eminent disguised many into disatfec-
ton. Death and condagration have de-
stroyed these evidences and records of the
unavoidable" expenses of the Confed-
crate war Does it lie in the mouth Of
Confederates now in Congress to hold the
United States responsible for similar ex-
penses? Is it to become political law
that if party defend the existence of this
government they are to be expelled from
all future trust by subsequent combi-
nation of their own dsaffected associates
with their enemies in the field? If this
be 80, we need never expect the saviors of
the government to consent to another act
of amnesty. If the American people
who gave their lives and property to this
war, and who demanded that this debt,
with its concurrent and consequent ex-
penses should be increased, should de-
mand an account Iof Republican steward
ship, We may conceive that their servants
should respectfully bear and abide by
their award. Here, however, We have
disafected Democrats who pronounced
the war failure, hung upon the arm Of
the nation, and never gave their moral |
aid, who now demand that the war party
should be driven from the direction of
the government. This mutinous minor
ity could be dealt with by the people.
but they come with formidable alliance.
The American people, with generosity
which does them honor, removed the po-
litical disabilities of those whose resist. |
auce had caused the debt and its conse-
quences. These, unanimously uniting
with the anti-war Democracy, propose to
expel the Union Republicans from power.
What would be the consequence? The
restoration of the power and principles
which governed before the war; the pen
Atty Of eternal expulsion from the trusts
Of the Union for having defended its ex-
lstence. Such would be the conse-
lueaces of allowing peace Democrats
and secessionists to hold the Union sol. !
iers to account for the costs and conse-
l0erces Of war.