Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-08-08


The ratification. by the military order OF
General Turner, Of the municipal election In
Richmond continues to be q topic Of grave dis
cussion in the press, and Of anxious thought BY |
tie we'll vishers Of the Government. 80 far as
se have observed, influential Republican papers
shrink from lie defense. while some OF them DO +
not disguise their regret a. go lAmentAble mis- |
take Although the particular case Il OF no con.
siderable moment, the principle Involved Il OF
such extensive application that t raises ques-
lion Of the first magnitude. What Is proper or
imnroper 10 be done at Richmond is equally
preoer. or improper, to be done in every locality
throughout the South; and thus the action Of
General Turner opens one OF the largest ques-
tions connected with Southern reorgs nization
We will not do 80 superhuous thing AZ 10
set about proving that local self govern en, is
one OF the most important rights recognized by
the theory OF our institutions No interference
With IL can be justified. exceps on the ground of
an overriding necessity, created by regard for
the public safety; or, Ito translate this vague i'm
preston into precise stAtement), interference
with local sel-government Is jusIhable only when
local authority il arrayed against the execution
OF the Federal laws. Now, these Richmond OH
GERS. whose election is, BY a military edlct. de-
clsTed VOID, had not resisted any Federal law.
for they had performed no Official act; and IL
seemed likely that they would not resist any
Federal law, inasmuch as they had taken the
oath of allegiance Moreover, il is evident that,
in the discharge of their ordinary functions they
could not resist the Federal laws, for the scope
OF their duties includes nothing on which the
Federal Government has authority to legislate.
II each keeps within its sphere, conflict - i'm
possible.
The proper business of the municipal officers
Of Richmond is to pave, light and clean It's
Streets organize and superintend its police; to
sbate nuisances; suppress vagrancy, preserve the
peace, establish schools and hospitals. lay taxes
for municipal purposes, and protect the city trea
sury against frauds 10 the discharge OF these
duties, the city officers have neither power nor
temptation to thwart any legitimate purpose Of
| The Federal Government Whether Richmond
| shall have clean streets and good schools is a
matter in which nobody has as much interest as
| tie people of Richmond themselves. There Is
no reason why they should not manage these
matters to suit their own views, and pay the eX
pense out of their own pockets
Have the authors of the system OF administer
| ing the local affairs of the South by Federal
thority considered the danger. difficulty, and e1
pense of SO extensive an undertakingI IL the
South il permitted to govern itself. il will bear
| the expense Of its local administration There
are ten thousand officers oil one sort and another.
in every State. Most OF these perform duties
which require but portion OF their time A
justice OF the peace. constable, assessor &c can
discharge his public duties without interfering
with his private business; which makes local ad-
minislration cheap Bat when the Federal
Government undertakes the business. il must fur
nish full maintenance and high salaries TO the
military officers it intrusts with such duties. be-
sides keeping body of soldiers TO enforce their
authority The expenses OF the military system
must. taking one locality with another. be at
least tenfold that of local self government
If this increased expense were to be betrayed
by the people governed, the abettors OF the sys-
TEN would prob ioly care little how much it cost.
But this is precisely the point which they have
not considered The truth is, the heavy expense
of the military system will have TO be borne
mainly by taxpayers of the North; which is. per
haps, the most sagacious provision in the whole
Constitution for preventing the permanent op-
preston of one section of the Union by the rest
| The Federal Government has no power to levy
| local taxes in the South to deiray the expenses
of its local administration There is no part OF
the Federal authority that Is so carefully guard
| ed as that of laying taxes. Congress may, in
deed, make the taxes as high as it pieases there
being no limit in this respect, but its own discre
| ton But for no purpose whatever can II tax
any part of the country higher than 1t, at the
| same time. axes every other. 1t makes do diff
ference whether the tax is direct or indirect il
must be distributed. by uniform rule, over all
sections OF the country ailke. nese are the pro
visions of the Constitution:
1.-The Congress shall have power to lay and
collect taxes, duties imposts and excuses. to pay
the debts and provide for the common defense
and general welfare of the United States; but all
duties. imposts and excises shall be uniform
throughout the United States
| mo capltation or other direct tax shall be
laid unless in proportion to the census or emu
meration herenbefore directed to be taken"
Viewed in the light of these provisions, this
business OF taking the local administration of the
| South out of the hands of the Southern people
becomes matter of grave consequence to the
tax payers OF the United States Ii is certain, in
the end to breed wide spread dissatisfaction, and
to overthrow any administration that persists in
| it. Unless the system is changed the burden Of
| taxation will become intolerable, and an incensed
people will arise in their might and shake it all
| off together. Their legitimate burdens are all
| that the people can stand under. In the first
| place, there is the heavy taxation caused by the
enormous National debt In the next place,
there is the vast mass OF local debts incurred by
every State, county and town in the loyal
| States TO pay soldiers bounties and provide
| for their families; all Of which must be paid
| by local taxation. In the third place. there is
the ordinary taxation for the support of the local
governments. In the fourth place. there is what
| is Just equivalent to enormous addition TO the
| local taxes of the North in the exemption OF the
| three thousand millions of national bonds
from all State and municipal taxation. and shift
ing the whole burden upon other property Now
if, in addition to all this, the expenses of local
| administration in the South are 10 be increased
in amount, by the adoption Of bad system, and
| ssddled upon the people of the whole country,
il will be a great deal more than the additional
straw which broke the camels back. This is q
matter which il especially concerns the Federal
bondholders to look to- They have greater
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