The New York herald., 1862-04-10

The TAX BuI-SPEECH or Nh SruvESs-Oa
Tuesday, in the House Of Representative, Mr..
Stevens, of Pennsylvania, chairman of the Com
mittee of Ways and Means, made sensible
speech on the Tax bill. On everything else ex-
cept the slavery question Mr.. Stevens appears
to have sound ideas On the niggsr he il evil
IDENTIFY . monomanisc On matters of finance
his ideas are practical and full of good sense.
He argues that the war cannot be carried ON
without armies and navies; these can only be
sustained by loans; loans cannot be had unless
the interest is punctually paid, and that cannot
be done without comprehensive taxation.
The debt on the lst Of July will be eight hum
dred millions We are expending now three
millions per day. A tax in proportion must bs
laid on. There is no escape from It except
repudiation.
The bill, 1t Is true, II . clumsy affair, en-.
bracing too many articles, and involving double
or treble taxation Of some classes, while
others are almost exempt For instance.
what can be more absurd than to tax
few prosperous proprietors of newspapers
and permit the rest to 90 freei II is unconsti
tutional, as well as absurd; for the constitution
requires "uniform taxation" Yet the bill must
be passed in some shape and the sooner the
better. The financial troubles which are
ahead will be only precipitated and aggravated
by any attempt to stave off the burthsn which
all must bear. Mr.. Stevens seems to anticipate
the future financial difficulties which must be
encountered. He observes, $50 long 40 the
money is honestly and economically expended
the people Of the loyal States will not refuse"
This is just the very question that il now, u
say the least, in grave doubt, and will here
after be thoroughly canvassed. Honesty and
economy are virtues whose existence are rather
mythical just now among public men, While
the war is going on and our troops are winnina
victories, objections to the Tax bill will not be
strongly urged But when the excitement ID
over, and the war expenditures that are now
circulating money 80 freely have ceased,
then will como great depression. Credit
will be exhausted. and our financial
troubles, which are now only beginning.
will then be fully developed Real estate and
all kinds Of property will go down, and govern.
ment bonds alone will be buoyant. The ability
as well as the willingness to pay taxea
will be infinitely less than 1t is now. Er
haustion will necessarily follow our struggle
Now, therefore, is the time to pass the Tax pill
and collect the money. Hereafter all kinds Of
excuses will be given and all kinds of objee
tions made, and it is possible that large party
may arise who will clamor for reputation.
Mr.. Stevens contends that the secessionista
ought to be made to pay the expenses of the
war. We agree with him as far as he goes; but
he does not 60 far enough. We hold that the
abolitionists ought to be made to pay the pipes
as well as the secessionists. They are both
equally revolutionary and both equally guilty.
They have played into each others hands and
forced the nation to wage an intestine war In or
der to prevent anarchy and put down revolution
let it emanate from what quarter 1t may II
the principle is to be adopted that the authors
of the war pay for IT, then the abolitionists are
responsible for heavy share Of the burthen
By all means let the Southern seccssionists and
the Northern abolitionists be made to pay tba
expenses of the whole war.
GUERILLA WARFARx.-The leaders Of the ~
volt in the South find it necessary to deceive
and keep up the spirits of their unhappy dupsa
by great boastings and grandiloqusnt speeches
and promises. 1t seems they threaten, a. .
last resort, when all their armies are routed.
demolished and scattered to the four winds, thaA
they will maintain an everlasting guerilla was.
fare in the mountsins-in other words, they
will become banditti and robbers on . large
SCALE These miserable leaders, who have
cheated and deluded the people of the South
in everything they have done and said, may
perhaps, for this once, be believed as to thein
intentions-that they will turn mountain rob.
bers and prey upon the country which they
have exhausted and destroyed They may be
believed herein, perjured as they are; for they
began with being robbers, and it will not be
strange that they should end the same. But
their resort to the mountains will not help them
much; for here, too, we may say, as of oil their
desperate movements, they are already out
fanked-we have "turned their position" II
is q singular fact that in all the mountainous
regions of tho Union, from Maine to the utmost
Southern limits, the inhabitants Of tho moun'
tains generally are loyal Union men. What
then, will they do in the mountains: In South
Carolina, in Georgia, in the interior Of all the
Southern States Of this glorious Union, tho
brave and hardy mountaineers arc opposed
to them. They might IS we'll plana guerilla
warfare in Vermont, whore the shade Of the mo-
BILE Douglas would meet and scare them TO
death; or in the Connecticut mountains wherd
the ghost of the brave Lyon would meet and
confound thom. What can they do in the
mountainse We apprehend not without shud.
der Of confederation, that the fate Of the lrst
Christian thief and traitor awaits them-an In
glorious elevation by act of law in tho valleys