Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-06-17

people of the North in direct outlay
So, l00, 100000. With the much smaller
direct cost to the Confederacy, the de-
struction of property, and the interference
with industries, the total loss must have
been not less than IS 100000, 900, or one
half of the entire wealth of the nation
before the opening of hostilities.
After the conflict was over the national
debt stood at 81, 756, 100000. Year after
year it has been drag upon the resour-
ces of the country until nearly $2,OOO,-
900 has been discharged. But in the
thlrty-seven years since the war opened
the nation has paid in interest on that
debt an amount equal to the original
principal, and So, 1850, 100000 more in
pensions to the soldiers and their
families. These two items, the direct
fruits of war, amount to 5000, 000, 900,
and the end is not yet. The country is
paying annually in interest and pen
sions 100000, 900, which is more by
$50 600, 900 than ten and twenty years
ago and about equal to these same eX-
pendltures at the close of the war. 1t
is not improbable from the present out
look that another S2,000,000, 900 will be
paid in the same way before the obliga-
tons of that one war are met. During
the past six years, the expenditures for
wars past and future have averaged over
$3.50, 0O0, 900, or more by S50,0O0,0OO
pear than all the other expenses of the
government.
The total cost of the war to North and
South would have bought the freedom of
every slave, and left enough to pay all
the peace expenses of the federal govern
ment for half a century. The divided
nation expended money enough during
the struggle to supply every man, woman
and child with ample food for the entire
four years. And the sums spent, since,
because of the war, would feed the
people for another four years. The
treasure destroyed because of that con-
flict would purchase the entire $4,000
miles of railroad, with all its rolling
stock, stations, yards and other property;
and all the 2300 miles of canals, with
every boat that plies through their
waters; it would purchase in addition
every vessel flying the American flag on
all the oceans, rivers, and lakes of the
world; all the thousands of miles of tel
egraph and telephone lines and every
thing belonging to them; and all the
mines and quarries of the nation, includ-
ing the producers of gold, silver, Iron,
copper, petroleum, marble, and every
other substance that comes from the
interior of the earth. Even all these
would not exhaust the wealth spent
because of that war, since there would
yet be enough TO buy every schoolhouse
and church that the people of this
country now own.
The first battle of Bull Run cost the
North 5000 soldiers, and the South 2OOO.
At Shiloh $4,000 federals and 1000 con-
federates fell. On the "seven days
retreat" the two armies left behind them
$4,000 men. Antietam weakened the
northern army by $4,000 and the south
ern by 10000. At Gettysburg $4,000
federals and 81, 900 cOnfederates were
moved down. In the siege of Vicksburg
the southerners lost 81 900 men. The
three days In the Wilderness cost the
North 80 900. Sherman in his glorious
march to the sea left $1,000 soldiers
between Chattanooga and Atlanta.
Cornith has a record for both armies of
5000, Fredericksburg, 1000, Chancel'
louisville $4,000, Chickamauga $4,000,
Spottsylvania $4,000, and Stones Run
81, 900 men. Aud so the horrors might
be multiplied.
Official records show that in the armies
of the North II 900 were killed in action
during the war, 10000 died of wounds,
1856, 900 died of disease, and $4,000 died
from causes unknown, making total of
504 900 deaths of northern soldiers. But
these numbers do not include those who
died at their homes from wounds and
disease. 1t is not too high an estimate
to place the deaths in the North from
war at $50, 900. And for every northern
er that fell it is believed that southern
er died aso-700,( COO lives destroyed in
one short war. That struggle multiplied
three fold the death rate of ordinary
times, and took, not the children, the
aged, the sick and the weak, but the
very flower of the nations manhood.
Could every slain soldier have had ap-
propriate burial the hearses alone would
have formed funeral cortege from ocean
to ocean. Cut off every adult man in the
broad state of Ohio, and the victims of
such a catastrope would be no more
numerous.
The indirect expenses, which were
borne by the states, cities and towns,
and the resulting losses from the de-
struction of commerce, the paralyzation
of industries and the disturbance of
trade, were also enormous, and when to
these are added the suffering of the
soldiers In the field and hospitals, the
privations, anxiety and anguish of their
friends at home and the decentralization
that attended and followed that terrible
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