Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-04-04
RICHMOND. TUESDAY, APRIL i.
rur s1-ayG OF TIE WIGS.

RICHMOND. TlESDAt, ATtIL 4.
THE SLAyG OF THE WINGS.
The Wings payirg desperate game Tor the
ascerdancy at the next Spring Elections The whole
Whis press Of Virginia, as II ny common under
sand,nc seem resolved 10 stake the issue upon the
r.x LII which the Democrats OF the Legislature
| ,hnucht necessary 10 the credit and honor OF
the State The Richmond wing, Inc acknowledged
ornan Of the party has again and again tired lis broad
side mon the "Demagogges Who passed Tie Tax bill,
and has sounded the war cry, which IS re.echoed Ivy
| The minor trumpets in the ranks. The Tax bill has
heen denounced as odlous, unjust and tyranncal-iis
authors have been Haunted with The basest motives,
that could acluate public men, VIZ deliberate de
sGn TO create political capital by laying all the bur
,bens upon one class because they were Whgs) and
n,rely exempling another class, because they were
Democrats We boldly meet The issue, and will Prove
| the rross Injustice Of the accusation.
| Wb,t pre the facts Of the case year ago the
Wings of the Legislature, instead oil taxing fine and
enlightened stand providing Tor Tue REIMBURSEMENT
of The credit of the State sound basis, pursued the
,emnor;z,ng policy of borrowing from hand 10 mouth;
aud when ih, late Democratic Legislature convened
the faith and honor OF The Stale were dImmcd by a
cloud of suspicion Many predicted mat this good old
mother of States would have 10 ens' under The black
ra;sinp rom the dust the bright fame Of Virginia,
thus thrown upon the Democrats oil the Legislature,
and molly have they met their duty.
The Wings themselves admit that II was necessary
10 raise the taxes, and that they were wiling to go Tor
ry necessary increase On tins point, then, they jus
III The action oil the Democrats. They complain bit
terlv however, Of the "nncqua ard odious manner in
which il was done ana here The Democrats take Issue
with them Hitherto the whole buhen oil the Govern
msnl had been thrown upon land and negroes The
moneyed man. vino had enjoyed tie protection Of the
laws bad contributed nothing stch 10 the support 0!
the Government. The Democrats saw the injustice oil
this state Of things and resolved 10 apply adequate
remedy They wisely determined % establish the prn
cpe that capital should pay for lis own protection, and
we firmly believe that this principle will be cherished
by the whole people, whether in iown country. This
is the main feature in the tax bill just passed-Wh out
it, the credit of The State would have been sunk and
the States stock deprecated, the whole burden
would have been thrown upon land and negroes, sys-
tenn OF taxatio which would have been grossly unjust
In the alternative presented, the Legislature could no,
hesitate 10 take the oil justice and wisdom, and
this we contend, they have done laying the grand
principle Of taxing according 10 the ability to pay.
But the "Whig singles out tof its peculiar attacks,
the idea tina, by the tax bill, ovesee.s are exempted
from taxation, (hecause they ale Democrats0 and
clerks in towns are oppressed with heavy burthens
because they are Whigs) We deny, at the outset,
that ny such improper motive acuated The Legislature
AS 10 the Wings sympathy Tor the clerks in the
towns, who firmly represented as being designedly
oppressed we think it is entirely groundless. In the
House of Delegates it for the benefit Of the clerks,
that tax levied on the excess of their salaries
orer S250-and the very morning when the bill was
sent 10 the Senate, we heard strong minded Senator
MIR Sloan of H. remark, that he had made enquiries,
aud was satisfied that in justice to the clerks OF Rich
mond the minimum should BE- placed higher, and the
should he levied only the excess OF their salaries
orer ;:i00 This measure was accordingly incorpora
ted into the bill THIS very measure winch was adopt
cd for The benefit oi the clerks Of the towns, has been
distorted by The Wing INTO a tyFannous, cold hlooded
scheme, TO oppress tie clerks, and 10 favor the over
seers But what ell handed relief would II have been
10 the clerks Of the cities if the tax had been levied
on as low salary M Sl00!- TINS would have been in
deed very great kindness To them-for, salary of
5000 would then have pa'd sc, instead Of only s.
