New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-22
HOW 1T LOOKS IN VIRGINIA.

now 1T LOOKs In VIRGINIA.
Let people turn which way they will at the
South on the border or 90 the Gulf on the
sea-coast or on the river. whatever they pro-
pose, whatever they work for, or whatever they
fight against, whether secession or concession,
whether compromise or coercion, they are con-
fronted by the everlasting question OF slavery
They may Ay TO the consideration OF the most
abstruse questions in tie subject Of Government,
still it is there, they may resort to the settlement
of questions the most practical and oil the most
immediate necessity, still it is there. There is
no evading it, or ignoring it; no letting IT alone,
and no getting out Of its grasp. Like the haunting
memory Of naughty deed, it is never forgott'n
like the eyes of hideOus portrait from which
the spectator can never escape, it Is present
everywhere; ubiquitous, all seeing, h'untng'
tormentipg frightful and accursed presenee
like the devils in those who hid among the tonibs,
il perpetualy raves and rends them. AS II 10 NJ
Montgomery, so il it at Richmond. The ske.e-
ton of that household has torn down with its
bony fingers the curtain with which they hoped
to conceal it, and grins upon them With sh,ss-
ly aud o horrid smile.
The way of the Secessionists IL beset with
thorns. For thirty years tho question Of taxa
ton Of property in negroes has tormented Viz
ginia-the non -slayeholders demanding that CAPT.
tai invested in property OF that sort should be
subjected to taxation in something hike an oqni-
table proportion with other property, the slave.
holders maintaining with the success which has
always crowned their efforts in oil political strug-
gles In this country that their pecuniary interest
in their fellow creatures should be exempted
from such burdens beyond certain point.
Twice, at least, within that period, has the
question been put to rest by sorse slight oonces-
slol, but at each revival it comes up again with
renew ed yigor and q renewed determination on
the part Of tho friends Of equal taxation 10 have
Justice done them. Secession no sooner raises its
head in the Yipinia Convention than Equal
Taxation confronts il, backed by men who love
the old Federal Union, and ask, before they will
consent to leave it, how much they are to better
their condition in union with the Confederate
States.
There are, it seems, Ia Virginia 81, l64 slaves,
Of whom 272, 073 are over ~ years Of age, aud
go 03l under l2 years Of aga This last class
those over l2-is taxed only 10 the amount i'm
posed upon $500 worth of land This assessed
yaluo is very low and less than half that i'm
posed in Georgia. Now, If the value OF the
slaves in Virginia is estimated at $500 each, it
would make q difference Of S5i 5i4 600 in the
estimate of the taxable property Of the State,
and IL taxed at the same rate as other personal
property, would add s2Os,O56 10 the annual
revenue.
But II the $4,000 slaves under ~ yesrs Of
age, now exempt from taxation, were also rated
at $500 q head, then there would be an add
tiona revenue 10 the State Of Si7S, iG2 on q
value Of Si9, 500. Thus il seems that the
amount of capital invested In her black people in
Virginia, but exempt from taxation, is sl74,-
O5i 500, and that if this were taxed at the rate
Of other personal property il would yield the snug
addition to the revenue Of the State of S6o6,2lS.
Such are the figures, though even in more de.
tail, as they are held up before the VireinA
Convention by Mr.. Wiley, delegate from MO.
nongalia County. And 10 whose pockets are
these three quarters Of million Of dollars saved
The shareholders. And how is the deficiency
mnde upi BY taxation upon free labor. Every
delegate in the Convention at Richmond, as he
listens TO the statement, asks himself aud answers
both questions, and those who, not quite yet
persuaded Of the wisdom Of casting loose from
the old mooripgs, and entering upon new voy-
age into unknown seas, under new regulations
and new shipping papers, are particularly anxious
to know first il this old rule as 10 rations is to
continue. 1t often happens that mon will put
up, without much grumbling, with an old griey-
anee, provided ALEC other old things, which made
il bearable, remain as they were. But when
everything else il TO be changed, and possibly
trials 10 BIO encountered, the burden
becomes altogether intolerable with somei with
Others, the occasion is seized 10 get rid OF IN
odious oppression. "-'
The crisis 10 serious enough, AZ il arrays
against each other tho Eastern and Western
sections of the State. It assumes DO form Of
Slavery aud AnttSavery, but simply Of taxation
and exemption thereirom. The advocates Of the
,hanse are some of them shareholders, who per-
,e,e perhaps the necessity Of some concession 10
Tree labor, Others avow their belief In Slavery
sven as divine institution, but are unwilling "
NO it made tho instrument d oppression to