Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-05-06

MISSISSIPPI AFFAIRS.

]. The Constitution Of the Stale Of .uissis-
sippi.
1887. charferiRg the Union Bank.
In the Declaration Of independence, by
the immortal jefferson, we are told that
liberty is an nalienable right. The same
principle is incucated by John Taylor, OF
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-
seryalion 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 1913, be correct,
the sages of the Revolution were guilty |
of promulgating false principles. The
course of many of the States for the last
ten wears, il 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
alenated, and that the principal business
of the State governments has been to le-
gisate with the view of destroying the H.
berries Of the people, instead OF PreserY-
ing them-thus making government a
curse, instead of blessing
The great difference between a free
man and slave is, that the former enjoys
the benefit of his own labor, while the lat
fer Iabors for the benefit of a 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
its most unlimited sense, and yet be slaves
They NAV not labor under the eye Of
task master or ovorseer, but it 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.
Ia a state of nature, before the iorma-
ton of governments, every man was free.
He regulated his conduct as he chose, re.
specting others, and the proceeds OF his
labor belonged to himself only, in the full
sense of the term. When governments
were Instituted, this right was yielded so
far as conserving to be taxed for the sup
port Of government, - each individual con-
sderng the protection it would give hln
as an equivalent for the concession thus
/ made. 1t is not material 10 inquire, what
other concessions were made. We are
cnIy concerned with the right of being
taxed. This right, as before remarked
was only yielded 10 a certain extent, tina
4 is, for the support OF government. Bu
4 can the government, because 1t has Inc
right of taxation, carry it so far as TO re
duce the people to absolute slavery Ger
4 tainIy not, and the people are the only
Judges ia this matter. Whenever they
find that the government is taxing then
4 into slavery, ostensbly for It's support
4 they have the right of resisting the pay
n ment of such taxes, and, il necessary, t
Il dissolve the government, and erect ano
n Their that will subserye the end for which
n governments are, or ought to be, created
n namely, the preservation OF the liberte
4 of the people. When the government at
n empts 10 tax them for any other purpos
n than its own support, be the amount eve
SO small, their right OF resistance canno
be seriously doubted No one, we pre-
sumo, who values liberty, will contend tina
any State in this Union has the right to ia
the people TO any amount for its support
that is, for the support OF Its officers. CouI
hnghHuly tax the people TO such an eN
tent as 10 give individuals any salary the
IN choose to required Certainly not. Th
admission would be tantamount TO decla
N ing, that when the people voluntarily form
ed a government, they made an indenur
N Of themselves TO those in power-whlc
II sabsurd. The people may, al any TIM
n refuse to be taxed sufficiently even
keep up the forms of government. The
are, then, resolved, by their own act, I'M
state II nature.
III Again, debts made for the support
4 government are not binding on the peop
/. unless paid within reasonable time att
l. they are contracted. The State OF Sou
Il carolina, for instance, could not righlfuI
10 issue and sell bonds, payable twenty, thI
10 Nor fifty years hence, in order to raI
le money 10 support her government TIL IN
s lime. This would be putting doub
our'hen on posterity, as they would hav
IS 'hls process, 10 support their own
y, @nment, and that of those who had pr
Is. Ceded them for half century, This.
I6. Meslrong language of jefferson, would
,s%IndIlng futurity on large scale."-
me right Of posterily TO repudate sue
OOnds, or debts, is as clear and undout
I! Gu as The right of sefdefence, when
b ,d re attacked by robber or murderer
les nose WIN would thus attempt TO tax Pc
'al' ~n'y' are rubbers. They are endeayc
eaP wy to gei money Without considerable
IN 'aa Without The consent Of those Of whC