Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-12-18


The New Albany Ledger thus notices the com
|bined efIozt ofthe Sentinel and Madison Courier
. force The levy of the Federal tax. instead of
paYingit by Set of against the debt due the
State by the General Observation-Disclosures
Journal
The habit Of making facts to suit a given
theory or hypothesis viii not always answer the
end. The Courier has never advocated a levy of
the tax IN preference 60 any other lawful mode Of
hquidating the rational assessment upon Indiana
On the contrary, we have always favored any
plan that would avoid the necessity of having an
army OF Federal tax gatherers; and this the jour
nal man we'll knew when he spenned tbe above
statement.
The Journal, in a long and labored editorial
IN defence and support Of the Governors scheme
of setting of the amount of the tar assessed upon
Indiana, by getting the Secretary of the Treasury
TO withhold what the General Government owes
US for advances, insists that the plan of His Elk
cellency is an ereeiicnf and faHltiess plan, and
charges the Courier and Sentinel and all other pa
pers that have seen a serious difficulty in such
an adjustment, with adhering to the Bright
Democracy" Our loyalty We are willing TO test
with the Journal upon any and all proper occa-
sions. The present rebellion is the result of law
lessness, and a disregard OF those restraints i'm
posed by Government Now the Journal is ram
pant IN favor OF the financial measure by which
the Governor seeks TO pay the tax imposed upon
this State We oppose the plan because il Is
violation of law, and necessarily involves us in
an act of bad faith. What are the facts9 The
General Assembly at its extra session passed an
act which was approved by the Governor on the
4th day Of June, 1861. the third section Of which
reads as follows:
"Should the Federal Government at any time
hereafter assume the Indebtedness incurred by the
State of Indiana in providing supplies and men to
aid said Government in putting down said rebel
lion, the money so paid or the securities so given
in such assumption shall enure to the benefit of
the holders of the bonds for payment of which
provision is herein made, and the State Debt
Sinking Fund Commissioners are hereby directed
20 apply the funds or securities given in this
section is contemplated, TO The liquidation OF the
debt, with the payment of which said State Debt
Sinking Fund Commissioners are charged, and
that said securities shall neither be loaned or
otherwise disposed of than in this section pro-
vided." ~.
Section of said act provides that In case the
holders of the bonds of the loan herein provided
for should refuse 70 exchange the same for the
Federal Government securities, or in case the said
bonds could not be redeemed by the said Com
missoners at rate not exceeding their par value,
then and in that case the said State Debt Sinking
Fund Commissioners are hereby empowered and
directed TO invest the funds arising from the tax
to be levied for the extinguishment of said loan.
and the securities contemplated in section three of
this act in the p and per cent. stocks of this
State"
The title to the above act is: can act making
additional provision for the payment of the loan
Of two millions of dollars authorized by the act
of the General Assembly, approved May 18th,
1851"
Thus stands the law, and we ask who are in
rebellion against the Government-thOse who
abide by the law and maintain the public integrity
or those who propose to disregard and violate the
law at the bidding of those who feel that the law
stands between them and their ambitious purpo-
ses The Journal advocates policy that tram
Piles the law under foot, whilst we propose to abide
by the law and observe our engagements with
those who hold large amounts of our bonds Let
an impartial publicjudge between us. We would
be glad to avoid the payment of the National as
sessment by the levy of a tax to be collected at
this time. but the people would prefer that, OPP
pressiye rs it may be, to violation of public
honor. ~ st.st
Will the Journal construe the above sections as
authorizing the course it advocates We will
see-MadisOn Courier rta .le-