abraham lincoln and the union-第29节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ng　dragon。　　Who；　in　the　last　analysis；　provided　all　these　supplies？　　Who　paid　the　soldiers？　Who　supplemented　their　meager　pay　and　supported　their　families？　The　people；　of　course；　and　they　did　so　both　directly　and　indirectly。　　In　taxes　and　loans　they　paid　to　the　Government　about　three　thousand　millions　of　dollars。　　Their　indirect　assistance　was　perhaps　as　great；　though　it　is　impossible　today　to　estimate　with　any　approach　to　accuracy　the　amount　either　in　money　or　service。　Among　obvious　items　are　the　collections　made　by　the　Sanitary　Commission　for　the　benefit　of　the　hospital　service；　amounting　to　twenty…five　million　dollars；　and　about　six　millions　raised　by　the　Christian　Commission。　　In　a　hundred　other　ways　both　individuals　and　localities　strained　their　resources　to　supplement　those　of　the　Government。　　Immense　subscription　lists　were　circulated　to　raise　funds　for　the　families　of　soldiers。　　The　city　of　Philadelphia　alone　spent　in　this　way　in　a　single　year　600；000。　　There　is　also　evidence　of　a　vast　amount　of　unrecorded　relief　of　needy　families　by　the　neighbors；　and　in　the　farming　districts；　such　assistance；　particularly　in　the　form　of　fuel　during　winter；　was　very　generally　given。

What　made　possible　this　enormous　total　of　contributions　was；　in　a　word；　the　general　willingness　of　those　supporting　the　war　to　forego　luxuries。　　They　ceased　buying　a　great　multitude　of　unnecessary　things。　　But　what　became　of　the　labor　that　had　previously　supplied　the　demand　for　luxuries？　　A　part　of　it　went　the　way　of　all　other　Northern　laborinto　new　trades；　into　the　army；　or　to　the　Westand　a　part　continued　to　manufacture　luxuries：　for　their　market；　though　curtailed；　was　not　destroyed。　　There　were；　indeed；　two　populations　in　the　North；　and　they　were　separated　by　an　emotional　chasm。　　Had　all　the　North　been　a　unit　in　feeling；　the　production　of　articles　of　luxury　might　have　ceased。　　Because　of　this　emotional　division　of　the　North；　however；　this　business　survived；　for　the　sacrifice　of　luxurious　expenditure　was　made　by　only　a　part　of　the　population；　even　though　it　was　the　majority。

Furthermore；　the　whole　matter　was　adjusted　voluntarily　without　systematic　government　direction；　since　there　was　nothing　in　the　financial　policy　of　the　Government　to　correspond　to　conscription。　Consequently；　both　in　the　way　of　loans　and　in　the　way　of　contributions；　as　well　as　in　the　matter　of　unpaid　service；　the　entire　burden　fell　upon　the　war　party　alone。　　In　the　absence　of　anything　like　economic　conscription；　if　such　a　phrase　may　be　used；　those　Northerners　who　did　not　wish　to　lend　money；　or　to　make　financial　sacrifice；　or　to　give　unpaid　service；　were　free　to　pursue　their　own　bent。　　The　election　of　1864　showed　that　they　formed　a　market　which　amounted　to　something　between　six　and　nine　millions。　　There　is　no　reason　to　suppose　that　these　millions　in　1864　spent　less　on　luxuries　than　they　did　in　1860。　　Two　or　three　items　are　enough。　　In　1860；　the　importation　of　silk　amounted　to　32　million　dollars；　in　1862；　in　spite　of　inflated　prices；　it　had　shrunk　to　7　millions；　the　consumption　of　malt　liquors　shrank　from　101　million　gallons　in　1860　to　62　million　gallons　in　1863；　of　coffee；　hardly　to　be　classed　as　a　luxury；　there　were　consumed　in　1861；　184　million　pounds　and　in　1863；　80　millions。

The　clue　to　the　story　of　capital　is　to　be　found　in　this　fact；　too　often　forgotten；　that　there　was　an　economic…political　division　cutting　deep　through　every　stratum　of　the　Northern　people。　　Their　economic　life　as　well　as　their　political　life　was　controlled　on　the　one　hand　by　a　devotion　to　the　cause　of　the　war；　and　on　the　other　hand　by　a　hatred　of　that　cause　or　by　cynical　indifference。　And　we　cannot　insist　too　positively　that　the　Government　failed　very　largely　to　take　this　fact　into　account。　　The　American　spirit　of　invention；　so　conspicuous　at　that　time　in　mechanics；　did　not　apply　itself　to　the　science　of　government。　　Lincoln　confessedly　was　not　a　financier；　his　instinct　was　at　home　only　in　problems　that　could　be　stated　in　terms　of　men。　　Witness　his　acceptance　of　conscription　and　his　firmness　in　carrying　it　through；　as　a　result　of　which　he　saved　the　patriotic　party　from　bearing　the　whole　burden　of　military　service。　But　there　was　no　parallel　conservation　of　power　in　the　field　of　industry。　　The　financial　policy；　left　in　the　hands　of　Chase；　may　truly　be　described　as　barren　of　ideas。　　Incidentally；　it　may　be　mentioned　that　the　〃loyal〃　North　was　left　at　the　mercy　of　its　domestic　enemies　and　a　prey　to　parasites　by　Chase's　policy　of　loans　instead　of　taxes　and　of　voluntary　support　instead　of　enforced　support。

