Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-08-28

/, have said this policy subjects six States
to the domination of the negroes. They will
have immediately the right of suffrage they
Igyill have inevitably and necessarily the right
TO hold Office. They will have greater politi-
cal privileges than you confer upon women,
upon your sons who are twenty years of age,
upon intelligent aud educated residents of
foreign birth. They will have majority Of
voters. Will the laws of the Federal govern
,ment affecting this community be more bene-
Ifcent Wien they are SUBJECTED; to the .infu.
ence of such voters? Will the presence of
\ fifty members of the House and twelve Sena-
tors elected by such constituencies inspire
Iyou with more confidence in the wisdom Of
lthe-laws or the purity of tie government?
=
+ But suppose this work fully accomplished ;
Suppose the government thoroughly consoli-
dated suppose the Constitutional Amend
ments adopted, ard reconstruction perfected
on the basis proposed. 1t will be strong
enough to execute the civil rights bill, strong
enough to execute the duties assumed 10
themselves now by the military commanders.
1t %ill have large army and large navy.
The number oft civil employees will be in
creased, and they will be spread over aud
throughout the country as we'll as collected
at Washington. The power of the President
will be vastly enhanced and the subjects cf
tue attention of Congress will be ten-fold
multiplied.
! Will the government be better or saier or
| more economical than the one we have here
| Ftnfcre lad? Will there be fewer taxes, or
| lighter burtbcns, or less corruption? The
taxes collected by the government last year
were five hundred and eighty millions. Will
they be le The taxes collected by Eng
land amounted to four hundred and eighty
millions. The taxes collected by France
were three hundred and ninety millions. You
paT one hundred millions more than England,
;onc hundred and ninety millions more than
France. Do you want this excess still
greater?
| n France has property, real and personal, as
= taxable b,sis, amounting to forty thousand
millions of dollars. Great Britain has prop
igrty, real aud personal, amounting to thirty
six thousand millions. The United States
have property of the same kind amounting %
sixteen thousand millions. France and Eng
| land paw no more local taxes, while the peo
| pie of the United States, in addition to the
Sum have stated, pay for the State anl conn.
" and municipal taxes nearly two hundred
and fifty millions. Will this change reduce
our taxes2
Do you believe our financial system will be
improved
The national debt exceeds twenty five hun
dred ml!iuns-aMd the annual interest is lot
far from one hundred and forty millions. Each
sixteen years the amount OF interest thus paid
is almost as great as the whole de- t. Will II
be reduced?
The capitalists have Two thousand millions
Of government bonds. They paid f,- them
Il al, average of fscarcelg more than fifty cents
on tue dollar. They receive interest in gold
ut six per cent. on their face. And yet they
are excerpt from taxation. Minnesota TAXES
the land and houses and horses and money
aud labor of her people bnt she dare net
touch wih the rrofanins hand Of her tax
ga.aerer the fortunes Of these gentlemen.
Will their numbers be diminished, or the
amount IF their non-taXable investments b.
reduced
Three hundred millions and more of these
bonds arc in the hands Of the owners OF Ma
tiuna Banks. They dcpos: them at Wash
ington and draw, scmi-annnaliv, the interests
in gold lhcy receive from he treasury an
almos. equal amount OF banknotes, and lhes"
they lend out to the people 1t six or eight or
fifteen per cent as The II ,essltlcs oi commerce
or the coadltion of the borrower make him u
fit suh.c, for such demands. The manifest
interest Of the people is that these bonds D.
redeemed in legal tender notes. The Inter
csts on these bonds would thus be saved, and
the currency, if any is needed, would thus be
furnished free OF cost TO the people. Will
this be effected?
Such consolidated government, as l have
described, would furnish the hey day Of the
spcculator, the stock jobber, OF all those
walters On fortune who live by their wits on
the labor of other meu. But leaving these
considerations, and rising to u higher level OF
argument. | ask You is this policy worthy of
our country? Will it advance tho interests
of our race? Will it extend the liberty and
inc ease the happiness of tue human family /?
Will it lay deeper aud broader the foundations
OF our government?
The wounds Of war are still agape. Inth
North they are net yet healed. IN the South
they are fresh and bleeding. There the in
dustrial system is destroyed, the social fabric
is shattered, the commercial prosperity is ut
tery gone, families are broken up, nejghbor-
hoods aredcpopulated, agriculture is forsakcn,
| fields laid waste and fatninc-actual starya-
ton carrying many to their graves. The tracks
of the wheels OF the chariots Of war are worn
so deep that century will not effacc them.
The North has conquered their armies; shall
it not elso now conquer their hearts Loud
applause. The highest duty of PATRIOTISM
the chieftst elm of craftsmanship, should be
to calm the passions and alay the exaspera-
tion, and ifit were possible, 10 eface tho very
memory of the war. This policy of recon-
s:ruction adds dishonor to defeat, adds the
sting of degradation to the bitterness of sub
mission. 4 Radical New England Senator
refused to permit the trophies of the war or
the paintings OF victories to be put in tue
| Smithsonian Institute, lest it might keep up
unhappy memories, and nourish bitter resent
meut, hut with refinement of cruelty, he cx-
hibits them in the laws, and perpctuates them
| in the institutions with which he would govern
the people.
They tell us we need strong government,
that We need to clothe the nation with power
TO execute its will. S,rong for what? Has
not the Federal system been strong enough 2
| Has it not executed its civil and criminal law
Has it not walked successful war both of Of
fence and delence2 Has it not by force of
arms overcome gigantic rebellion, and for
years sustained most cxhausting civil war?
Has it not had the power to preserve order at
home and maintain its position in The world 2
Has it not been strong enough to protect The
rights, alas, strong enough to jeopardise the
liberties of Its citizens? History tells us that
confederation is liberty-lhat consolidation is
despotism-that q confederation is the strong
est government for defence, and the weakest
| for onpression. a government which holds