The republic., 1851-04-17

guard against evasion or abuse. That opinion, 80
far as know, remains entirely unchanged, and
will be acted upon steadily and decisively. The
peace of the country requires this; the security Of
the Constitution requires this; and every conside-
ration of the public good demands this. If the
Administration cannot stand upon the principles
ofthe message il does not expect to stand at all .
lDAsIEL WEssrER's Letter to the Union Meeting
at Wsstchesfer.
MIR. D0nelsoA's SAlutatory and Democratic
Reorganization.
Our readers are aware that the Union news
paper has passed into the hands of Messrs. A.
j. DoNELsoN and RoBERT ARMSTRONG, gen.
tlemen well known in the political world, and
deservedly possessing the confidence of the
Democratic party. We have no doubt that
under their direction it will be entitled to libe-
raj respect for the observance of all the cour-
tesies and proprieties Of professional and polti-
cal intercourse. This guarantee we have in
the high character and position Of the new pro-
prietors. 1t is confirmed by the tone and tenn
per of the inaugural article of Mr.. DoNELsoN,
which is as free from unfair and insidious de-
monstrations upon his opponents as it is just
and dispassionate in its discussion of the real
party topics of the day. Mr.. DoNELsoK busies
himself with living questions, and does not
seek to fight over the battles of 1851, on the
ground of the alien and sedition laws, or the
resolutions Of '9S. There is a manly and
healthfnl spirit in his Introductory address, a
quiet dignity and self-respect, which authorize
to extend to him cordial welcome as an
honorable antagonist in the field of political
discussion. We believe that he will seek, as
he promises, to make the journal under his con-
troll the organ of the "ancient, honored, and
great Democratic party of the Union, /" in ''that
sense alone which aims at the accomplishment
Of truly national measures by constitutional and
just MEANS"
Mr.. DoNELsoN promises cordially to sustain
the recent Compromise measures enacted by the
constitutional authorities of the land. 81 shall
never cease" !" he says, ''to urge upon my fel-
low-citizens Of every quarter Of the Union
that it is their indispensable duty, in all law
ful ways, to promote the honest observance
and enforcement of these measures, and that
their destinies are wrapped up more especially
: in the faithful execution of the Fugitive Slave
law, since nothing less than this can or ough,
to satisfy the slaveholding States. 1t is for
tuhate that this Compromise is the joint work
of both the great political parties of the coun-
try, and that it may therefore be referred to
in all time to come as monument of patriot
ism which towers above the ordinary spirit of
party when the safety of the Union is threat
ened."
The resolutions recently adopted by the mem
bers Of the VIRGINIA convention are recon
mended by Mr.. DoNELsoN as the platform on
which the Democratic party may be rallied,
and may bury the agitations which have grown
out of the slavery question.
The tariff question comes next under his
review. Mr.. DoNELsoN is of the opinion
that the country was never more prosper
Gus than it has been under the tariff Of
lS46 That tariff, in his judgment, "has
reduced one-half the taxes Of the peo-
pie, and it has more than doubled the reve-
nue.. The average annual revenue under the
tariff of 1912 was twenty y-three millions
eight hundred and ninety thousand dollars,
whilst this year, under the tariff of 1916, il
suit Of taxation. The larger the revenue,
therefore, the larger is the aggregate taxation
A tariff which doubles tho revenue doubles the
taxation. But Mr.. DoNELsoN argues that a
tariff which extracts fifty millions from the
people, instead of twenty-three millions, dicides
the taxes instead of doubling them, and allevi-
ates their burdens fifty per cent. If the tariff
of 1916 took sixty instead of fifty millions from
the people, the increase would, by the same
process, still further diminish the taxation !;
and the country would grow rich by exhaus.
ton--the more that is taken from it the better
it thrives. Mr. DosELsoN thinks that the
tariff OF 1912 at the present moment would moi
have brought in a revenue of trelrc millions
That is to say, If revenue is the result Of taxa
ton, the people would have been taxed t,relre
millions instead Of ti,y millions but Mr.. Dor
ELsoN thinks that they are only taxed half as
severely by paying fifty millions under the
tariff Of 1916 as they would be. by paying
twelve millions under the tariff of lS42. We
believe that we have done no injustice to Mr..
DoNELsoN's reasoning by following it out to
these consequences.
On the subject Of internal improvements by
the General Government, Mr.. DoNELsos ex-
presses his opinions at considerable length. He
thinks that it is scarcely possible to enter
upon general system Of internal improve
ments by the Federal Government, without
bankrupting the treasury and endangering the
republican principle" But he thinks, also,
that the time will never come when |" it will
be safe to resort to Legislation which tolerates
appropriations that have no relation to any
regular system of Improvements )" and "that
the people will continue to withhold their ap-
proval Of a general system Of internal i'm
provsments, until there can be plan matured