Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-12-03
TO THE PRINCE OF WATERLOO.
LITTER III,

2,
my Two former letters, addressed you as Duke; and
having dispatched tins point of ceremony pro-
coed to offer you some Remarks the affairs of Bel
GUM. There Is no doubt that the revolt i'll that
country was fastened by the revolution France.
but 1t Is clear that the of 1t existed before the
revolution In France much as though. Of for
we know that public writers were buused from Bel
GUM before the month OF July. and we know they
were bans!ed for Eahing known the grievances OF
the people. In all cases where revolutions made
by the people, the chief cause ever has been THE
TAXES. When the government leaves the people TO
enjoy the fruit Of their industry, they seldom revolt
as amongst individuals, r.nety Guarrels OF
every hundred ere about property of some soit or
other so 1t Is brtween governments and people. Men
never revolt, IF they have the full enjoyment Of he
fruits OF their boar, skill, aud aud whenever
we see restrain put OH tie press, may be sure
that tie gcver,IIn ut knows that tie people have
Cause s',r complain; because, it must know that no
writer, however able can persuade that tie IS
badly eff, when he well of; no writer can per-
su1de man that he is hungry and naked, when that
mans belly is full, and his body well clad.
9. But Of what do The Delgiass complain, They
Complain Of the heavy taxes they have to pay They
complain OF other things also, but this The of
the whole, Just as it IS England, and just as has
been IN country whr;e revcla havo sprung
from the people, which revolution of 63S did Rot,
tina. being revolution made by the arstocracy, and
for their benefit. The Americans moi, III I776,
loaded with taxes, but they that they should be.
The taxes were enacted by the taxing Parliament,
and the Americans resisted, rathc. than pay hem.
Their declaration oi Independence Contains twelve
distinct charges against the King of England; bat
the root of all was, Tia; he was about to load them
With taxes.
}. Tic French revolution Of 1899 had the same
Look the Gathers that were delivered in
t, the S ateS- General There were complaints re-
laiyc 10 The drot de chassc, the segneurial courts
ana vaious other things; but The great burden of he
complaint was, the enormous weight OF The taxes.
The sovereignty OF The people, The equality OF rights,
these came afterwards. They were true and Just;
taey were founded In nature aud reason; but they
YOU'D have remained buried i'll silence, if the cruel
burden OF tile TALES ani the TabelleS had drH yn
them forth
A. And have the taxes had nothing to do with this
last revolution in France The taxes in France
were become very heavy. though light compared wit ID
what have bear, but still they neavy; and,
accordingly, we tnd that the new King, in his very
first ordinances, promises a mitigation of the taxes
Tne ordinances of Pogpac outragesusy tyran-
meal; but the character of them would have
produced such effect The people saw, that ii
they submitted 10 these ordinances, they should be
deprived OF all voice in choosing representatives and
they saw, that they would enable the government 10
add to the taxes as much as it pleased This was
the real ground of The revolution. The people found
the taxes much TOO heavy aready and they saw, that
u the press were put dawn, and the right of represen
tation taken away, they should be wholly the
cyot the layers on OF taxes. The brave Parisians
cid not, therefore, fight for theory; no, for
principles but for ler property, for their very bread
D. Just the same IS it III Belgium. The people |
there demand repeal OF taxes. But what is |
the cause of the taxes? In England the great
Cause the Debt, contracted by the Septennlal
Pariiaments, to carry on wars against America and
France. In France the debt is great and how did |
1t come? II was contracted. principally, pay the
Allies for forcing the Bourbons back Frances to |
pay the ancient nob!cssc for coming back, pay, III
fact, for treasons committed against the people of
France; and this Debt was expected to bind he mo-
ued people TO the Bnurbons so firmly to enable !
the government to set all disconteBs defiance for
the future In Belgium the debt, which very great
in proportion to the resources of the country was
present made the poor Belgians. along with their
new King! They had no debt before: when under
the French they had debit but their former sove-
rel "a, the Emperor OF Germany, having contracted
debt with the Jews, Tire new King was TO have Bel
GUM upon condition OF making the Belgians pay the
Of this debt! And thus these fortunate peo-
pie got legitimate sovereign and national debt at
and The same time, both present from the gen
allied sovereIgns! The people of Belgium
complain OF many thpgs and dare say, very Justly;
but root is the taxes which perfectly enor-
nous.
{. Well, nov, mon Prince de Waterloo, what re-
dress they to have? 1t 10 said that the Belgian
King will make concessions. What concessions ?
W! he take off the taxes? That is what the people
and if he DO that, how he to pay the interest
CT the debt? They do got ask him cease to paw /
the interest of tho debt; they only ask him 10 cease
TO take from them the OF paying ii. VOLTA /
toCt That's all: and that is not nuc So that one
of two things must happen his Belric Afaiestv.
he must refuse 20 make concessions, or must have
national bankruptcy and in either of which cases
would notgive much for his Majestys crown
7. What, however, is the interesting point here
1t is this land beseech the French to look well to
t), that national debt cannot long exist to anv
considerable amount, in any country where he peo-
pie choose those who made the laws / bescech the
excellent who is the chnif magistrate IN
France, and bcsrcch the French Legislators to con-
slider seriously that proposition, and to be prepared
for the couseque noes which will naturally result
from the experimental establishment of its truth
a people who have 10 voice in the making of the
laws will submit for ages TO pay the interest of o
national debt: they will submit it, as they do to cyl
cry other OPPRESSION until they get rid oft by
force: but If they have voice in THE making Of the
VS. they will not iOrr submit TO it. There is in n
bt of this sort, something abhorrent to natural
right, something Contrary to all Dotous of
property and justice, that people ever will submit
TO it. if they have the power to refuse submission
Suppose alaw passed to enable all who are now
Just married to borrow money and to spend it, and to
mortga re the labor Of the children proceeding from
Their marriages, IN order to pay off the debts thus
contracted. Ia there IN the world 10 90
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