Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-08-27

tacte& NOM tue uDlusE 3ppTeBglQts ana eSpe
cislly the Illegal and unconstitutional ss vel
as oppressive acts, Of the majority. o
sEeh character We deen the present taFif
aw, in its msiR operation Of prohibiting foreign
iHP0rfatioBs, TO protect and TO bounty
Northern OF home manufactures. Further, w
I maintain that the Chief object sHd beneficial pp
eratj0z of q constitution Of free Fevsrnasus-
/ coaBarsd to which al other uses aud vsldes are
as HothiRg--is siE1ply 70 protect and secure NJ
n0rties ir0n oppression by mej0FiEies. do not
wish 70 argue This question, as / suspect thai
neither Of as would be likely 70 convince lha
other of his error Z WOuld prefer 70 talk with
yen or other and more pleasant subjects. Bat
WEile Wishjug 10 sv7id more serious argument,
If yJu chocsa, viii slate 70 yOu q casa, the mar
rsb0H of which may serve better tbsn arguuent
I 80 ox2lsiH my views Shall ( do so, or not p
! Oh, yes, les US hsvs IT,"
" Wei, then, let me ask y08r strict sltsntisu
A osrtaia place Of limited exssHS was weit
Ggau and tha ldnE 0Tuei IN very equal shares.
| 5y seven men, who wers heads of families and
/ aousshoids. They ha3 long beau frtsndly Hei Oh
/ 5ors t0 eseb ether, and the I9bors and business
/ of each had been zlors or leSs beneficial TO the
/ other. Fer taeir bettar prntsctOH, sBd for their
mere perfect Uuiau and c0-0seraIiou, these seven
! pr7Driet0rs and separate dou5ehaidsrs agreed to
! form partpershlp for tbs iUrtheTanes Of their
! common interests and general objects, and to
/ oios themselves, ,BeVeralY, IN a WrlssaR cOus-
/ pact to be governed, ia sll matters not o.beT-
/ wise ordered IN the contract, By The viii Of the
/ aalaTity The seven men, being near neigh
/ 5aTs could conveniently meet together. to sis-
/ cuss and enact such laws, and to assess sash
/ taxes for their common purposes as their condi-
-i0n and wants required Ozs Of the most im-
/ soTiant restrictions IN the compact was that tha
/ nsasurs of direct tarsfion should be in exact
/ proportion b the righ5 Of voting ia the csuncil
( As the seven men hat equal voices in the c0un-
/ ci it followed sSB Necessary consequence that
I lAs erect taxes 10 bspaid by each man, for ais
properly aud family, should be equal to those Of
| each Of his co-partnets. The contract slss re-
/ qUired that q rights Df the parties to il should
| be equal, and me taxes, burdens, beneits aHd
| privileges eqaai 20 al. The pr0visisns of the
contract wers 50 be tie suprsms law of the CO.'S
Eunity- and not 70 be contravened or infriuged
| by any eusctsent of She council In all Rat-
tsrs permitted By the contract, the nsjoTity Of
votes in the council vsrs % govern and the laws
ard reguiatioes 80 sascted were to be sbiigat0ry
on alL Do I make myself understood -
" Yes ''
Well, was net that a free government, wits
a constitution 5searhg eqaal rights 2''
'' Yes. entirely So
and do you think that under such rastriG-
lions and rules of sctDn, there esuld be ne Ez-
just oppression by tss government, and ne Just
complaint BY the zin0rtY being Uajsstly ruled
and wraugsd by tbs majority %
There c0u.d not be either. a. far as I can
ses. Esw could it b. whsB ths whole ssama
nity, being only seven men, actually lsgisisted
for and governed themselves direstly, wiLhou,
even the intervention Of representatives, who
might misrepresent or betray thsir csnsdtu-
euts 2"
Very well. OssF7s and hold 70 these
premises and conditions, and .heBlet as see how
isis constitution Of Tree government and Of
squal rights may pessi5ly work:
% Three Of the Hae8 were tanners. and the
other four wers shoerBLkers The foraer dwet
Ep0n and owned tie la7yar and more fertile land
OF tho settlement beViariBg on a stream, which
LEGALITY ws5 well saised &c the filing and empty
ing Of watts. and so invited the residents to the
business OF tanning The G.her four citizens
whs dWglt near tszether, on tbs higher rocky
sad barren ground, bsvlng out feW agricultural
7eggH-css, wer3 compelled 60 depend almost OK
ciusivsiy, for sEppOrs and profit on some me-
easRlcal labor aud 50 they became s. OsHaskarz.
