The weekly union record., 1865-08-05
Ways and Means Of Supporting the Gov
eYnment.

annoying and burthensome 10 the people.
The keen scented politicians OF the Opposition
perceiving the situation of affairs, are eager TO
avail themselves Of it and hopeful Of success
as party, though founded on the misfortuues
of their country and in sympathy with treason.
in relation to taxes thaR anything else, and es-
pecally direct taxes, which must be more or
less inquisitorial of their private business mat
tiers. However patriotic they may be in an
emergency, i, will not do to trust too much to
their patriotism when long years of direct tax
alton are 10 prospect.
Under such circumstances it is the duty of
every friend of bis country to consider well the
the ways and means necessary for the support
of the Government
1t may be safely assumed that Sl50,000 900
per year may be raised By taxes upon imports,
which are usually denominated indirect taxes
This will leave 5000 900 coo to be raised BY
internal or direct taxes, unless other means be
devised to supply this sum. This may and
ought to be done. Let the Constitution be so
amended as TO empower the Government TO
levy taxes on exports and all need of internal
taxation Will be obviated. The exports to be
taxed should be exclusively those of which the
United States have virtcally. a monopoly as
against the rest of the world. Cotton and to-
hao ba oh Of icla IF oh
TO which others may probably be added.
Petroleum, likely. would come next. Wheat
Indian corn and rice would perhaps bear a
light tax. Many other articles no doubt would
be found would bear taxation of this kind
The governing principle should be to put an
export duty only on those articles of which the
United States have the monopoly, and which
the rest of the world must haze
The effect of this would be that other nations
would pay the export duties, and not the peo
pie of the United States This would be a
just retributiou against England, France and
the mOuarches and aristoeracies who have
aided, encouraged and sympatbzed with the
rebellion. The beauty of the thing would be
that while it would be a well deserved retribu
ton, it would be no cause of war or Just
offense
OF all the nations of The earth, ancient or
modern, the Unitsd States is the only one
which ever dlvested itself Of the power to tax
exports. Nor could the people of the South
ern States consistently object to such taxes
for the Constitution of the so called Confeder
ate States expressly provided that export du
ties might be imposed. The Confederate lead
ers well understood that they held the monop
oily Of cotton aud tobacco as against the rest
of the world. and they intended that tie export
duties on those articles (which they know
would be paid by those purchasing those arti-
cles, and not themselves,) should pay their war
debt and support their government. Thus
they had contrived, not without reason, TO sup
port their Government without taxing them
selves TO the value Of dollar. That the so
called Confederate States had virtually the
Of cotton and tobacco, is proved by
the enormously high price of those articles
since the rebellion cut off those sources of sup
ply. II the foregoing be true, and who will
dispute it, is it not eminently wise and judi
cious that export duties should be laid and
will not the reason and sell interest of all con
eur TO render feasible the adoption of an amend
ment to the Constitution authorizing the i'm
position of export duties? There is every rea-
son to think SO. Five cents pound on cot
ton. and ten cents pound on tobacco, would
produce revenue of $3.50 100000 per annum.
This may rot be critically accurate, but it is /
sufficient to show the substantial scope and
sfftct of the proposed measures.
What were the motives of those who framed
the Constitution, as to the provision respecting
export duties, 1t is difficult to discover from
reading the proceedings of the convention. Iu I
Mr.. Madison's Reports OF their Debates" it |
seems to have been adopted without debate, /
but mere passing notice being made of it, /
nor does it appear 10 have been the subject of
discussion ID Inc tueFallSt or Otler papers OF
the time.
The principles Of political economy we're not /
as well understood then as now, and the probab- (
ty is that taxes on exports were considered as
taxes on the producer, and odious compared
with other methods of taxation. The points |
are: lst. The United States is the only gov
arnmeDt which has divested itself of the power /
TO tax exports. ID. The so-called Confederate /
States provided in their constitution to tax
exports. Sd. 1t is for the interest OF ALL includ-
ug the people of the Southern States, to tax
exports. 4th. Rebels and Secessionists are
stopped from obiecting to taxes on exports. by /
heir own acts. 5th. A tax on exports OF I
which the United States have the monopoly. /
5 tax not ou the producer but on the con
;umer. 9th. Consequently, foreigners pay the I
AK, and thereby we get satisfaction of them for
- ] IL. ~ T.. r. -.