The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-26

We will show to you what sort of govern
ment it is that you have set up over yourselves
and ourselves. 1t is now on exhibition at
Columbia, playing its mad pranks to be stared
at, the shame aud ridicule Of our whole coun-
try. It claims to exercise the power OF taxa
tion, but it does not represent property. 1t
would borrow money on the credit Of the
State. It destroys that credit by its laWless-
ness and corruption. Whoever trusts bis
money to your government will lose 1t, and he
will deserve his loss. You have Governor, q
Lieutenant-G Governor, a Secretary Of State, q
Treasurer, a Comptroller General, an Attorney.
General, q Superintendent OF Education, and
an Adjutant-G General. These are the e1ecu-
tive or administrative corps. You have
Senate and q House Of Representatives. These
are one hundred and ffty-fve in number, and
constitute your Legislature which levies taxes,
borrows (If it can) and spends money for us.
Now this whole Legislature, all it's members,
and the Executive corps put together,
are taxed s0 HUNDRED AND FIFTY
one, hundred and fifty Ave legislators (House
and Senate) are taxed six hundred and thir-
ty-fge dollars and twenty-five cents (S635 22)i
equal to four dollars and nine cents "a 9-100)
each. But n1nety-one OF these. legislators pay
no tax at all. They are not on the tax rolls.
The twenty senators and representatives from
the old commercial CiGy OF Charleston are
1884 35-100). All Of this sum save one dollar is
psid by one member = q respectable colored
man. He pays the largest tax of any one in
the Legislative or Executive Department Of
your government. That other ono dollar is
assessedAand may be he pays it-upon your
Adjutant General, Moses. who is member
for. but neuer . resident OF, Charleston, also
chosen elected, but nevertheless Apocyypbat,
Chief Justice Of your Supreme Court-a bench
promising to be as wonderful as your Legis-
lature. .- go, -,;a l,,..s..a..a-.1 :,
The executive corps aggregated is tax
ed sixteen dollars and ninety-nine cents
($16 99-100).. This large sum, except the Adju-
tant-General's one dollar already named, is
paid by the Lieutenant Governor. The Gov
ernor aud all the remaining de6ras pay nothing.
We refer to the taxes OF 1867. They cannot yet
be ascertained for 1853. 1t is hoped that q
sense Of shame will induce your representative
to contribute some portion Of their salaries, or
Of tneir lobby contingents, this year to the pub
lie necessities. Now, We ask you squarely and
plainly, do you suppose such state OF things
can endure? Can 9 government be carried on on
by such persons2 Will they find fools who will
trust them or lend them money? IL they do
find such, does one single man in South Caro-
lima believe that the property. holders Will be
such fools as ever TO pay one dollar OF the debts
they may contractp You know they will not.
Do you suppose the taxes they levy will be
paid2 A few weeks will determine that-be-
cause it will determine whether We shall again
be put under military rule. One thing ID sure
and inevitable-if You persist in maintaining
such government We cannot and will not
maintain you. It will not be hostility to you
not desire to oppress or compel you-but
that irresistible, unvritten law OF neces-
sity, OF eelf-preservation, which nature
has made for us, and made it stronger
than all human laws. because it is OF Divine
origin. Tha. law will compel US to call in the
hardy and thrifty white man from abroad and
substitute his labor for your labor. He will
succeed TO your peaceful homes aud you Will
follow the path and the fortune Of the Indian,
who thought as you now think, and he rushed
as you now blindly rush upon your inevitable
fate. You have your choice now. You may
never have it again. II you are true to your
selves, true to our mutual interests and welfare;
If you stand by us, We will stand by you, and
there will be peace and prosperity aud all their
blessings shared between us. IF you choose
otherwise, and stand by your present associates
il you adhere to them and insist that you vii
put them to govern US, and you submit your.
selves to be governed by them, then you must
20 your ways and we will go our ways. Wewil
not modest or trouble you. You may in peace ruI
your course OF wretchedness and ruin. We shal
not follow you. We must and we will TAKE
care Of ourselves. Thiak OF these things
sedstely and calmly. They are vital to you
We know it, and for your own sake, we en-
treat you to be guided by truth and nothins
else, in forming ~. judgment. 1t will be I
Judgment which adhere TO you for goo(
or evil, and to or children, and the genera
tions that will follow them. sH,