. The supplies from, aad the wants Of the people
Of rle surrounding ceuatry, added 70 their OWE
Internal and mutual dsmsnd aBd supply, rem
deIsd these two principal pursuits Of eur little
uunitv espscisiiy suitable and beneficial
Tor its condition.
For a time all went we'll All tho citizens
actss and voted N the council, as if having sss
{ cOmmsn interest only. None sought to impair
The rights, CT the advantages Of others. OF
course tdersws frequent differen, As Of eBiB-
ion, and the defeated minority, on suy particu-
lar vote And decision might be dissatisfied
BUt the Rensrs interest and objects being alike,
and the rights of al being respected, all such
I gragDas of complaint we're trivial. and soon fer
/ gotten. As the votes were not arTsyed by sep
/ arage interests, or according to sectional ii.
visions, they were Honestly, Ifnot always wisely,
| given in every enactment. A member of the
council who voted in q minority on any oRs
} question, would be as likely as any other 20 be
sHe Of the majority on the next question thai
would be considered On the whale. there was
perfect equality in the chances and changes Of
I being either iQ q minority or a majoTjty, OF Of
I direcaUE, or of having 70 submit 10 being d.
Tected b. other5. N seemed fair, 8qHal, and
[ just-and there was no ground for. complaint as
70 the government of this small community
constituting pure Democracy
However the four 5h5smakaTs, By their
closer naghhorhood and n re intimate associe-
l ti8n with each other and ron tda D. nifty Of
their Isb0's and interests, soon began 70 think
/ slke aud generally 70 vote alike ia the council
I They LEANED, by consultation with each Other,
while al their work. how they could, by eEisia-
[ ton, snd hy laws which would be BOalinaliy
and ostcnsibly equal ami uniform in obligations
l.sr benefits, prgmJte their eWn exclusive inter-
ests The tanners each living apart on his
/ own suHg property sad ii bis com Portable home,
1 felt no ineitsmsut Of want or OF greed for gain
~ ths expense Of others; and in lhair c0Htentes
condition, they were as dull ia. questions Of self
/ interest," as the sbO8maksTa WeIe sharp
aittea and polite Thus, in the be,
/ ginning, whether from libersllty Of dis
I position. patriotism, cafslessness, sr igno-
rance, the tanners, separately or c0niointly, vita
/ -heir approval Gld votes, aided the legislative
schemes Of the sh9emakers.
Previous TO the closer union Of the parties
under the obligations Of the compact, nesrly 81
the tsxation known or thought Of, was direct :
or levied upon property aad persons Ana
-heHgh the contract also authorized indirect tax
! alton by duries), still It was at first expected
/ that direct taxes woun always furnish the great
( OF part Of the revenue 20 tbs treasury. In this
respect, tho richer tanners were even better
/ guarded thsu the poorer sh0emakers-as the
! direct taxes Of each were 10 be equal. On the
[ ether hand. q mach more VRlusble cOnsideTe-
/ fion los subsequently appearsd) was enjoyed
| by the s1uemzk5gs, IN having votes sovefaiiy
/ equal to the pOseess0Ts Of much larger prop
/ srties
Under the previous general systsn Of direct
taxation, The trade OF this little community win
/ tho suteI w0rld ha6 heen lrsa. Neitaer the taa
usrs nor The shOemakeTs could charge their tei-
/ ow-cihzens mere for the pr0ducts Of their Ia
Dor, than IKE commodities ieAshar OF shoss
could be supplied by producers rem abroad
Of course neither could these homemade CON
I modities be sent abroad and sold st higher prices
than those Of the foreign nATis. Aea the more
speculative and cunning shOeaakers advocated
the policy Of indirect taxation exclusively, teI
various alleged advantages. O5e Of these was
that the payment Of indirect taxes in duties On
imported commodities, would 30 msinly or sa'
.lroly voiuntary-as no ono need pay tAe taz
anless Ao choss to buy the taxed comRodity-
tTugsllty and economy. Further, Indirect taxa
boisg lost sight oi ia Che prices of the articles
bought, were 80 light in each particular puT
chase, as wen as bong Of voluntary payment
that they were scarcely felt - bardonsoms ~
the payers, aud ye. operated 70 cherish ane
aid homo industry Of every kind Again