The　consequence　of　this　financial　policy　was　an　immense　opportunity　for　the　〃disloyally〃　and　the　parasites　to　make　huge　war　profits　out　of　the　〃loyals〃　and　the　Government。　　Of　course；　it　must　not　be　supposed　that　everyone　who　seized　the　chance　to　feather　his　nest　was　so　careless　or　so　impolitic　as　to　let　himself　be　classed　as　a　〃disloyal。〃　　An　incident　of　the　autumn　of　1861　shows　the　temper　of　those　professed　〃loyals〃　who　were　really　parasites。　　The　background　of　the　incident　is　supplied　by　a　report　of　the　Quartermaster…General：

〃Governors　daily　complain　that　recruiting　will　stop　unless　clothing　is　sent　in　abundance　and　immediately　to　the　various　recruiting　camps　and　regiments。　　With　every　exertion；　this　department　has　not　been　able　to　obtain　clothing　to　supply　these　demands；　and　they　have　been　so　urgent　that　troops　before　the　enemy　have　been　compelled　to　do　picket　duty　in　the　late　cold　nights　without　overcoats；　or　even　coats；　wearing　only　thin　summer　flannel　blouses。。。。　　Could　150；000　suits　of　clothing；　overcoats；　coats；　and　pantaloons　be　placed　today；　in　depot；　it　would　scarce　supply　the　calls　now　before　us。　　They　would　certainly　leave　no　surplus。〃

The　Government　attempted　to　meet　this　difficulty　in　the　shortest　possible　time　by　purchasing　clothing　abroad。　　But　such　disregard　of　home　industry；　the　〃patriotism〃　of　the　New　England　manufacturers　could　not　endure。　　Along　with　the　report　just　quoted；　the　Quartermaster…General　forwarded　to　the　Secretary　of　War　a　long　argumentative　protest　from　a　committee　of　the　Boston　Board　of　Trade　against　the　purchase　of　army　clothing　in　Europe。　　Any　American　of　the　present　day　can　guess　how　the　protest　was　worded　and　what　arguments　were　used。　　Stripped　of　its　insincerity；　it　signified　this：　the　cotton　mills　were　inoperative　for　lack　of　material；　their　owners　saw　no　chance　to　save　their　dividends　except　by　requipment　as　woolen　mills；　the　existing　woolen　mills　also　saw　a　great　chance　to　force　wool　upon　the　market　as　a　substitute　for　cotton。　　In　Ohio；　California；　Pennsylvania；　and　Illinois；　the　growers　of　wool　saw　the　opportunity　with　equal　clearness。　　But；　one　and　all；　these　various　groups　of　parasites　saw　that　their　game　hinged　on　one　condition：　the　munitions　market　must　be　kept　open　until　they　were　ready　to　monopolize　government　contracts。　　If　soldiers　contracted　pneumonia　doing　picket　duty　on　cold　nights；　in　their　summer　blouses；　that　was　but　an　unfortunate　incident　of　war。

Very　different　in　spirit　from　the　protest　of　the　Boston　manufacturers　is　a　dispatch　from　the　American　minister　at　Brussels　which　shows　what　American　public　servants；　in　contrast　with　American　manufacturers；　were　about。　　Abroad　the　agents　of　North　and　South　were　fighting　a　commercial　duel　in　which　each　strove　to　monopolize　the　munitions　market。　　The　United　States　Navy；　seeing　things　from　an　angle　entirely　different　from　that　of　the　Boston　Board　of　Trade；　ably　seconded　the　ministers　by　blockading　the　Southern　ports　and　by　thus　preventing　the　movement　of　specie　and　cotton　to　Europe。　　As　a　consequence；　fourmonth　notes　which　had　been　given　by　Southern　agents　with　their　orders　fell　due；　had　to　be　renewed；　and　began　to　be　held　in　disfavor。　　Agents　of　the　North；　getting　wind　of　these　hitches　in　negotiations；　eagerly　sought　to　take　over　the　unpaid　Confederate　orders。　　All　these　details　of　the　situation　help　to　explain　the　jubilant　tone　of　this　dispatch　from　Brussels　late　in　November；　1861：

〃I　have　now　in　my　hands　complete　control　of　the　principal　rebel　contracts　on　the　continent；　viz。：　206；000　yards　of　cloth　ready　for　delivery；　already　commencing　to　move　forward　to　Havre；　gray　but　can　be　dyed　blue　in　twenty　days；　100；000　yards　deliverable　from　15th　of　December　to　26th　of　January；　light　blue　army　cloth；　same　as　ours；　100；000　blankets；　40；000　guns　to　be　shipped　in　ten　days；　20；000　saber　bayonets　to　be　delivered　in　six　weeks。。。。　　The　winter　clothing　for　100；000　men　taken　out　of　their　hands；　when　they　cannot　replace　it；　would　almost　compensate　for　Bull　Run。　There　is　no　considerable　amount　of　cloth　to　be　had　in　Europe；　the　stocks　are　very　short。〃

The　Secretary　of　War　was　as　devoid　of　ideas　as　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　was　and　even　less　equipped　with　resisting　power。　Though　he　could　not　undo　the　work　already　done　by　the　agents　of　the　Government　abroad；　he　gave　way　as　rapidly　as　possible　to　the　allied　parasites　whose　headquarters；　at　the　moment；　were　in　Boston。　　The　story　grows　uglier　as　we　proceed。　　Two　powerful　commercial　combinations　took　charge　of　the　policy　of　the　woolen　intereststhe　National　Woolgrowers'　Association　and　the　National　Association　of　Wool　Manufacturers；　which　were　soon　in　control　of　this　im