The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-07-22
From the New York World J
sourI,ern STATE Debts.

lie message StUl W W iSo-
idcut Johnson, calls attention, in its
closing paragraph, to Il very grave sub
icct, Congress having taken the ground,
| in its recent legislation, that we have
acquired over the SOuth all the rights
of CONQUEST, it logically follows that we
! have also incurred all the obligations
| insepnrable from such rights. We can
not assume the advantages of such re-
! la;iou. without also accept its liablll-
! ties. There is no better established
principle of public law than that con
queling nation, which over hrowS and
anuuls conquered governments, succeeds
! to all the obligations of slch govern
ments TO other parties, and particularly
To their Just liabilities to their creditors.
/ 1t follows from this principle that tue
| Federal govcrnm mt, by abolishing the
State governments of the Sonth, a. il
has done, has taken upon itself the obli-
CATION to pay all the Southern State
debts This startling consequence of
! the Republican policy is suggested to
I the notice OF Congress II the President
message.
IT, South has probably for some
time perceived this consequence; winch
may perhaps explain, what has seemed
so unaccOuntable tn many. the listless-
ness Of the Southern people ia relation
To registration. Although the white
voters greatly ontnumber the blacks.
I the returns thus far show u prcpondcr-
ancr of negroes OH the registers. 1t has
been frequent Is asked in amazement
why the whites should permit this:
why they should thus tamely sur
render themselves to negro rule,
when they could easily ontvote
/ the freedmen and get tconrtol of the
new SJarv -svnrnmentS! Probably the
white population do nv, ;"tnnd that
any new State governments shan NO
formed with their consent, in order that
/ Congress may be obliged t .'"yidc for
the heavy State debts for which it has
made the nation liable. Congress pro-
badly intends that the recognized
State governments shall recognize and
reassune those debts. BIT ifno gov
ernmcnts are formed; or if governments.
being formed, Iepudiatc the debts which
the nation has legally bound itself to
pay, the Federal Treasury vii! be
burdened with the whole amount and
the South will find relief from heavy
taxes which, in its exhausted state, it
would find it difficult to meet.
If the South should prefer military
rule TO negro government for the ensu-
ing five or ten years, what will Con-
gress do about the State debts. Will
the nation, already staggering under
taxes, consent to this additional lOadi
1t will perhaps be said that Congress
will collect the means of paying the
Southern debts from the Southern peo-
pie. But Congress can legally do moth
ing of the kind. Itcan raise no tax of
any description which does not bear
upon the whole country alike. On this
point the Constitution is very explicit.
We insert its several provisions:
"All duties, imports, and excuses,
shall be uniform throughout the United
States
mo capitatioa OF direct tax shall be
laid, unless in proportion to the census
or enumeration hereinbefore directed
to he taken
"No preference shall he given by any
regulation of commerce or revenue to
the ports of one State over those Of an
other
1t is perfectly plain from these pro-
NISIOuN bhdt NoiI NdhhNI llAo bAS
Southern States and raise special taxes
for special purposes. In taking upon
the nation, as it has done, the obliga
tion to pay the Southern State debts. it
has created necessity for laying taxes
, upon the whole people of the country
for that purpose. To be sure, it may say
to the Southern States that they shall
not be readmitted until they consent to
reassume their State debts. But they
may not consider readmissions, under
Radical rule blessing for which sec
ton so impoverished can afford to pay
several hundred millions The State
debts themselves amount to hundred
millions, and the annual expenses of
the State governments which, before
the war, were fourteen millions, will be
increased to at least eighteen millions
by the greater costliness of military adj
ministration. Eighteen millions are
the annual interest of three hundred
millions at six per cent. So that, in
GLIDING the States debts, Congress would
have to provide annually for what is
! equivalent to the interest OH four hun
dred millions, and finally extinguish
the debts of hundred millions. Is the
country prepared 10 nproot republican
government in the South at this Cpor-
nous cost: