Mississippi Democrat., 1846-05-06

II
1887, chGHerjag thc Union Bank.
In the Declaration Of independence, by
the immortal Jefferson, we are told that
liberty is an nalenabIe right. The same
principle is inculcaled by John Taylor, ot
Caroline, when he says that man cannot
sell himself or his child. Patrick Henry
was fond of saying that the principal bu-
siness of good government was the pre-
seryaion OF The liberties Of the people.
If the doctrine of Daniel Webster, and of
the writer OF the article on State Debts,
in the January number of the Southern
Quarterly Review for lS43, be correct,
the sages of the Revolution were guilty
of promuIgating false principles. The
course of many Of the States for the last
ten years, II sanctioned by the people, in
submitting to be taxed to pay debts, made
for any and every purpose other than the
support Of government, will virtually set
aside the doctrines Of Taylor, Jefferson,
and Henry. In that case, it will be found
that the liberty Of the people has been
allenated, and that the principal business
of the State governments has been TO e-
bertIes Of the people, instead of preserv-
ing them-thus making government a
curse, instead of blessing
The great difference between a free
man and a slave is, that the former enjoys
the benefit of his own labor, while the lat
ter labors for the benefit of master We
are prone to think that the right OF suffrage
is the badge Of freedom. This is fatal
mistake. People may have this right in
It's most unlimited sense, and yet be slaves.
They may not labor under the eye of a
task master or oVerseer, but if the proceeds
of their labor are taken from them by dis
honest and unwise legislation, they are
none the less slaves, because not watched
while they are working.
In a state of nature, before the forma-
ton of governments, every man was free.
lie regulated his conduct as he chose, re-
speeding others, and the proceeds of his
labor belonged to himself only, in the fall
sense of the term. When governments
were instituted, this right was yielded so
far as conserving to be taxed for the sup
port OF goyernmenl,-e individual con-
sdering the protection it would give him
as an equivalent for the concession thus
made. 1t is not material TO inquire, what
other concessions were made. We are
Cnly concerned with the right of being
taxed. This right, as before remarked,
was only yielded 10 a certain extent, that
IS, for the support OF government. But
can the government, because it has the
right of taxation, carry it SO far as TO re-
bn nh Il,
tainIy not, and the people are the only
Judges in this matter. Whenever they
find that the government is taxing them
into slavery, oStenslbly for lis support,
they have the right of resisting the pay
ment Of such taxes, and, if necessary, to
dissolve the government, and erect ano-
ther that will subServe the end for which
governments are, or ought to be, created,
namely, the preservation OF the liberties
of the people, When the government at
tcmpts 10 tax them for any other purpose
than lis own support, be the amount ever
so small, their right OF resistance cannot
be seriously doubted. No one, we pre-
sumo, who values liberty, will contend tha
any State in this Union has the right to tal
the people 70 any amount for It's support
that IS, for the support Of It's officers. Couic
II rightutIy tax the people TO such an ex
tent as TO give individuals any salary they
choose to require? Certainly not. The
admission would be lantamount to declar
ing, that when the people voluntarily form
ed a gov ernment, they made an indenturt
of themselves TO those in power-whicE
is absurd. The people may, at any time
refuse to be taxed sufficiently even tC
keep up the forms OF government. They
are, then, resolved, by their own act, int
q stale Of nature.
Again, debts made for the support o
government are not binding on the peopl,
unless pald within a reasonable time atte
they are contracted. The State of Soul
Carolina, for instance, could not righifuIy
issue and sell bonds, payable twenty, thir
ty, or fifty years hence, in order to rast
money 10 support her government till iha
tlme. This would be putting a double
Durlhen on Posterity, as they would have
Oy WlS process, TO support their own 60
NeIhmeht, and that of those who had pre-
ceoed mem Tor half a century. This. il
Inc strohg language of Jefferson, would b,
swIndiIng futurlty on a large scale. -
The right OF posterty to repudiate sucl
bonds, or debts, is as clear and undoubt
ed as the right Of seIfdefence, when w
are attacked by robber or murderer
Those who would thus attempt to tax pos
terily, are robbers. They are endeavor
ing to get money "iihout consideration
and without lhe consent Of those of whor
payment Is required.
Thus We see, that the right of govern
mcnt 10 tax the people, only extends to a