The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1861-08-03
G. M. Hitchcock's Letter to General Sum.


Sumner, myself and friends that it should he
placed before the public, so that no false impress
slons may be made by the fact of its removal:
San ERANcIsco, July rs, 1861
E. V. SUMNER, BRIG GEN'L o. S. A., CoM'G Dep.
OF THE PACIFIC:
DEAR SIR: being the recipient of small
amount of monthly rent paid by the Government
OF the United States for premises in the city of
San Francisco. occupied as the Head Quarters of
the Department OF the Pacific and objections
having been made to the retention of my build
ing on account of my supposed political seni
ments, and as you did me the favor the other
day to suggest the propriety on my part of re-
ducng to writing the opinions entertained by
me in relation to the Union of the Government
of the United States, and the present admins
tration the cof in order that you might have my
views before you, and be enabled intelgently to
answer objections should any hereafter be urged
against me on account of my political opinions,
l cannot say that feel any hesitation in EXPIRES,
sing in writing, fully and frankly. though briefly,
my humble political views in relation to those
most interesting topics which you were pleased
to mention on the occasion referred to. And first
as regards the Federal Union:
If ] know my own heart, have ever been and
still am, true lover OF my country, and among
all the desires that have ever in any way niu-
enced my actions. am none more ardent
| has found place in my heart than the desire to
| sec the Constitution and the Union of the States
banded down in all their pristine purity to those
| who shall come after me.
regard the Territories as the common putri-
mony Of US all, having been acquired by the
blood and treasure of the people of all the
States; and | wish TO see the Union reconstruct
cd upon principle, of equal and exact justice to
every section of the common country; feeling
confident as do that this is the only cement that
can hold it together, and render it perpetual.
But am opposed to the present Administration
OF the General Government. have ever been a
| ri all
to those principles that heretofore have governed
that great party. An economical administration
of the General Government has been great
principle OF Democracy for the last half century,
and Of all the great measures ever advocated by
that party none has met my more hearty APP
proval.
Let Us turn for moment to past Administra
tions of the General Government. Our great
aud good Washington broughl the country out OF
the Revolutionary war (Which lasted seven years.
with debt of $43000.O0O The Organization
and putting the machinery of the Federal Gov
ernment in motion increased the debt to SO ,000,-
600, and this was the amount Of cur Indebtedness
in the year 1890 In the ycar 1903. our indcbt
edness had been reduced to S7O,000,000. The
Democratic Administration OF Thomas Jefferson
and the first four years of James Madson's re-
duced our national debt to S45 900 900. The
war Of 1872, which lasted aoodt three years.
raised debt to 100000. The last of this
Indebtedness on account of these wars was en-
tirely paid in 1885. During the Administration
of General jackson an example WAS presented to
the world Of great prosperous and free people. !
living under a government without national
debt. We are witnesses to the settlement Of the
national Indebtedness by General Jackson, and
soon after saw thirty millions of national treas
ure distributed among the several States. Now,
what do we see? The President Of the United |
States requires at least S40O 600 and 400 600
men for the purpose OF prosecuting civil war. |
Hc has been in power about one hundred and
thirty-five days. and has spent during the time,
besides the Congressional appropriation for the
fiscal year. ending June 30, 1861, Sl9l 100000;
averaging expenditure OF nearly million
and half dollars per day. At this rate. should
the war continue five years. who can tell what
the national debt will amount to? Besides the
other evils that will follow in the train Of civil
war; this single view of the financial policy of
this Administration presents nothing for our
contempat on but national ankruplcy, loss of
freedom and the inevitable destruction of the
whole country. We must look forward at the
close of the war, let it terminate as it may, TO
the establishment of large standing army, and !
an increased navy that will call for expenditures |
Of magnitude which it is hardly possible to
realize
The American people have changed. We are |
not surely the people were when the Govern |
ment was administered by Gen. jackson, ior |
you know that when he called for an appropri-
alton of only 100000 600, for the purpose OF pla
IL
Il time when war was impending with France,
the measure met with the most strenuous oppo-
siton in both Houses of Congress, on account of
the enormous expenditure and power it would put
into the hands Of the Executive; it being believ-
ed to be most dangerous to the liberties Of the
country to place the sword and purse in his
hands
To maintain this standing army and increased
expenditure caused by the war, will necessitatc a
system of taxation such as distinguished En-
glish writer warned the people of the United
States to beware Of as the price of glory, and
presented a graphic picture of the English sys-
TEN of taxation in these words:
"Tares upon eucry article that enters into
the mouth or coUcrs the bach, or is placed under
the feet. Tares upon tueryfhing Uhich 1t Is
pheasant to see, hear. feel. smell or taste, tareS
upon carmth, light and /0c0m0h0n --t1res on
everything on earth and the tcdter under
the earth,- on everything that comes from
abroad, or is gro,cn at home, faxes on the 'GW
rnatpriaI-tares on eUery fresh raiue that IS ad
ded to 1t 6y the industry Of man, tares on the
sauce which pamperS mans appetite, ana the
drug that restores him to heaHh.-0n the er-
mine uchieh decorates the Judge and the rope
,chich hangs the criminal, ON the poor mans
salt and the rich mans spice,- the brass mails
of the coffin and the ribbons of the drtde-af
bed or board couchant or ieuamt, Ice must pay. |
The schOolbOy ,chips his tared top. 1he 6eard
less u0uth manages his taxed horse Uifh fdred
bridfe on a tared rOad,-and the dying English |
man pours his medicine. uhich has paid 7 per |
cent? and erpires in the hands Of an apothe-
carv ,yho has paid license of a hundred
pounds for the privilege Of putting him to
death. His aphole property Is then in'mediate-
IN tared from tuo to ten per cent. Besides the
Probate, large fees are demanded for bringing
him in the chamcel; his pirtues are handed do,on |
IN noster,tu. on tared marble, aud he Is then |
gathered to his fathers, to be tared no more"
The same writer continues and as ne express |
es nv ideas in his own elegant phraseology |
which am unable to initiate. | adopt the re- |
mainder of the paragraph as being germane TO
the subject.