Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-03-28


protection. The Register CONSTITUTES the Wing plat
form Is discriminating against slave property, and
adj paloren, as designed especially to reach slave
property. Else why is it croakng so Justify about
slaves, slaves negroes, negroes, when nothing
is said about slaves negroes in either the Know
Nothing Wing or Democratic resolutions referring to
ad calorem? Well, l will take the Register as
authority or this nonce,) in regard to the meaning
of its own party platform-that its doctrine of ad
pdlorem means taxation upon the negro alone. Will
Mr.. Pool take this ground in the Eastern counties?
We shall see. 5...a ,9 u L5s
But | deny the authority Of the Register in the
construction Of tie Democratic platform. The Re-
gister is quite ubilant at the wonderful discovery it
supposes it has made, o. the meaning Of the Demo-
cratic resolution on the subject The Democratic
resolution says We deem it the duty of the Legis-
lature when passing acts for the raisng of revenue
to adjust taxation as to bear equally as practi--
cable within the limits of the constitution, upon the
various interests and classes of property in all Sec
tions of the State" Now where is the man who will
deny the soundness of this proposition thus ennn-
ciated in the Democratic platform as question OF
political economy? Will the Register deny it? If
the Register does deny ifit thinks that the Lcgis
lature should not legslate so to bear as equally
practicable upon the various interests and classes
of property, &C.; if the Register thinks dscrimi-
nation should be made in favor Of certain interests
and classes Of property, and against others, then
call upon to specify what interests and classes of
property it means 1t sees "nigger" in the Demo
cratic PLATFORM and CONSTITUTES that platform pro
posing to tax equally all interests and classes of
property in all sections of the State and except
slare property" The Register has SO lately become
a convert to ad ralorem, that he makes very bun
Cling hand in trying to expound it. The truth is
the Register and its Know-Nothing Wing allies
know not how to use the weapons of al ralorem
which they have, in violation of the COMMANDMENT
appropriated to themselves The workingmen's as
ISOLATION of Raleigh who only few weeks since were
denounced and scorned by the oligarchs Of the OPP
position, the authors and orginators of this ad
ralorem movement But their views of ad cal0rem
taxation were not what these Opposition thinkers
would make it. The workingmen's association
were conservative in their views. They were hon
est in their pu poses, and serious too They meant
,ohat they said. Feeling they did the inequality
and oppression of our prevent revenue laws, they
were for such change as would bear more equally
on all classes and intercsts-and if the Constitution
was found interposng barriers to such a change,
they were for no open and unrestricted conventions
to excite and infame the public mind, on great
question affecting our social organization They did
not attempt to use dd ralorem as a mere make
weight for the purpose of disturbing the present
basis of representation and of subverting the very
foundations of our political edfce. The working
mems association did not propose to make war up
wish to divide and distract people on this ques-
ton of slavery, when patriotism required that we
should be harmonious and united in resisting the
common enemy, black Repubcanism. The work
ingmen's association never proposed to naugurate
Stewards "irrcpressble conflict" here in our very
midst. What amendment of the Constitution might
be found necessary, they proposed to effect by the
cheap certain and expeditions method Of legislative
enactment.
| have depressed to make these remarks in JUS
| tice to the workingmens association whom so
lately it was fashionable among the oligarchs of the
opposition to abuse and Islander agrarians level
| lers, and destructives. / am aware that the op-
position leaders calculate on drawing off from the
| Democratic party these members of the working
mems association and many who agree in senti-
| ment with them. They never were more mistaken
These members of our party never can forget how
Know Nothing Whiggery opposed them on free
sufrage-how they afterwards pretended to be will
ing to yield free suffrage, and session after session
Of the Legislature tried to use free suffrage as a
makeweight to- get an open and unrestricted conve-
ton, as they are now trying to use ad calorem for
the same purpose.
But the Register is wonderfully troubled because
the Democratic party laid it down in clear and plain
language that 1.-THE Legislature in passing acts for
the raising of revenue, should so adjust taxation
as to bear as equally practicable, within the lin
its OF the constitution, upon the various interests
and classes of property in all sections of the State
In this the Registers distempered vision sees two
things, neither Of which is there. lie niger
in it for There is no "nigger" in it. Nothing
was said about niger" for the reason that moth
ing was intended about "nigger." "Oh!" but
cries the Register, "you put in the words within
the limits of the constitution" In this the Regis
ter sees "ngger'' as black as the ace of spades.
Let the Register read the constitution of the State
and it will see these and other restrictions on the
,c< 1,o boe <ho
1t will see that the inhibition upon the violation of
contracts prohibits the Legislature from taxing
bank stock any higher than stipulated in the char
tiers of these institutions. 1t will see an inhibition
against reducing the salaries Of Judges during their
continuance in ofice-and this has prevented the
Legislature from taxing their salaries. There are
many other restrictions upon the taxing power, to
be found in The constitution And is the Democrat
c party to be taken to task for declaring their
gard for the constitution, and for guarding them
selves against its infaction when laying down their
code of principles? But. in agony CALCULATES the
Register, "the niger y" the nigger"-lhe mig
ger" is protected by the constitution in regard to
taxation. Well suppose he is, the Democratic par
ty didn't make the constitution: whether right or
wrong the Democratic party is not responsible for
the protection afforded to slave property by the
constitution. And, in the name of common sense
is the Democratic party to resort to some "higher
law" in dealing with the constitution, when slavery
may be invovedl They can't do it. Mr.. Register-
they can't do it. It's true there difference Of opn
ion among Democrats in regard to the principle d
ad calorem taxation. But no Democrats that VIC
know or have heard of are in favor of the sort Of a0
ualorem contended for BY the piebad party of Know
Nothing whiggery. No Democrats that / know O.
in favor Of taxing any and every thing that any
and every body owns, according to its value NJ
Democrats are in favor Of disturbing the peace ant
quiet of the people by agtating for years and year.
} the ques ion Of an open and unlimited convention
when We have the experience of legislative amend
ment on free suffrage before us. No Democrats ar,
} in favor Of bringing about conflict between slave
owners and non-slaveowners- of arousing tn,
prejldces of those who own other kinds of proper
ty against those who own slaves. No Democrats
are in favor Of creating strife and discord among
ourselves and Of thus mpairing our unity and Grip
ping our strength in our fight with the enemies