The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-01-12

by r. 3 ARTHUR.

brother wns terrible thing 10 his eyes. If
you asked him who began the warG-who
struck at the nations lifei- If self.defence
was rot duty ?-he would reply with vague
generalities, made up Of partizan, tricky SEN
tences, which he had learned without com.
pretending their just Significance.
Growler came in upon me the other day,
fourishing square piece Of blue writing pa
paper, quite moved from his equanimity.
"There it is! just so much robbery !
Stand and deliver is the word. Pistols and
bayonets! Your money or your life"
! took the paper from bis hand and read .
Philadelphia. Sept 1863.
RICHARD GRowLER, Esq,
Collector of Internal Revenue for the North Dis
trct of Pennsylvania. Office, 427 Chestnut Street.
For Tax on Income, for the year 1862 as per re-
turn made 10 the Assessor of the District, $43 81
JOHN W. RILEY. Collector"
"Your'e all right" l said smiling.
81 would like to know What you mean by
all rightY' Growler was just little offend.
ed at my way of treating this serious matter
serious in his eyes, / mean. "Pve been
robbed Of forty three dollars and twenty.one
CENTS" he continued. :" Do you say that is
all right! A minon of the Government has
put bis hand into my pocket and taken out
so much of my property. Is that all rightY
"Thc same thing may be set forth in very
different language, l replied. "Let me ate
the case."
"Very wel-state il " said Grower, dunn.
ping himself into chair, and looking as i'll
Lumored as possible.
"Instead Of being robbed" said /, "you
have been protected in your property and per
son, and guaranteed all the rights of citizen
ship for the paltry sum of forty-three dollars
and twenip-ono cents. as yoer share nf the
cost Of protection"
Lob, that's ouly your way Of putting the
case" Tetored Growler, dropping little from
his high tone Of Indignation. sa
Let me be more particular in putting the
case. Your income is the rent Of property p
"Yes"
"What would it have cost 20, to defend
that property from the army of General Lee,
recently driven from our State by National
soldiersa'' Hf
"Cost mel" Growler looked at me in a
kind Of maze as though he thought me half
in jest,
"Exactlyi What would il have cost you |?
Lee if unopposed, would certainly have
reached this city, aud held il; and if your
property had been Of use 10 him, or any Of
his officers, it would have been appropriated
without so much as saying-by your leaee
sirl Would forty-tbree dollars and twenty
one cents have covered the damage? Perhaps
not. Possibly you might have lost from one
half TO two.tbirds OF all you are WORTH"
Growler was tri6e bewildered al this way
Of putting the case. lie looked puzzled.
@ You have store on South wharves?"
said 1.
"Yes."
"What has kept the alabama or Florida
from running up the Delaware and burning
tha whole city fronts DO you have forts and
ships of war for the protection Of your proper
ty? II not, who provides theml They are
provided and you are safe. What is your
share OF the expense for a whole yearf just
lfoity-three dollars and twenty one cents! It
sounds like jestl"
Growler did not answer, so kept on.
"But for our immense armies in the field,
and navy on the water, this rebellion would
have sseceeded What thcn9 Have you
ever pondered the future of this country in
such an events Have you thought Of your
own positions Of the loss or gain TO yourself
How long do you think We would be at peace
with England or France, it the ma ion were
dismembered, and hostile Confederation es.
tablished on our Southern border2 Wopld
our taxes be less than now9 Would life and
property be more secured. Have you not an
interest in our great army and navy, as well
as and every other member of the Union
Does not your safety as well rs mine, lie in
their existence? Arc they not, at this very
time, fhe conservators of everything We bold
dear as men and citizens? Who equips and
pays the armyl Where do the enormous
sums Of NJ oney come from? II is the nations
work-the people aggregated into power and
munifcence, and so irresistible in might
unconqaerable. Have you no heaet-sweing:
Of pride in This magnificent exhibition Of will
and strengtha No part in the nations glory
No eager helping hand TO stretch forth r.
Growler was silent still.
"There was no power in you or me to
check the war Of destruction that was launch
ed by fiatricidsl hands against US. II unre.
sisted, by tho nation, as an aggregate power
it would have swept in desolalon oyer tho
whole land. Traitors in our midst, and trait
ors moving in arms against us, would have
united 10 destroy our beautiful fabric of civi
J liberty. The government which dealt will
all good cilizers so kindly aud gently that nc
. one in a thousand felt iis touch beyond th,
, weight Of feather, would have been subver
Z ted; and who can tell under what iron rul'
: We might have fallen for time, or how ma
ny years Of bloody strife would have elapsed
9 before that civil liberty which ensures th'
. greatest good TO the greatest number, woul,
9 have beon established But the wave Of de
: struction is met--nay, hurled back apon tb'
enemies who sought our ruin. We yet dwell
e in safety. Your property ia secure. Yol
Il still gather your annual income, protected il
all your rights and privileges by the nationa
arm. Aud what does this nation assess vol
T. for as your share 10 tho cost Of this security
e Half your propertyi No--not farthing o
3 that properly. "ynst forty three dollars ap'
twenty one cens!' Pardon me for sayin,
il, friend Growler, but am more than bal
!, ashamed Of you"
aud seeing how yon put the case, an
8 more than half ashamed Of myself" he an
/, swcred frankly. "Wby, taking your view
this 10 about the cheapest Investment 1 hay
/. ever made" !"
. "Yov certainly get more for your none,
) than ip any other liae Of expenditure. Yes
0 terday bad a letter from an old friend liy