Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-20

tions on the subject Of burning cotton:
desire to call attention to the subject tha
heads this communication. Some further legis
lation in reference to it, seems TO ms to be neC
essery. A considerable amount of eOttoa ha
been burnt nnder existing laws, which promis
! compensation to the owner. How is the none,
necessary for this object to be procured Ms
we resort to q taxation of some $30OO0,0O0 70
this purpose believe q more equitable system
would be to tar the cotton SaUed to pay for h
cotton burned Exact justice would be meted t
| all by this system By the burning of part o
! the cotton the price of the residue has beer
| greatly increased. So bare are the markets o
the world Of the staple, that the destruction Of
| million of bales has fully doubled the price O
! the residium not destroyed.
| Before we commenced the destruction, the
| article commanded from seven to eight cents PEI
pound, and it is now selling from fifteen TO sev.
enteen cents. Probably 100000 bales, worth
at the former price about $50 100000, have beer
( consumed, and the actual increase in value o.
! the remaining 000,000 bales has certainly moi
been less than $50, 600 600. Two planters, liv.
| ing in the same county, have rsised-ths one 10C
bales, valued at $4,000; the other, 300 bales
valued at $4,000. The former burnt his and
| thus lost S5000, while the latter has, by this
very burning, doubled the value of his crop, or,
in other words, made SIS 900. Who shall pay
the former his loss 2 Shall it be the community
generally, or the cotton holder, who has been so
Immediately beneftedf Every principle Of
justice says the latter. It is true, that in ma
tiOnal point of view, all are benefited, but the
cotton holder receives larger additional benefit
unknown TO the community at large Lot Con-
gress, therefore, tax the unburnt to pay for the
burnt cotton. Let it lay an export duty sufi-
cient for this purpose, and solely for this pur-
pose, TO be paid at the time Of shipment to fog-
egn ports.
need net be told that this is class legislation
] do not propose to lax the property Of one in
dividual and exclude another but to tax all the
property Of the nation of particular description
When the Provisional Congress laid an export
duty on cotton to pay the interest of particular
debt we heard no objection TO the act as i'm
proper or unconstitutional in any respect.
In addition to this il seems wrong that the
non-cottOn growing States should be taxed for
an act that has Immediately and directly bene-
fitted the cotton-holdeT, "Of him to- whom much
is given shall much be required" When this
war terminates in our independence, as it must
do, our taxation must be heavy to pay the pub
lie debt and the current expenditures of the gov
ernment. We viii need tor this purpose ali the
conhseated property, out of which the planter is
promised payment for mis- burned cotton; and if
SO paid, will to that extent exhaust our means
anu AncI6ASo NuI laAGllUus IL EuouEQ mol Dc G1-
pected that government should so legislate as to
confer by its acts great benefit on particular
class without exacting some compensation in re-
turn.
Many of our citizens have acted with noble
patriotism in applying the torch to their only
msans OF support Let them know that their
less patriotic or mere fortunate ueighbors, are to
pay tax upon property of the same kind, which
has been doubled in value, as a compensation 10
himself Some few cotton planters (thank
heaven but few have meanly sold their cotton to
the enemy at very high pTices-Pnces paid in
view and sight Of the flames on adjoining planta-
tions. Were it possible l would tax those trait
ors to the full extent of the gold received but as
this may not be, would certainly tax them as
fully as l would the present fortunate holders
whose property has been SO directly appreciated
in value by the patriotic action of the cotton
burners, / am a citizen of the cotton States,
but the enemy has. not approached sufficiently
near my cotton TO require the torch. l cannot,
therefore, be charged with sinister motives in
making these suggestions. AS an act of justice,
therefore, let an export tax be levied on cotton
su ficient to compensate those who have destroy
ed thers and let this tax, when collected, be Bp-
propnated solely to this purpose.
Riot in OhiO---Frinsing ORice Destroyed.
Correspondence Cincinnati Comnercial.l
LEBANON, August I3.-Our usually quiet
town was thrown into quite a high state OF
citement last evening, by the capture of noisy
chap famiGarly known as "Sonny Phillips"
hsiling from Utica, settlement north of this
place.
Sonny Phillips was spreading himself about
town, denouncing the governments actionin re-
gard to the coming draft, expressing his sympa-
thies for the rebels and declaring that no recruits
would be furnished from bis section by voluntary
enlistment or otherwise, and that he and MS
friends were ready to resist at any time Hswss
tolerated by the by-standers as long as possible,
when he was moved" up street by crowd of
young men. When near the court house, he
turned and began stoning his followers, striking
one young man a severe lics. This was an in
yitatiOn for an onset, and Sonny" being man
after GOliah, Of immense stature and
strength, was expected to fight on the rebel
terms Zone to fi7e), but no, showing the white
feather, he took to his heels. Dodging his pur-
suers he ran into the Billmire House, rushed up
stairs, and secreted himself under bed, thus
evading bis pursueTs for q time After consider
cradle search be was finally discovered taken
before a United States commissioner and COM
mitted TO the sil for using seditious language in
strongest expressions against the government,
there to await instructions from the proper au-
thority. His pursuers, and the attendant crowd
were dispersed, but collected again in the even
ing about ten O'clock and proceeded to the Office
of the Democratic Citizen, Mr.. A. r. Van Ceaf,
editor made an assault upon the building with
stones, etc, breaking windows, doors, and all
that could be destroyed outside, then rushed into
the composing room, they pitched everything
into the street that could be hsndled-the out
siders cheering as the work went on--until the
was cleaned out. During these
acts great excitement prevailed, but no direct
oh, e., =
news was received that Phillips friends were
coming in to rescue him, consequently the peo-
pie are standing up to the scratch, and a heavy
guard is placed around the jail Pickets are
placed upon the several roads, in apprehension
that his friends may attempt the rescue, or fire
portions of the town. The Democratic CitsseH
was an ardent supporter of Yallandigham, and
not true democrat as it should have been.