New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-03-01

against which think 1t the especial prov
ince and bounden duty of this convention
to protest, most respectfully but neverthe-
less earnestly, in the name Of downtrodden
and oppressed people-a people who, what
ever may be their political sentiments are
personally honest, and in the main in
dustrious, and who are already taxed
into the very depths of poverty and
starvation, not only without representation
in both state and national councils, but also
without any civil government which is at
all competent to protect them efficiently in
either 81 life, liberty, or the pursuit of hap
piness, leaving the forlorn hope of property
entirely out of the question.
1.-THE order of General Hancock was here
conned and miautely criticised by the
speaker.l
do not think, however, as the CONNER
nlercidl Bulletin seems to think, that this
order revives suspended taxes. That journal
says:
pended taxes to be collected in federal cur
| rency."
To do this, Mr.. President, would be an
outrage too monstrous to contemplate. The
people of my portion of the state-of that
portion of the state which was within the
confederate lines during the late rebellion
paid their taxes promptly to the de fdct0
government under which they were at that
time compelled to live. The heart sympa-
| thies and loyal devotion of many of my
people, il indeed not a large majority Of
them, were during the war, at least, with the
national government and against the rebel
lion; and if they did not pay their taxes to
the proper state authorities, it was no fault
of theirs. 1t may be that there are some
who deserve ito have to pay their taxes
| again; but there are many more who do not
deserve any such hardship, and oppofe
| Furnishing the innocent to reach the guilty
| IN this case, for the same reason that OPP
| posed the Acknowledgement of loyal men in
| rider to reach few unrepentant rebels.
| Aud oppose this back collection of taxes
| upon the further and additional safe and
sensible ground that it is not only not Just
t. punish man twice for the same offense,
| either in the way of collecting double taxes
or in the way OF fine or Imprisonment, but
that it is equally as wrong and erroneous in
| both legal and moral sense for state as
for an individual to Geek to take advantage
of IFS 0ten agroRg. And besides being an
outrage, in both law and morality, to at
| tempt to collect back taxes from the people
| OF my section of the state. it would prove
/ physical impossibility. The enforcement of
| such an outrage would compel the people
to surrender what little property they have
left and leave the state,
repeat do not think the order intends
| any such thing. IL only requires that future
taxes and revenues shall be collected in
illegal tender treasury notes.
To this the Bulletin objects in one sense.
and uses an argument or reason to which
wish to call the attention of members Of this
convention. 1t is this:
1.-THE fiscal remedy proposed by the legis-
lature was the best that could ut the moment
be adopted. The state was not able to pay
taxes. 1t would have consumed large part
of the real estate of the country to enforce
their collection. When men can not pay
wages or rent, or buy food, how can they
pay taxes! Therefore the fiscal policy of
the last legislature was the most proper.
They proposed to use the state credit, and
leave the payment of the debt to a more
prosperous future.H
l most heartily agree with all this. But,
Bir. President does it fail to strike your
recollection-can it fail to strike the recol-
lection of q single member of this conven-
tion-that the argument or reason here
given in defense Of the action of the late
state legislation on the subject of finance
is the same precisely which ] had the
honor TO present to the better understand.
ing of this honorable body in vindication
of the bond ordinance / introduced as the
first plan of raising means to defray our
expenses while framing new state consti.
tuition? No one can disremember this fact /;
nor will it fail to be recollected that this
same Bulletin newspaper, with every other
opposition journal in the city and state,
denied the legitimacy and force of the
position, and advocated and obtained in
stead the levying an immediate forced col
lection of special tax in greenbacks.
allude to this merely incidentally, tore
mind certain outsiders who claim to be such
dear friends of the people, that their hypo-
critical pretensions shall be remembered
against them, and to keep the people re-
freshed as to who are their friends, and who
their opprossors, and not, MIR. President, to
call up any blame against any member OF
this convention for any position he may
have occupied, or which he may now oc-
cupy, upon this or any other question that
, has come before us. / accord to every gen.
tleman on this floor equal honesty of pur-
pose with myself upon all matters which
come up here for our action: but do not
accord honesty of purpose to every intrigu.
ing traitor and brawling demagogue, and
stump politician who viliies and howls and
/ snarls at all our acts, right or wrong.
Now let us see what portion and what
, | specific items this order of General Hancock
has revived in the general appropriation ACT
of the last session Of our state legislature.
enumerate as follows, specifically, viz:
Here the speaker enumerated the Yarf
Gus appropriations which are affected by
General Hancoek's order, and which, by his
showing, amounts to an immense sum.
Thus 1t can not fail to be seen, whatever
good may have been intended by the order,
: that ito practical workings will lead tc
J something even worse than ordinary injus
tice. The matter runs into absolute farce
ienehahlv lndicrnnR ifit were not so humili
: ating and deplorable. Many items Of ex
penditure are thus renewed for which there
| Is neither call nor demand, while the main
1 items which should be promptly met, il
within the reach of human possibility, are
not only left unprovided for, but are posi-
lively prohibited. Every item of interest
: due those who have heretofore backed NJ
the credit of the state is ignored And moi
: only so, but the only currency thrown upon
the people of the state by their own legisla
f ture is set aside and rendered worthless
! absolutely repudiated, for the time being
. at least.
,, If this is not backing up the civil authori
ties and sustaining state legislation with I
vengeance, IL is because there is great force
in palpable contradictions.
Will this convention fail to enter pro
I test against such an order as thisl If WI
| | are to have forced taxes in greenbacks--iI
, | legal tender treasury n0tes-in the name o
I common sense let 1t be for some practica
, purpose of general utility, and not espe
cially to depreciate not only our state ant
city currency, but all denominations o
greenbacks except legal tender notes, AND
r | for the queer and unaccouutable purpose
! of Ieinaugurating with fattening salaries
!, bogus civil government which, under thu
y circumstances, Is not only inefficient TO
! any practical good, but which in the maiI
/ Is alike averse and antagonistic to the loya
sentiment of the state, which loyal senti
ment at present comprises a large major
ity Of the legal voters Of Louisiana a
large, and especially of my section of tn
state. II Is not the purpose nor the will o
/ this loyal sentiment, so far as / know or be
I lieve, to torture the people longer than pos