The Portland daily press., 1864-02-20
MISCELLANY.

BY t. s. ARTHUR.


Nv neighbor Gfowler, an excitable man By
the way, was particularly excited over his
/ neome Tax or. as he called it, his "Wai
Tag He had never liked the war--thought
Il Unnecessary and wicked; the work of poll
tic ans This fighting of brother against
brother was terrible thing in his eyes. L
vol asked him who begun the war?-who
struck at the nations liIe?-if selt-defence
were not a duty ?-he would reply with vague
generalities, made up of partisan tricky sen
fences, which he had learned without com
pretending their just significance.
Grower came in upon me the other day,
fourishing asquare piece OF blue writing paper,
quite moved from his equanimity.
"There il Isl just so much robbery Stand
and deliver. is the word. Pistols and bayon-
cts! Your money or your lie"
took the piece of paper from his hand
and read:
Philadelphia, Sept, 1853.
RICHARD GRowLER. Esq,
To JOHN NJ. RILEY, DR..
Collector of internal Revenue or the 4th District
of Psnnsylvania Office 427 Chestnut st,
For Tax on Income, for the year 1862, as per
return made 10 the Assessor of the District, Si32l
JoHs NJ Riley, Collector.
"You're all right / said, smiling
"Id like to know what ycu mean, by all
right.r Grower was just little offended at
nv of treating this very serious matter-seri-
Gus In his eyes, mean. 1--WE been robbed
of forty-three dollars aud twenty-one cents"
he continued "Do you say that tits all right
A minion Of the Government has put his hand
into my pocket and taken just so much of my
property. Is that all right?'
1.-The same thing may be set forth in very
different language" replied. Let me state
the case
"very well-statc it.7 said GROWER, dump
ing himself into a chair, and looking as Ill hu-
mored as possible.
@Instead Of being robbed said |, ''you have
been protected in your property and person,
and guaranteed all the high privileges of citi-
zsnship, for the psltry sum Of forty-three dol
lars and twenty-one cents as your share of the
cost Of protection"
"Oh, that's only your way OF putting the
case,' retorted Grower, dropping little from
his high tone Of indignatian.
Let me be more particular in my way of
putting the case. Your income is from the
rent Of property?
"What would it have cost you to defend
that property from the army OF Gen. Lee, re-
Gently driven from our State by the national
soldiers ~
"Cost me ?" GROWER looked at me in a kind
of maze, as if he thought me half in jest.
Exactly What would IL have cost you?
Lee, ifunopposed, would certainly have reach
ed this city and neld it: and if your property
had been of use to him, or OF any of his officers
or soldiers, 1t would have been appropriated
without so much as saying-By your leave,
sir? Would forty-ihree dollars aud twenty
one cents have covered the damage? Per-
haps not. Possibly, you might have lost one
half to two thirds of all you are worth"
Growler was trile bewildered at this way
of putting the case. He locked puzzled.
"You have store on South wharves?"
said |.
.Yes.o
sWnat has kept the Alabama or the Florida
from running up the Delaware and burning
the whole city front? Do you have forts and
ships of war for the protection OF your proper
typ Ii not, who provides them? They are
provided, aud you are safe. What Is your
share Of the expense for a whole year? just
forty-three dollars and twenty ore cents. 1t
sounds like jestr'
Grower did not answer So kept on.
"But for our immense armies in the field,
and navy on the water, this rebellion would
have succeeded. What then? Have you ev-
er pondered the future of this country in such
an event? Have you thought of your own
position? OF the loss or gain to yourself?-
How long do you think we would be at peace
with Englaf d or France, If the nation were
dismembered and hostile Confederation es-
our war taxes be less than now? Would life
and property be more secure? Have you not
an interest in our great army and navy, as
and every other member Of the Union?-
Does not your safety as well as mine lie in
their existence Are they not, at this time,
the conservators of everything we hold dear
rs men and citizens? Who equips and pays
this army? Who builds and furnishes these
ships? Where does the enormous sums of
money required come from? It's the nations
work-the people aggregate in power and
munifeence, and so irresistible in might-un-
conqerable. Have you no heartswellings of
pride in this magnificent exhibi ion of will aud.
strength? No part in the nations glory p
No eager hand helping to stretch iorth?"
Growler was silent still.
There was no power in you or me to check
the wave of destruction that was launched
by paricidal hands against us. If unresisted,
by the nation, as an aggregate power, it wonld
have swept in desolation over the whole land.
Traitors in our midst, aud traitors moving in
arms against us, would have united to destroy
our beautiful fabric of civil liberty. The gov
eminent, which dealt with ali good citizens so
kindly and gentle, not that one in a thousand
felt its touch beyond the weight of feather,
would have been subverted; and who can tell
under what iron rule we might have fallen
for time, or how many years OF strife would
have elapsed before that civil liberty which
ensures the greatest good TO numbers would
have been again established? But the wave
OF destruction was met-nsy, hurled back up
on the nemies who sought our ruin. We
yet dwell IN safety. Your property is secure.
You still gather your annual income, protect
ed in all your rights by the strong ma
tional arm. And what does the nation assess
TO you as your share IN the cost ofthis securi-
ty? Half your property ? No-Dot a farthing
OF that property! only small per centage OF
your income from that property Just forty
three dollars and ttoeHt.fDe cents! Pardon
me for SAYING it, friend Growler" but am
more than hall ashamed Of YOU"
sand seeing the way you put the case
am more than half ashamed of myself, he an
swered frankly. Why, taking your view, this
u Tut the cheapest investment l eveI
made.s
lou certainly get more money than IL
anv other liae Of expenditure. Yesterday
hal letter from an old friend living in thu
neighborheod Of Carlisle. The rebels tool
from him six fine horses worth two hundred
collars apiece; six cows and oxen; and owe
two hundred bushels of grain. And not con
tent with plundering him, they burnt down
barn which cost him nearly two thousand dol
lars. But the raised and equipped by the ma
ton, in support of which you and are taxe'
so lightly. we light have suffered as severely
How much do you think it cost In money 70
the protection We have received In this par
ticular Instance?"
III Ill