under The present law-But such is the precious logic
of the Wing The people too intelligent to be
led by such forced consfnctons-the subject IS too
simple TO be misunderstood by any one, who will ex
anime il coolly and honestly. The efforts OF the
WING TO caioe that worthy class OF citizens, the over
seeIs will la OF success They will sustain the laws,
and will net WITH the Independence and patriotism
which they have always evnced. They the men, to
saw with the Goochand oversecr, We chad rather pay
10 the las, cent, ihaa mother State disgraced
Blu, what right have the Wings to complain of the
"odous defects OF this Tax bill: Dad they propose bet
ter sche me- they should have done, II they were so
hucelv dissatisfied with this bill They did not they
rave up the whole subject 10 the Democrats, and now
that il has become law they vent their inprecatons on
it, and invoke the law loving patriotic citizens oil Frgna
In RESISTANCE. They do not aid the other party in
their efforts raise the Old Commonwealth out Of her
her legislators and thereby, TO hwat and defeat the
execution Of the necessary laws. Oh that they had
one grain Of The patriotism and justice winch charac-
terizc the following extracts from our independent and
worthy neighbor Of the Compiler
"The misguided petitions Tor relief which created
much excitement and alarm IN this ci,y-whici m
creased ,hc ds,csses Of the country while there vas
uncertainty OF what would the action upon them
were deliberately considered and rejected by the lie
rslature II being satisfied that nothing could b. done
for the relief of the people from their Indebtedness
This action of the Legislature has had good eiecl IN
increasing the confidence of the mercantile class IN the
stability Of the laws relative to debtor and creditor,
while the that must have ensued 10 large portion
of that class had the prayer OF the petitioners been
granted has been averted This fortunate issue of the
agitation has done and will do much for the general
prosperity.
ain this view Of things, go far from ndulging the
complaints that whilom uttered by the CONNER
cnl people, that Government did nothing 10 restore
sound eurrency- they have 10 he thankful that their
personal rights left unmoIested.
cine prices of every thing down, so that people
who make less than formerly, live chcaper-peope and
States are rerenchng expenses, and making provision
for getting out of debt Our State, in particular has
taken steps TO place her credit in the most elevated
position Our exports are increasing, while our imports
falling off, and the most determined zenl in the pro-
secutlon Of economy and industry prevails throughout
the land 1t will not take long under these crcum-
stances, TO place the Union itself in an independent
condition, and re establish its fair fame in Europe.
Our State having participated less than others IN
the lolles Of The reign OF extravaganza, will sooner
resume the even tenor OF her prosperity The bur
thens of taxation are heavy, baa they rM be borne
paticnty to redeem national character, and main.
tain the public faith.
The Wing is compelled 10 admit, in variety Of
cases, The justice of the 0d raiorem principle-and
yet ii complains of lis application in the present Inv
II is attempting 10 produce murmurs aud resistance IN
the Ci,ies-but if it be proper in the Wing to COM
plain the part Of the towns because they are 10
pay their proportion of the taxes, with much more jus
tce would the farmer have TO complain, if the whole
burhens had been thrown upon them! Yet, accord
ing 10 the showing of the Wing ITSELF such at least
must have been lis system, if i. would have done any
thing all to cherish the credit and preserve the faith
of the State
TO TIE EDITORS OF THE ENQUIRER
Dear Sirs As great efforts row making BY the
Wings to make elcclonccring capital out Of the Tax
Bill receny passed by the Legislature, l think you
could not performa acceptable service 10 the De-
mocra,ic party, than to publish in your paper the