Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-11-02
Ihs STANDARD.
For the Standard.

70 W5LttS WhlLNGeT, LS4- , ,
DEAR SIR: Circumstances over which have had
m control have prevented me from replying at an
earlier day to your second article addressed to me
in the Standard of the 18th ult And although
INV repy has been delayed, it would be aiScourteous
20 YOU and unjust to myself to let it piss unnotced
In The article referred to you say ~ am now pleas.
I'd TO believe that shall be excused for the "egret
uuwillingly caused by "imposing upon you the
.sdsagreeable necessity Of giving to the public over
your "own signature opinions and explanations
on subjects which yea say 1t " is to TIC presumed
yeur constituents and ydtSelf "only are interest
ed" whoa assure you | thought the SUBJECTS IN
voived interests affecting every free man (hon;s
holder a. well as the '"o&ser of slave property !.
in the State and that 1t seer occurred te FAC That
YOU did ret want your ophions on these Saelccts
published beyond YOUR owh county as vas under
the impression you haa heretofore taken some pains
b send YOUR views on State 6a Tis"tgss taxation
ABROAD" The hngaase employed in my first article
addressed to y6h, and only portion Of which you
thought proper to ouote, will bear no such consruc
tion As YOU have given to it and no such construction
rs that which y6d seem desMous the public should
give to it. It is pefsersion of my language for
which was not at all prepared, and as | am I'M
willing to believe that your design was wilfulIy to
misrepresent mo shall attribute it at least for the
present, Il misunderstanding of my meaning, re-
sating,. not from ignorance Of the import OF the
ptsaseoloey employed, or a design to pervert its
saeanine but from the casual manner in which you
must have read it. ..
The public would judge from your article that
had said that Tiny constituents and myself only y
are interested in the subject of at cdIorem, land
its probable incidental or collateral Consequences
whereas. have at no time, nor under any circum-
stances either orally or in writing said any such
thing; but on the contrary have not only said, but
had printed, and have "taken some pains to send v
to you and "abroad" that it is great question of
State policy, involving not only great cardinal
principle of the government but the financial inter-
est of every section ard of the whole State
have never said that my constituents and my
self ony were interested in the subject of at rator
e.e taxation, but did say, and now repeat thatmy
constituents alone have right to demand my opin-
ions and explanations of my course as their repre-
sentative, and it is to be presumed that they and
only are interested" in those opinions and expla-
nations This is the obvious meaning of my Ian
guage to you, and you must excuse me for express
ing nv surprise that you and others could have
given to it different construction.
In reply to the position which think establish
ed in nv first articles that there is no connection
between the basis of representation and revenue
laws of State, you "smply say that there is not
the slightest conceivable connection between light
and darkness vet when the light is withdrawn dark
ness is probable, nay, certain consequence. 1t
is, therefore, clear light that it does not follow
that because two objects have no immediate connec
ton that the one may not be produced by the de-
structi6n of the other" Now while do not intend to
be ured into the mazes of metaphysical disqusitior,
you will please excuse for respectfully intimat ng
that you have been peculiarly unfortunate in your
effort dsprove the correctness Of my position for al
though you say "that there is not the slightest con-
ceivable connection between light and darkness, !"
vet you say that "when the light is withdrawn
darkness is probable nay, a certain consequence.
Hence conclude that darkness depends for its exs
tence upon the absence of light that darkness and
light cannot exist at the same time in the same
place; that they Incompatible, the one with the
other that the existence of each is entirely depen-
dent upon the absence Of the other; and as the
one is produced by the destruction of the other.
there must Of necessity, be some connection be-
tween them.
But whether there is any connection between
darkness and light or not Your reasoning utterly
fails to prove that the white basis of representation
will follow as "probable incidental or collateral
consequence" of the adoption Of general system
of dd ralorem taxation in North Carolina, for the
connection between darkness and light does not
bear the slightest conceivable" analogy to the re-
latiOn which Gd ralOrem taxation sustains to the
federal or white basis Of representation. Darkness
depends upon the absence Of light; ad ralorem
taxation does not depend upon the absence of either
the federal or white basis of representation. Dark
ness and light cannot exist at the same time at the
same place; ad rat0rem taxation, and either the
federal white basis can and does exist at the
time and in the same State. Darkness and light are
each dependent for their existence upon the absence
Of the other I'D cdlorem taxation is compatible
with both the federal and white basis but is not de-
pendent upon the absence or presence of one more
than the other and therefore, the adoption of sys
TEN of taxation lad ralorem) will not be destructive
Of the federal basis, will the adoption of white
basis be probable, incidental or collateral conse-
quence of it" 1t were just reasonable to suppose
that white basis Of representation would follow the
adoption of free suffrage a consequence as it is
to suppose that it will follow as consequence the
adoption of at calorem taxation and vet no one
contends that because free suffrage was adopted
that therefore, the basis of representation ought to
be changed.
Permit me- in conclusion, to say that regard the
effort which has been made to connect ad ualoren
taxation with the basis of representation as exceed
ingly impolitic, especially for eastern gentlemen
whose interest it is to preserve the federal basis
My humble opinion is that the less they say about
the basis of representation the better it will be fol
feet right to agitate the question as much as the,
choose Let dd gaLorem taxation stand or fall upor
its own merits or Ge,nerits. disconnected at leas
for the present with every other question.
Let facts, figures and arguments 60 before tn,
people, let them investigate it fully and fairly ant
then decide it and there will be no appeal from thei
decision Those who oppose ad oalorem taxation
had as well understand at once that it involves tn
question Of political equality between the free whit
men of North Carolina. It is commended that politi
cal equality is the great fundamental principle O
free government and that ad cDore,n taxation is al
essential element Of practical political equality an
hence, those who are opposed to ad ualorsm taxa
ton as principle, are Of necessity opposed to po
ical equality, and if opposed to political equality
they are Of course opposed to the principles of on
government. For, if you concede that politics
equality is right then you must concete that adj c1
loren taxation is right; and if you concede that
oaIorsn. taxation is right, then you must conced
that the present revenue system is wrong; and
you concede that the present revenue system
wrong then You must concede that it ought to /
abandoned and if you concede that it ought to
abandoned, then you must adopt adj galorem {
suggest some better system Of taxation that is n,
lncOmDatible with the nrincooc of thu c.o,,,,.. ~,