New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-14
MILLIONS FOR DEFENSE.

Tho debate in the South Carolina Legislature
on the motion Of patriotic member to vote
million of dollars for the use aud defense OF the
State in its present exigencies, affords little
inkling of the difficulties which will be likely to
await that body in its progress toward dsunion
and independence.
All at once. on the mention OF this large sum OF
money. the members of the Legislature seemed to
be inspired with the necessity of caution and de-
liberation. The oOk.before- you-leap policy, which,
in the mere matter Of going out OF the Union,
had been quite neglected, when the suggestion
was made of this provision for paying the ex-
penses of the operation, or part OF them, seemed
suddenly to recur TO the minds of members in
full force. II was urged that the resolution
should 90 to the Committee of Ways and Means,
not merely upon the question of how the money
should be raised, but whether so large sum was
needed at all. Prudent and calm cOunsels, it was
suggested, were not inconsistent with high re-
solves and firm determinations. The Legislature,
Mr. MCGOWAN thought was prepared to vote
any amount necessary to arm the State, but he
did not wish, in this shorthand way, TO vote more
than was necessary. lie was opposed to any ac-
ton prompted by impulse and passion. lie was
for acting in such q manner "a not to be put
under the necessity Of taking steps backward.
Another member quoted q pamphlet which had
been distributed about the House, in which the
expense of arming the State was estimated at
half million only.
Mr.. b. j. Johnson--a member, we apprehend,
from the upper cOuntry-toOk the occasion OF
throwing quite firebrand into the House. He
did not like to commit himself to the raising of
money without knowing wneucu FROM "'horn
it was to come. He hoped it would be raised in
such manner as not to prove burden upon
the poorer classes of the State. He suggested it
as a principle to be kept in sight through the
whole progress of this affair, that the property
which it was proposed especially to defend should
be made to bear the burden Of its own protec-
ton; in other words that, since this secession
business was gone into for the special benefit of
slave property, slave property ought to be taxed
20 pay the expense of it.
Another member thought that four hundred
thousand dollars might do for the present; when
the mover of the resolution, chagrined at the
backwardness of his fellOw-members preferred to
withdraw his proposition rather than to have it
prove failure. Finally, after debate Of which
We have no detailed report, the whole subject Of
raising nlviry, Dorn tho amount and the method,
was referred to the Committee Of Ways and
Means.
If the South Carolinians really intend to Sc
cede and set up for themselves, they must learn
to get over this hesitancy and squeamislness in
the matter of taxes and money. What is mil
lion Of dollars in the way of warlike and de-
fensiye operations A mere drop in the buck
ct, as they may learn by consulting the records
of the War Department at Washington. That
sum might go good way in paying the ex-
penses of South Carolina as a State merely Of
the Union; but South Carolina as an indcpend-
ent nation, under her lOne-star, palmetto flag
and with her army, her navy, her Notifications
her minute men, and her volunteers, to say
nothing Of her foreign ambassadors and other
high public functionaries, will find a million of
dollars but small item in the way of her ex-
penditures.
Then, again, it is a pretty delicate question,
that OF taxing the people who own no slaves for
the special benefit of those who do.