Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1842-08-23
,IEXAs.-Number :

'~@Ae
You will now ask, if Ter..
danger Of conquest by n,bol IS IN no
ers and can "a! maintain hei indepeDdPsoS" pow
against Mexico !; has she ,b psnoence
OF supporting herself; | anan means
has and those who think di@sr r, She
ton. ue condl-
The Government of the rru;,.,
States derives her chief suDpor T| r
impost duties, the state G61 pO.s from
derive theirs from a direct ,.r 4'nen's
Inc persons and property within I G!
respective limits F; Texas der;r" " inelf
from both these sources. Eb. 20 nef'
found that both the General and nd S Seen
Governments can be thus smnIs '.Ia'e
ported and the people not com9l.; ;uP
their. taxes. 1t will take but liuIe ~, rna u
for the support Of Texas than + , J
forthe support Of one ofour larrerS sO.s
and II that support is divided belra. 's
Imposts and direct taxes as befo,o go. -
ted it is apparent that the mean. s ~.
be made ample and yet the taxes r =,
upon the people. S"'
The revenue from imposts of tho
General Government is about ,wo
dollars a head for every human hem
in it in Texas it is about one 5o'.s
q think little less) the duties in ,ba
United States are upon an avsrsm o
about thirty five pr. cent in rexas tbov
are twenty. If there be popuI,lion
OF one hundred Thousand person, in
Texas and the duties only at thesame
rate they are in the UOited States 80
Iper head it would be quite sufficient
to defray the expenses Of the Govern.
ment in time Of peace, and as the DON
ulatlOn increases the revenue wopd
increase. The amount of duties paid
TO the Government would be greater IN
Texas IN proportion to the consump-
ton than it is in the United States, be.
cause being new settled country she
has to obtain from abroad nearly every
article Of consumption and use, (excep!
provisions)whilst the United States has
capital Of S267, 726,579 employed
in manufacturing.
| AS it has been demonstrated for moro
than a half century that our Govern
ment can support herself chiefly by
revenue from impost duties, and be-
sides that pay off a large debt oftwo
wars: why, | would ask cannot Texas
do the same and not make the duties
IparticIe higher than they are in the
United States? This surely is perfect
| Iy practicable and must be admitted.
But then there is the whole amount
of revenue from a direct tax, THAT is,
a tax upon the persons and property in
the Government, the same that we pay
in our State Governments.l You can
not doubt but that she might support
herselfby this means entirely and aban-
don the duty on imports; but so far from
making this tax oppressive, the Prssi-
dent tells Congress in his last message
that it will scarcely deray the expense
-of collecting it. Now by dividing
.the revenue between these two sour.
ices it will most assuredly make the
duties and taxes much lighter Than
.they are in the United States. And
yet Texas has another means Of sup
port, a treasure that has not been
touched, she has one hundred and IF
ty millions Of acres Of land. After in
forming you Of these facts and pointing
QUITO you clearly the manner in which
it can be done, viii you again enquire,
how will she support her Government!
Just what the United States has and
can do, Texas can and will do.
You will perhaps now enquire, if
these things be so, how is it that the
financial affairs of Texas are IN such a
bad condition ? And pray, my Gear
sir permit me to enquire, how is il that
the financial affairs Of our General
and of nearly every State
Government is in such a bad condi-
ton ? The only difference is, that the
United States is in little better credit
because she is an older Government
but that very age should have brought
with it sufficient discretion 10 have
prevented these things, whilst the
young Republic of Texas just merging
into manhood and recently out Of
bloody and expensive revolution IS
blamed for being In debt. But be as
sured of this fact, that if the General
and State Governments have the means
to pay their Indebtedness, Texas has
;hem fully as abundantly.
Ihave before said that Texas IS pat
terning after the United States, and
here is another proof, for whilst the lat
ter was making her debts hundreds
of millions, the former would have been
extremely Questionable not to make 4
debt of a few millions too.
The glorious times of 1886 ana
1887 when all hearts, heads and HANDS
were full to overAowing, when the SIN
gle Star Banner hoated high IN tne
6roeza and ebone with resplendent
lustre,a debt was necessary PTerequf.
site to her greatness, and a sell eVloen'