Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-11-08

that the nation staggerS unuer natui any
appals the thought OF people that less
than decade since was almost the only
one on earth that hardly knew what tax
gathercr was. But what IS seen III the ia
bles, bad as it is is not the worst. The
figures show only what was paid in, only
what found its way to the Government
Golfers, and that may have been the small
er part of what was taken from the people.
Tax-gatherers with us are corrupt beyond
all possible precedent. Popular opinion
hardly makes the distinction between a
revenue officer and thief. Stealing IN
place is so common, general, 1t IS SO
much recognized fact that this class OF
functionary seeks position only to acquire
a sudden fortune. that no one of them any
longer feels called upon to deny 1t through
any supposed necessity to seem honest.
From remote times the ax-gatherer was Il
scoundrel, publicans were robbers and the
friends of robbers, and the Christian text
classes " the publican and the taX-Gathel-
or" as one in repute and performance and
those old fellows stole IL measure OF cum
min, may be, or skin of wine. Perhaps
some fellow of unusual boldness here and
there may have taken talent of silver.
What pigmies of plumber Hundreds of
thousands of dollars make the small dust
in the balance of our revenue collectors,
and a place is hardly worth the intrigues
by which it is gained if it does not prom
Use q round million above all contingencies
for term.
Do the people clearly understand their
position in all this Do they appreciate
that of the vast amount they pay in taxes
a large proportion is as unjustly taken as
if it were taken by the highwayman, and
goes not even to sustain IL mismanaged
lJt IN ish I;,,t
minions Of a profiigate party? We may
naturally feel Il certain sympathy for the
people Of the South, beaten down, hum
bled by degrading laws, and denied all the
rights of freemen, that the nigger may
outweigh them III the political scale but
the people Of the State must awake to the
perception that they have a nearer and
more positive reason than mere sympathy
for joining their voices to the rebuke that
the whole nation is uttering against the
recently dominant Republican party-the
party of negro supremacy, the party that
has piled up this enormous burdenIof tax
es the party of unlimited, indiscriminato
robbery in office All this terrible taxation
is telling on the material interests OF our
people III the worst way, and thus the
Republican party has come 20 make itself
felt in mems pockets, and men must make
their reputation of such party felt at the
polls in such good round terms us ma or
ity of one hundred and fifty thousand
votes against it's candidates next Tuesday,
Such a declaration the party will under
stand but will heed no other. Ii has cot
beyond all fear but that OF the loss o.
power. New York Herald Nov =.
The following is an extract from a lot
fap Inv Ra twin Of
on the results Of the October elections
| do not think it will be practicable fur
Their to infame the public mind against tho
President, or longer to retain party power
by waging war against him. Whether he
betrayed his party i'll the absurd hope of
thereby perpetuating his own power, or
sacrificed power and party on the altar of
his country, ceases to be a question Of
national Importance. 1t is d question en-
which opinions differ, and be better
settled when the country is relieved from
its present disturbed condition.
And on reviewing the ground, as far as
my limited observation extends, see no
reason to anticipate Il reactionar7 excite
ment in favor OF extreme Radical men and
measures. The more Conservative Repub-
liean leaders, if they would retain power,
must learn to know that there is % public
opinion, not created by themselves or
changeable at their pleasure, which, when
it speaks-as it has spOken--is entitled to
their respect
In obedience to this they must dethrone
their Radical despots, and conform their
action i'll Congress to the expressed public
will, and legislate like rational men, with
callnness and consideration rather than
with passion. 1t is hard to ask political
party to acknowledge error and retrace their
steps, but IN this case the good OF the coun-
try requires, and the expressed will of the
people demands it. The correction must
and will be made, either by them or
those who will succeed them, and it were
better done, III conservative spirit by
them than 10y the Democracy, who will be
otherwise called to the task under moro
difficult complications,
If the Republicans will do this promptly
and cheerfully, they will probably regain
and retain their ascendency, and they may
rely on the Democracy to render them all
needful aid i'll restoring and securing it.
That party, wherever i'll power, will, unless
they have learned wisdom from hard OK
perience, adopt Objectionable measures, or
bring forward obnoxious men, such as will
destroy their asrendency, If the Republi-
cans have conservative wisdom enough to
profit by their errors.
From the Round TdblA, Radical
New England and the New south.
The recent elections have social as we'll
as q political significance, and although
there may be danger of both being over
estimated, it is interesting to observe and
useful to endeayor to compute them. II
New York and Pennsylvania follow in the
wake of Ohio. it will be apparent that the
reaction is not spasmodic one, and that
important results are not only promised
but insured. 1t will be apparent that the
splendid opportunity for governing the
country for all indefinite time-an oppor-
tunity golden as that of the Wings who
came in with William of Orange, and one
which might have been as successfully
availed of-has been practically lost by the
Republicans, who will be relieved by the
people Of official responsibilities as rapidly
as the situation will allow A rapid change
of front with regard to their more extreme
tenets or dogmas and a iudicious fortifca-
ton of their position with the elements of
military popularity will become the obvi-
GUS and expectable policy of the Repub-
licans, and should the powerful wing led
Dv Mr., Greeley prove strOno' on 1urh to