, 1861-08-11

e1Ao A0o'+ VI Ea41lAS AIs L1uCOIu s QeS-
pot" who delights in overriding the Con-
stitution, and "a tyrant" who aspires to
absolute power. Out Of their own mouths
they are condemned They, themselves,
and Heir wrong premises and distorted
reasonipgs, are the best evidence Of the
utter Generalization which slavery pro-
duces Il it be true, as was remarked
above, that the financial resources Of q
nation form its political strength, it is none
the less true that the method Of collecting
its revenue is sure test of the liberty Of a
people. "In all free countries" saws 10.
Itcal economist, "taxes are voluntary
donation from the people to the govern
ment" Most great revolutions Of modern
times have risen. cut, Of the violation Of
that principle. The French Revolution
grew outof the enforcement Of arbitrary
teudal laws: The English Revolution grew
outo1 the arbitrary exaction of ship money.
The American Revolution grew out Of the
tax On tea and the tax, On paper. The
great Austrian Empire is falling in pieces
under the load Of arbitrary exaedons.
Cotton, sugar and tobacco are the great
products Of the South. For all else they
are dependent upon other States. This
scheme which, us under discussion" in
the Confederate Congress will have this
result; it will make their so called govern.
ment the purchaser at its own price Of the
entire produce Of the industry Of the coun-
try: In other words the scheme IS for a
forced loan of the most arbitrary descrip;
: tnn. and cannot, in our opinion. fail To
awaken in those who will surely suffer
from it an aversion to the despotism that
int1icts the blow, and makes them the com
pulsory creditors, to the amount Of theii
whole crop, of a government which may
collapse tomorrow. Should such col.
lapse take place, they will have their worth.
less asagnats to look at or to be used
against them as evidence Of treason -.
A popular loan is the best test Of the
strength Of government. The wise
policy out Of which has gro wn the Eng
ish national debt, was adopted with tre-
mendous success by the French Emperor,
as a rebuke to the 7eacsion0iTss. Most of
US well remember the rush Of the common
people to the offices at Paris eager to invest
their earnings in the new national loan.
We remember, too, the profound political
significance and effect Of that voluntary
offering. -
But q popular loan is one thing, and a
forced loan Is another. # it is fair test
Of the strength Of a government that its
securities are sought for and held in small
Sums by the mass Of the people, it is just
as sure proofof weakness wherea GOV
eminent is necessitated to lay 7ia1ent hands
on The peoples crops in order, under the
f1imsy pretext Of fparchase and payment, to
give its bonds a market. We can hardly
conceive the full effect Of such a Law here,
but We; are sure it would Immediately
create revolution Could we conceive
Of a law forbidding the farmers Of the
Northwest to sell their wheat and corn,
their pork and beef, except to- United
States officials, at their own price, without
competition, and that the farmers should
take payment therefor in deprecated treas
ury notes, We should, knowing what We
ourselves would do under such cIcum-
stances, be able to despise as we ought the
men who could submit to such legislation
as that.
No doubt such q law will be passed By
the Legislature Of the Confederate States.
It is but the reiteration Of a menace uttered
BY: Stephens weeks ago at public meeting
IN Georgia, and again more recently pro-
mulgated in general order Of Beau1egard
The brigands must be sustained, and if
necessary by black mail Already they
find themselves in the last throes Of finan-
eial dissolution. They are in great need
Of money. They must hold out till the
pecessities Of Europe compel her to de:
..hand their cotton. The wants Of England
and France, they reason, will compel
them in the fall to come to their aid II
they can but hold out till then. They
will therefore pass this law: If there were
any doubt before, there will be none then
as to the true nature Of the despotism south
Of the Potomac. The descendants of these
men who resisted the collection Of the
ship money and Of the tax On tes, and the
tax on paper, and who made that resist
ance revolution, will feel more deeply
than ever that chatte1 slavery affects the
master as well as the ser, and prepares
him also for degrading submission. And
if such a law shau be carried into execu-
ton at the South without any resistance,
the verdict Of the civilized world will be
that such people has not only ceased to
he free, but has ceased to be worthy of
freedom, -.