The Placer herald., 1862-08-16
Letter from an Army officer.
Negro Tax.

Negro AAXs
The senior editor of the Doyleston (Pa.)
Democrat, is now in command of regi'
ment in Gen. McClellans army, and writes
home to his paper as follows
1--WE have never dared to hope that the
interests of the country could be benefited
by the Republican party, or that any wise
or beneficial policy could be either conceiv-
ed or executed by the discordant, fanatical,
and heterogeneous elements which compose
that party. But we had hoped, that while
nothing could be expected from their wis
dom, or patriotism, that the desire of place
and of power would restrain the lead
ers from devising schemes, which,
while they would be ruinous TO the country,
would be fatal to themselves. This expec-
;aton has however, been utterly disappont-
ed, fora scheme, monstrous in its object,
terrible in its consequences, odious in its
every feature, has been the fit product of a
party whose principles and leaders have
done so much to ruin the Republic. Negro
emancipation, AS it is called, is this precious
fruit Of Republican power. This is neither
more nor less than an agreement on the
part Of the Government of the United States
to purchase the negroes of any slave State
that is willing to emancipate its slaves. In
other words, it has been resolved by Con
gress that the government shall be convert, 1,
ed into slave agency to purchase negroes
at the market price, and that price is to be
wrung by taxation from the pockets of the
taxpayers of the North who emancipated
their negroes without demanding or receiv
ing dollar of compensation from the Un'
ted States Government. The faith of the
Government has been solemnly pledged to
make this purchase of negroes by resou,
ton which the Houses of Congress at the
suggestion of President Lincoln; and 1t was
50 adopted in opposition to the votes and
opinions of a few Democratic members O!
Congress who have seats in either House.
The whole scheme is the peculiar property
of the Republicans, who have the sole honor
Of originating and adopting it, and who are
thus redeeming their promise of"two dollars
day and roast beet" 1t is scheme wor.
thy of the party from whence it came. As
if The taxes to sustain the war, which every
patriotic citizen will cheerfulIy pay, were
not sufficiently burdensome, as if ruined
trade, depressed industry, stagnant commerce
were burdens too little the people are to be
taxed still further, to raise the millions that
will be required to buy worthless negroes in
order to crafty few fanatical Abolition lists,
whom i. is the interest of the Republican
Administration to conciliate. The faith of
the country. and the money Of the tax payer
are thus recklessly pledged by q Republican
President and Congress to this stupendous
outrage, and the Republican presses are
loud in tbeir approval of ihe measure
"But the wrong does not end here
What is behind is w)r,e. For the expense
of bnying the negroes, large as it will be, is
only an item in the bill which the burdened
taxpayers will have to foot in consequence of
the purchase. The negroes thus bought by
the Government-old and young, intirm and
able-wIl spread over all the North. They
will compete with the white laborer-they
will lower the price of wages both for men
and women, and even for mechanics They
will enter our public schooIs-they will be
imprisoned in our sls-they will swarm
our aims houses--aud we will le taxed to
educate and nurture their young, as we'll
as provide for and bury their DID, The con
sequences are inevitable--for every emancil
pated negro will rush to the North--as the
ISraelies of old went to Canaan expecting
to find land howwng with milk and honey.
When once he.e, they will be too poor to
90 back, and We will have to provide for
for them.-lhe " lite citizen will, and must
be taxed to support the emanc palel negroes
whom he fought au4 paid for, and when
groanne under the burden, let him rememI
ber that "A Republican President originated
Republican Congress adopted, Republh
ear press appauded this monstrous scheme
Of robbery. We have no fear that it will
be forgotten. 1t will be remembered when
the time OF our criminal courts is consumed
in irving negro crininas-and our country
expenses are increased by the cost Of main
tanning these prisoners in Jail and penetenti
ayv. 1t will be recollected when the ex.
penses of ou, aims houses are doubled by
the neuro inmates, who will flock to them.
II will be thought of when new school hous-
es are to be built, in order to accommodate
the negro children who under our school
laws. are entitled to the benefits of our
school system; and when the children of
our white citizens are reciting in the same
classes and setting on the same benches
with the children of the released slaves. 1t
will not be forgotten when the white labor
er's wages are diminished one third by the
competition of the negro, with whom he
will be compelled to work side by side at his
daily labor. And it will be recolected
when the treble taxes are demanded by the
collector, in order to defray the expenses
thus incurred.
The Lafayette Qndiana) Journal says, that
a portion of the track Of the Pittsburg,
Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad has sunk
out of sight three times. The space where
this occurs is about 200 feet long. After
I,;no two othar tracks the COmpany insert