The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1864-12-21

again in regard to wheat. corn, cattle and
many uther articles " property. am net
then to be abused BY having pointed 10 m y
attention thar the acr Of Congress provides
in terms for "just compensation" T.
reply that the act, after using these s,Dsoth
words. inaasurates system ef proceedings
which never has given the citizens that
com pensation OF which it speaks. 1t OF
purpose keeps the word Of promise to the
ear. and breaks il to the nope. Through.
ou. the whsle State, and SO far as am IN
formed throughout the whole country, its
operation has been uniform. II cannot be
that such uniformity Of action among many
different persons who have no opportunity
Tor consultation. has net been dictated by
the commoa source of their appointment
mean the government. MIR. Memminser
asd Mr.. Trenhsln. whs have tried one
wild experiment after another upon the.
currency, make use sfthcse commissioners
Of schedule prices in the course Of these
experiments and the instructions under
which they act are to depress prices 10
standard in accordance with some Eighty
notion these gentlemen entertain as to the
value Of Confederate Treasury notes. They
are makiag their experiments at the ex-
p.nse of those perssns whose property
they impress. Upon what show OF propr-
ETY. is this done? II the currency have
deprecated because il is too abundant, eY-
periments to raise its value should be tried
At the general expense Of the whole coun-
TRY. The method by which those experi-
ments are to be made is taxation. No
constitutional principle can be nare axio-
matte than this. The contribution prehi>
bits all such trifiing with private right.
snder the head Of impressments, BY stipu-
latias On behalf Of the citizens for !" just
What an outrage, then,
upon that constitution, is it for the Con-
federate Goveramsnt to suggest to its com
missioners IS part Of their duty in fixing
inpressment prices, to consult other in
fuences than the general market value OF
an article! Whata MIXTURE Of absurdity
and grisv0ss sppressioa is it to make prl-
vate persons whose property is taken by
government. contribute far above their
proportion towards establishing state OF
things, the bssefits Of which belong To the
public in general! Our indignatien would
rise all the higher did we fully appreciate
the. fancifolness and the sccentricity dis
played In those experiments. The variety
Of their plans. aud the solemn -ceasare
which one philosopher passes upon the un-
successful experiments oI his predecessor.
carry the memory back to the age Of the
alche mis.s, and their marvellous sndeavors
70 transmute the baser metals into gold.
But il is not necessary in this argument to
insist upon that-it is most plain that even
IL these experiments resulted 10 success,
they should be made at the expense Of the
whole community.
am not understood as denying TO the
government the right to seize private pro.
perty whenever needed for its use. Ii has
. perfect right 10 do 50. The point upon
which ! have insisted is that il must pay
just compensation therefor. IL must paw
iar such property, all that private person
wsuld have TO pay for it. The government
has onlv one advantage in such matter over
the citizen who wishes TO buy. II can
compel sale. But il cannot force upon
the awner less price than his neighbors
would have given. had he been disposed to
sell.
insist that the Confederate States can.
nat practice far0iion under the name of
impressmtm. This they have been doing
repeatedly; and thereby have b,sken their
constitutional obligations not only upoa the
subject Of q just compensation, but also
upon that which apportions taxation. In
the case which | have referred TO in Or
sngs county. if the government had levied
. tax upon the owners Of the property ta-
ken to the amount Of s224.ooo they csnld
have ssld the property that was Impressed.
paid the tar and upoH that retained in their
pockets in cash the amount Of msnsy fer