The daily comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856, 1853-07-09
Co M M an ! Gated.

Editor of the Comet SIR. In
yesterdays COMET, You give an opinion
adverse to railroad tax. I am IS
tonished that one possessed, Of such
lofty patriotism, as yourself should
give expression to such an opinion.
It has been well and truely said that
". The Railroad, is the dominant system
of the nineteenth century" We
think it can be shown, without much
effort, that tax upon the property
holders Of the country, would be the
surest, safest, and most equitable mode,
of raising funds for the construction OF
all our Railroads.
Will you be so kind as to call a
meeting Of the planters of this, and the
adjoining Parishes to meet in Baton
Rouge, on the first Monday in Sep
TENDER next, to take this subject into
consideration, as well as to adopt such
system Of operations, as will enable
them to obtain better prices for their
produce. Yours &c.
LINvILLE.
1t is difficult for us, with less vanity
than we have, to refrain from spread
ing so fattering letter as the above,
before our readers. AS will be seen,
the writer says: II am astonished
! that one possessed with such i9f1y pa
triotism, as yourself, should give ex-
preston to such an opinion. ?" 1t has
been long time since we have had
anything to tickle our vanity as much
as this and under it's influence have
mind, not only to call The meeting,
but to call several meetings. The
principal contended for by us, is not
made right by the usage. The COM
munity is as often wrong as the indi-
vidual. We know very well that 1t Is
the fashion all over the Union, for
public meetings to take place, at
which resolutions are adopted. that are
designed to effect by force Of law, every
individual. The ballot box is resorted
to, and whatever the majority Of the
vote says shall be Sc, tie minority are
forced to submit to. But this does
not 90 to show, that the individual
lnoses in the mass, the personal rights
of conscience ana property, guaranteed
to him by that instrument Of writing
the Constitution of the United States,
bv no means. If such is to be the
case, the democratic spirit Of our in
stit,ltions will be lost in tie clamor Of
the mob. There are certain rights Of
the individual that should be guarded
with jealous eye; if education and
intelligence prevails, there will be no
difficulty in discerning what it is nee
issary the individual shall yield to the
mass, for the good of society. Without
intelligence, serfdom must inevitably
follow. The poor are sent further
down and the rich are elevated. and
as it is the nature Of man to be
despotic-tyranny follows. We oppose
Name liquor laws, because of our tenn
perance predictions. We do not be
lieve that any three of our neighbors
have a right to say that we shall not
drink, if it is our pleasure to do SO
and we do not think that tax can be
collected off of US for any thing not d.
rectly connected with the peace of So
ciety. The prosperity Of nation can
never be forced by Legislation, it is the
result of causes over which the law
has no more control, than the "acts -
of our legislature have over the currents
of the Mississippi, or the Gulf stream.
No woman ever loved to the full
extent of the passion, who did not feel
I ,