Washington telegraph., 1863-07-22

smuggler, would be condemnation Of
both. but for his knowledge Of the tact {
that lis own Government was exercising
the Office Of taking tribute from a people
without their knowing the amount actu-
ally distracted. Yet we are /burthened
with tariff on imports at the'very thres-
hold of our existence as Confederacy-
bottomed upon old ideas taken from a
Government which was tumbling into
ruins, chiefly from this cause, when we
escaped from it. The rapacity incident
to man in every Government will endea-
vor to use the power Of the new Govern
ment for its own advancement, and we
must expect a revival Of the old quarrel .
unless we discard the system of taxation
upon imports, by which the Government .
of the United States collected its revenue.
The hiatus ID the system which the war
has UccasiOned is very lucky for the liber-
ties of the country. The absence Of
revenue from the custOm-house has dis
embarrassed the subject, although the
yilicers are kept, with their salaries, iD
whole 1r ID part, regularly paid-an ez-
pense which should be stopped at once.
/ Excises levied upon certain articles,
wleu sold, of both foreign and domestic
manufacture, such as liquors, salt, DC,
ara equally unjust; but ii an indirect tax,
vet Y certain method Of securing the rev
enue without the difficulty Of finding the
value aud an approximation to justice, be
decided upon then as j basis of taxation.
Iet he snles of The licensed merchants Of
WIZ cDuHtry ~ taken, attaching tie simple
condition thrt hc article shnH " farcd
Jtt Wgou one suie. This will settle the
iogestion OF its value, for the sale will dis
close the value Of the articles quite surely.
The fact of allowing every one TO enter
our ports with their products. free OF
charge. and here seek a market for them,
would create for Us ships, merchants and
. imports. aud, rs 1 consequence, ready
ibnyer, md carriers for our crops. Could
f.cr. b- question hlt that the Govern
mgut would fIls collect tile amplest rev
Ienue. since il would take its revenue on
I. birrhar value than the foreign invoice;
and an additional recommendation to that
course would be, that the State officers
gould collect the Confederate taxes, thus
dispensing with tile immense army OF
c.lstvn- house officers. But the fact that
the taxes which would be thus collected
must come irom the land and labor Of tie
country, and would be gathered by indi
rect means, makes the proposal 10 collect
the revenues of the Confederate States b.
tax on the sales OF the merchants, anC
. not on their importation, only preferabl,
. competing proposition to do the SAM
i thing, viz: collect the revenue iudirec.lr '
Any system il better than a tariff will
different charges on different articles 70
r an independent commerce No indepeu
, dence can exist without liberty. To rem
! der a nation free and independent. il is
pTe-r ,quisite that its trade should be free
I absolutely.
: Tie hand Of Government is perniciou.
:. in all trading, inasmuch as all laws recu
la;lng the subject must originate In some
. interest OF other. The major interes
I must enact them, and that for Which al
, laws aud constitutions should exist. viz
, the protection Of the weak. is defeated and
over-ridden by the rapacity of the maio
riiy. The fact that we are Southern State:
; and Southern people, owning the same
kind of labor, will not dethrone the inhe
rent organization Of man. For every rea
son originating in integrity, and a sagacit1
worthy OF the great mission upon which
we are now entering, let Us discard every
indirect method OF obtaining from th,
people the money necessary to carry or
the Government which tie States have
called into being. The fact that SO many
State Governments, which manage oul
domestic concerns 50 well, collect their
revenues ID the open light of day, with,
out difficulty. and that they and the people
OF whom they collect their taxes, desire
to know what they pay, should vindicate
the system of direct and honest dealing
The viii ce-holder aud the wealthy miser
may dislike direct taxation; but, that ac
cording 20 the property Of every man in
the community the central Governmen nj
should appOrtion its revenue, may bt
safely commended as policy destitute ol
thousand evils which must attach tc
any indirect method of securing a re
enue.
The YANKEES SCHENISG TO ORTaI,