Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-08-29

electoral votes! 1t was despite the action of the
"Seceders,' the National Goncention. The Use
ceders" Convention never claimed but 105 electoral
votes, and never pretended to have cast more than
that number at any time I shall stand By the
regular nominees, for aoeal or for aoos!
.ss - ANTI-DISORGANIZER
For the Standard. ,s
Mr. EDITOR: In the discussion at Godsborough
between Mr.. Pool and Gov. Ellis, published in pam
phlet form bv the Opposition party to influence the
election of Governor for North Carolina, see the
following language, on page of said pamphlet,
used by Mr.. Pool: 1.-The Constitution of North
Carolina permits the Legislature to tax everything
according to value except slaves that it permits no
tax to be placed on slaves under twelve or over if
ty years of age" This assertio: is untrue, as |
shall show by copying the articles of the Constitu-
ton that bears upon the subject
CONSTITUTION of North-Carolina, Revised Code,
Article 4, section Sd, cluase 1si, Capitaton tax
shall be equal throughout the State upon all ndi-
vduals subject to the same.
Clause I'd, All free males between the ages of
twenty-one and forty-6ve years. and all slaves over
the age of twelve years and under the age of fifty
years shall be subject to capltation tax and other
person shall be subject to such tax; Provided,
nothing herein contained shall prevent exemptions
of taxable polls, as heretofore prescribed by law, in
cases Of bodily infrmty
NOW, every Oue Will OUSeEVe AT u mere glance tlaC
this article refers entirely to captation tax and has
nothing to do with taxing property other than slaves
between the ages of - and so years-where is the
prohibiting clause to taxing slaves under 12 over
80 years old as property? Does Pool and his friends
deny that slaves are property and that the legsla-
ture has power to tax all property not prohibited
by the constitution or laws of North Carolina
Now Mr.. Editor, as We have constitution, pub
lished in the Revised Code and elsewhere, called
= sk,.ks1- T
fore a man of ability and learning, as Mr.. Pool is
considered by his friends expects to be elected Gov
ernor of our good Old North State he should study
and learn it over and over again. that he might not
be led in hot political excitement to say it prohibit
ed things not once mentioned in it. The writer of
this article heard him use the same assertion in the
town of Asheborough, in Randolph county, very
nearly in these words: 1.-The Constitution of
North-Carolina forbids the taxing of slaves under
II years and over 30 years old property, but per-
mits the taxing of every thing else down to tin
cups and martin gourds."
But if the legislature does have power to tax
slaves as property where do they obtain the power
from? From the Bill of Rights declared part and
parcel of the Constitution of North Carolina by our
revolutionary fathers, who framed it in December,
1776
Bill of Rights Sec 2d, That the people of the State
ought to have the sole and exclusive right Of regua-
u
Section 10th. That the people Of the State ought
not to be taxed or made subject to any impost or
duty without the consent of themselves their rep
resentatives in the General Assembly freely given.
Now, Mr. Editor, here is from whence the legsla-
ture of NorthCarona derives its power to tax polls
or property; and when the consent of the people,
through their representatives, is freely given may
not the legislature make them subject to pay tax,
impost or duty on anything, when the welfare of the
fofo dop,apdc II This would ho
ed by mere school boy in the affirmative.
Shall We, Mr. Editor, for the sake of party ascen-
dency, alter an article of our constitution to get to
tax negroes property when that article does not
forbid it but only forbds that all negroes between
IL and 80 years. male and female shall not be taxed
higher then a white poll, being taxed thirty-eght
years instead of "a years as the white man?
Now Mr. Editor, let me make a calculation: the
negro is taxed from 12 to 30 years. making SO tax
able years-the white man from q to As years. ma
king "a taxable years. Hence the negro is taxed
IA years the longest. This is not ALL the male and
female negroes are taxed, hence, if we would put
them on an equality, we must multiply this 3S by
two, which makes p years if the males alone were
taxed while the white man remains at "a years,
which makes 81 times long for the negro provid-
ed the males only were taxed Now let us see, 80
cents is State tax multiply this by 1-e for the
negro, and you have the negro to pay 81 53a cts,
while the white man pays just the 80 cents. Be-
sides, the negro is property like horse OK. or
cow, vet the laws of North-Carolina say he shall
work the road from 16 years old to 30 years old.
This each year. amounts to not less than four dol
lars, add this to the 50 533 from the poll and we
have Just Sc 53t cents that negro man has to pay
to North Carolina during his taxable and road-work-
ing years. Does this look like screening the slave
holder? And are not negroes between 12 and 30
years old taxed high enough?
But now to those under - years old and over 50
years old that not taxed at all, and have before
proven that the constitution of North Carolina does
not forbid their being taxed as property. Now let
us value them and tax them if you please be-
lieve that it is conceded by all that there about
100000 slaves in North Carolina; and will say to
take round numbers that there are $4,000 black
polls this will leave l53, 900 slaves under 10 and
over 30 years old we will put these on average
of $4O0 piece, and they will amount to $61 200,
O00; put them at 20 cents on the hundred collars
valuation and they will raise 1922 400 revenue this
added to the $4,000 negroes Already pay, and il
will make them pay without raising the poll, $24O,
400, 1.-TWO hundred and forty thousand four hundred
dollars, in all conscience would not this be high
enough without tearing up the Constitution Of
North Carolina, the cornerstone Of our liberties
and in all probability getting something worse in
its stead ?
!. should have written this article some weeks
ago, but as was then candidate in Randolph coun
ty and defended it as a measure of my own, fol
which the Democracy, as party, were not respon
sible concluded that would not embarrass them
in any way until the election was over, and then
would call the attention Of the members elect to the
subject; and see if we could not devise some way
in these trying times Of our government to let oul
sacred constitution stand as it is and in my estima
ton as it should remain.
Yours truly,
TRY AGAIN.
Later from Braces, DO.