The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-09-03

called upon to give Its assent TO the
creation of West Virginia, and mem
bers of Congress were admitted from
Louisiana so soon as Federal troops
obtained foothold in that State. At
ter the war the States of the South
were invited to ratify, and did ratify,
the fourteenth constitutional amend
ment, and it derives its validity from
their assent. The Republican party
by the reconstruction acts abolished
these governments, and created in their
stead military governments, which no
man will pretend was within the con-
stitutional powers of Congress. BY
the aid of the army they have built up
other governments, not according to
the will of the people, but according
to the will of Congress, and they have
founded them upon the exclusion of
the intelligence and wealth and virtue
of the white race from the right of suf-
frage, and upon the admission of eve
ry negro to that right; and they have
made these negroes buy their eXemp-
ton from the interference of the army
and their recognition as States by rati-
fication of the Fourteenth Constitu-
tional amendment, and a pledge that
they will never change the rule of suf-
ffage. Do not their own acts convict
them of the charge have made? Are
they not surely and rapidly, even
though silently, sapping the founda-
tions of the Government and chang
ing its form and nature? Are they
not accumulating power in the FEEDER
al Government and taking it away. from
the States? Do they not declare open
ly, and make it the basis of their
creed, that Congress has a power over
the right of suffrage in ten States
which it has not over the same subject
in the other States. Why is it they
build up these governments upon the
basis of the negro vote alone? My
friends, divest yourselves of passion
look at this work steadily. Is not the
stolid ignorance of enfranchised
slaves too narrow basis for a pros
porous State possessing equal powers
with the State Of Maine? Why is it
insisted on? The reason, the sole rea-
son is, that they believe they can con-
troll the negro vote; that by thislvote
they can secure the election of a Pres
ident and Senators and Members OF
the House and Governors and Legis-
latufes and Judges, and so WELD long
ter the powers of the Government. ]
know many of these men well. They
are men of intellect and daring. They
are men of firm resolve and lofty pur-
pose. They are not actuated by low
greed of gain, nor love of the emolu-
ments and honors of Office. They
have the true spirit of fanatical re-
formers, and they seek power that
they may oyerturn this system of gov
ment and build up another system in
its stead. My friends, we are engaged
in no scramble for office. We are
stimulated by no lust for power. This
struggle touches the life of our con-
federated system. 1t touches the
question of union or unity. 1t will
decide in the far off future the destiny
of our country. If our opponents
succeed, we will have first Unity, and
then Despotism, and then Revolution,
and then. Separation, and then what
ever God in his wrath may inflict. II
they fail, we will have the Constitu-
ton obeyed, the Union manned, liber-
I ty enjoyed, prosperity abounding,
peace everywhere, and all the glories
of our past will be but as the early
bud compared with the blooming
beauties of the full-blown flowers
In this supreme hour of our fate ]
beg you to pause and weigh well your
duty to the country, as in the hour OF
death you would weigh your duty to
God. To experiment is too costly
we cannot afford it. We might lose
our liberty, for there is a limit to hu-
man endurance. We cannot buy what
we do not pay for, and we cannot pay
more than what eXaction can squeeze
from our people. Freedmen's. Blu.
reau, military commissions, military
governments, the support of ten State
governments, constitutional amend.
ments, negro suffrage, carpet-baggers
are in themselves expensive luXuries
| When they bring with them stagna-
ton. of business, small crops, idle
hands, no cotton, no rice, no sugar, nc
home market for Western breadstuffi
and pork, and no exports for Eastern
ships to carry, they are more expen
sive still; and when they superadC
high taxes, high tariffs, exemption O.
capital from burdens, an increase IL
the hours of labor, an increase of tht
prices of necessaries, and decrease
of the wages of labor, the expense
! gets to be intolerable. The ameun
of money collected by taxation il
three years of peace, from July, 1866
to July, 1868, reached Sl,594, ia, 200
l have it from official sources. TIL,
i Commissioner of Internal Revenu
reports for 1866 S561 ,572, 900, for 1856
$47l 100000 and .Appleton's Encyclo
pedia reports for 1857, S561, 1902, 900
total 81, 1874, 4,l74,000. In. each case tn
gold collected at the Custon-house i
estimated at LAO. Of this amour
the revenue from the tariff reache,
4 ,S724, $4,000. The expenditure of tn
Government has been scarcely les
than this enormous sum; for if yol
! will look at the public debt on the Bis
! August, 1865, you will find that j
amounted to S2,757, $3.50, 81, and if yo
: look at the last monthly report, mad
:, August 1, 1868, you viii find it is stat
J ed to be S2,633,5SS, showing decreas
Of S124,l07, ,215. The Commissions
: of Internal Revenue tells us that th
, value of all the real and persona
property in the United States in ,1S6
the lands, farms, houses, town lot
money, stocks, bonds, railroad
, steamboats,, ships-all amounted t
: only S14,2 726,O88. IF the product
! of three years of peace have made u
for the ravages of four years of wa
9 then the taxation for three years hs
9 amounted. to very much more tina
: Ione-tenth of all the property in til
e country, while the taxation of Gre;
! Britain has amounted to one-thirtiet
e part. If the taxation for these veal
were assessed upon each indiHidn
1 equally, it would amount in the Uni
f ed States to- S34,25, while in Franc
e the taxation for the, same time woul
S, amount to $50, and in. Austria to le
: than. SIG. an;.-s..t III s-,a... to
; The public debt of the United State
# if assessed upon each individus
: would amount to $74 35, the publ
/ debt of France to $53, and of Pruss
: to $12. 1 said to you that / nev,
e made statement that could not ce
it ify, and I hold in my hand this L
e port from the Republican Commi
= Rsioner of Internal Revenue, Mr.. Well
% II &c onor fo. tho incnoofiO1, nf o,