Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-08-26
Shall We BE Taxed Without Repre-
eonfotInu7


sentation?
For forty five days, (snys the Columbia Paoe-
nir,) the capital of South Carolina-a sovereign
and independent State-has been disgraced by
mongrel party of ignorant adventurers, renegade
natives and stupid negroes, constituting aself-
styled Legislature, and assuming, under tho sane
ton of the bayonet, to make laws for The gov
ernment Of the landowners and intelligent mas
ses of our people. How this unnatural and ille- |
gitimatc organization found birth, is we'll known.
How it came to pass that the spawn and fungi OF
Northern society, and the newly-emaneipated and
uneducatcd black men Of the South, came into
and arc now exercising power, needs no repeti-
ton. Startling as the anomalyis is, it presents
nevertheless, an incontrovertible fact; and deep
as may be the regret entertained by every citizen
who is interested in order and the welfare of the
State ut this painful feature in socaled free gov
ernment, the unprejudced world will do the white
men of tho South the justice to say, that they
have borne the inliction Of this crying disgrace
with wonderful forbearanco.
The press of the land hes, with rare exceptions
counselled the people to moderation, and the
people have submitted to the injuries imposed On
them with ut attempting to exercise any other
remedy than that afforded by the ballot-box, and
then even in the face Of infamous frauds openly
perpctrated by the party in power.
But patience, sometimes, ceases to be virtue,
and the continued denial Of GOd-given privileges
and rights, justifcs the resort to extraordinary
means for their recovery and perpetuati on! To
our apprehension, that moment is approaching in
the history of our down-trodden people, and
whilst We deprccate any recourse to physical
power for the vindication of our rights, as mex
pedient and unwise, VIC DO not hesitate to COM
mend the employment of other agencies, quite as
efficient, in securing speedy but peaceful solu-
ton of the dificutie, by which we are embar-
rassed Not the least obvious of these is the re-
fusal to lend countenance or aid to government
in which we have no participation or representa-
ton, whilst it is proposed, at the same time, to
tax us to death for its support.
The so-calcd General Assembly of this State
is now engaged in perfecting scheme which will
erty owners of tho State, q large class Of whom
are denied the right to aid in the legislation of
the nation or State, whilst it excmpts the very
people who enjoy all the power and are freed from
the burthens of government. Nor is this all. 1t
is on the eve of seizing the funds of the State
VIC mean the bills receivable, for the redemption
of which in good faith the credit of the State
stands pledged-seizing them on the same prin-
ciple that the highwayman commands you to
stand and dsliver-and then by express resou-
ton, they are to be paid to the members at de-
probation of thirty per cent. Nearly 100000
of these funds are TO be stolen from the Treasury
and thrust upon the market, whore it is obvious
that, if circuleted at all, they will be only at nm
enormous discount These bills are receivable fer
taxes, however; and herein lies The hope of the
carpet.baggcr, who takes S1.3O for every dollar
claimed to be duo him by the State as compensa-
ton for his services as q member; and then if
he has any taxes to pay-which is, at best, doubt
ful-hc returns them to the treasury ut their par
value. So for every thousand dollars issued, the
State, under the most favorable circumstances,
can receive only seven hundred in return.
There is one way to obvate the otherwise evil
effects of this manifest outrage, and We commend
i, to the consideration of our people. Refuse to
take these JiHs, under any circumstances, or at
any price," That they will be eventually worth
less, no one doubts; and it may as well be under
stood now, at homo and abroad, that the x-pny-
ing people Of the State-:hosc from whose purses
is expected to como the redemption of these bills
utterly repudia's item, as they niW any other
debt created by Government in uhich they are
not Represented, and whose acts, like those which
gave them birth, they regard as usurpa,iOns, and
unconstitutional, revolutionary and void.