The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1867-03-16
Insecurity of Property.

Insecurity OF Property.
An eminent writer on Political
Economy (McCunoch) has said that,
Security of property is the principal
element in every properly constructed
When maintained in
violate, country can support without
much difficulty a very heavy load Of
taxes; but where there is no secu-
property IS a prey to
rapirc and spoilation, to the attacks
of the needy, the powerful or the
proGi1ate-the smallest burdens are
justly egarded as oppressive, and uni
formly exceed the means of the i'm
poverished and sPiritless Inhabitants.
Security is indispensably necessary to
the successful exerting Of the powers
Of industry. Where it is wanting 1t
IS idle to expect either riches, prosper
ity, or even prolonged civilization
"Itis the security of property, says
another writer, that has overcome
the national aversion Of msn TO labor,
that has given him the empire Of the
earth. that has given him fixed and
permanent residence, that has i'm
planted in his breast a love Of his
country and posterity. To enjoy i'm
mediatciy, TO enjoy without labor, is
the natural inclination Of every man.
The law which restraints this (savage)
inclination, and which secures to the
humblest individual the quiet enjoy
uent Of the fruits Of his industry, is
the most splendid achievement OF, leg
islatiye wisdom, the noblest triumph
of which humanity has to boast
And it was q remark of Cicero that
"ciyI government was chiefly or
gained for the protection of property
that it was the foundation on which
all the institutions of civil society
rests"
The truth of these reflections are
brought forcibly home to the Southern
people at this iuncture. It is the in
security that is known to exist as to
property, which presses as a mountain
Of lead upon their energies, paralyzing
industry, destroying confidence, over
throwing credit and forbidding immi-
grafton The war left them with but
a wreck Of their former possessions
their industrial system demolished,
and their capital lost with the cause OF
the Confederacy. To repair these
losses, under circumstances the most
propitious, would have been the work
Of many years Of patient industry
aided by the most entcrprising spirit
and supported by the fostering care OF
government. Bat in the case Of these
people, when they might have INDUCED
a hope of the revival Of prosperity by
the industry which it was in their ma
ture to exhibit, they have been over
/ loaded with grievous taxation anG
haunted by the spectre of sweeping
confscations, which their cold, calcu
latjng, malignant and ungenerous foe:
have constantly held before their gaze
/ Taxation impairs the powers of pro
( duction, as they are impaired by bar
( reness of soil, or inclemency o
/ season; and when to this insuperablt
obstacle to prosperity is added the in
/ security Of property which is felt by
orr people, faint conception may be
formed OF the depth of misfortune
into which they have been plunged.
The opportunity of perpetuating
their industrial system by an Inaepen
/ ent government having been lost
their chief aim should be to builC
up another system upon basis, which
can be accomplished alone under tn;
auspices of a stable government
Their great need is a final settlement
of the sectional difficulty The United
States government by the decision o
war has acquired the power to dictat
a government for them. From tn
decision of this stern tribunal, there i
no appeal, and for the first time, sine
/ the surrender of our armies, the law
making Department of that Govern
meut has offered terms of accommoda
ton. They are harsh, it is true, bu
they are preferable to the ALTERNATIVE
of Military rule, with confiscation, an,
the destruction of the safeguards 0
political and civil liberty, which wer
erected upon the overthrow of tvran
ny by our English ancestry conturie
ago.