Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-01

now on exhibition q. Columbia, playing
its mad pranks 10 be stared st, the shame,
aud ridicule Of our whole country. IL
claims TO exercise the power Of taxation,
but il does not represent property. IL
would borrow money on the credit OF the
State. 1t destroys that credit by its law
lessness aud corruption. Whoever trusts
his money TO your Government will lose
It, aud be well deserves bis loss. You
have = Governor, q Lieut. Governor, a
Secretary Of State, q Treasurer, a Con-
troller General, an Attorney General,
Superintendent Of Education, and an
Adiutant General. These are the ex-
eeutive or administrative corps. You
have Senate and House Of Repre-
sentetives. These are one hundred and
fify-fve In number, and constitute your
Legislature, which levies taxes, borrows
and speads money for us. This Legislature
all it's members, and the Executive corps
put together, are taxed six hundred and
fifty-two dollars aud twenty-five cents
The one hundred and ffty-fye legislators
House and Senaie) are taxed six hun
dred and thirty-6ve dollars and twenty
two cents, equal to four dollars and nine
cents each. But ninety-one Of these
legislators pay no tax at all. They are
not on the tax rolls. The twenty Sena-
tors and Representatives from the old
commercial city Of Charleston are taxed
eighty-four dollars and thirty'fve cents.
All of this sum, save one dollar, is paid
by one member-s respectable colored
man. BE pays the largest tax ofany one
in the Legislative or Executive depart
ment of your government That other
one dollar is assessed-and may be he
pays it-upon your Adjutant General,
Moses, whois memberfor, but never a
resident Of, Charleston, also the Speaker
of the House, and the son of the chosen
elected, but nevertheless apocryphal,
Chief Justice of your Supreme Court-a
bench promising to be as wonderful as
your Legislature.
The Executive corps aggregated is
taxed sixteen dollars ninety nine cents
(Sl6 99-l00). This large sum, except
the Adjutant Generals one dollar,
already named, is paid by the Lieutenant
Governor. The Governor and all the
remaining debris pay nothing. We refer
to the taxes of 1867. They cannot yet
be ascertained for 1868. 1t is hoped that
sense of shame will induce your repre-
sentatives to contribute some portion Of
their salaries, or of their lobby contin-
gents, this year to the public necessities.
Now, we ask you squarely and plainly,
do you suppose such state of things
can endure? Can Government be car
ried on by such persons? Will they find
fools who will trust them or lend them
money? If they do fud such, does
one single man in South Carolina believe
that the propertyholders will be such fools
as ever to pay one dollar Of the debts
they may contract? You know they will
not Do you suppose the taxes they levy
will De paid2 A few weeks will deter
mine that-because it will determine
whether we shall again be put under mil
itsry rule. One thing is sure and inevi-
table-ifyou persist in maintaining such
government we cannot and will not
maintain you. 1t will not be hostility to
you--not desire TO oppress or compel
you-but that irresistible, unwritten law
OF necessity, Of self-preservation, which
nature has made for us, and made it
stronger than all human laws, because it
is of Divine origin. That 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 and 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 in
evitable fate. You have your choice
now. You may never have it again. If
you are true to yourselves, true to our
mutual interests and welfare; if you
stand by US, we will stand by you, and
there will be peace and prosperity and
all their blessings shared between US. If
you choose otherwise, and stand by your
present associates; if you adhere to them
and insist that you will put them to gov
ern us, and you submit yourselves to be
governed by them, then you must go
your ways and we will go our ways. We
will not molest or trouble you. You
may in peace run your course of wretch
edness and ruin. We shall not follow
you. We must and we will teke care of
ourselves. Think. of these things, se-
dately aud calmly. They are vital to
you. We know It, and for your own
sake, we entreat you to be guided by
truth and nothing else, in forming your
judgment. It viii be judgment which
will adhere to you for good or evil, and
TO your children, and the generations
that will follow them.