The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1868-10-30

have patiently borne taxation of the
most oppressive character Large sums
of money continue to be cxtorted from
them. and squandered in useless and ex-
! travagant expenditures. Enormous ex-
penditurcs are demanded and obtain
ed for purposes the accomplishment
of which require q mrge standing
army, against the provisions of the
Constitution, and the subiugation of
the Southern States to negro domina-
| ton. With military establishment
costing in time of peace not less than
Sl00,000,0O0 annually; debt, the inter-
est on which draws from the Treasury
each year near Sl2000OO0O. making a
total Of S250.0O0.O0O for those two items
ofeXpcnditurcs alone, retrcnchmcnt has
become an absolute necessity, or bank
ruptsy must soon overtake us. If, how
ever a wise economy is adopted. taxes
must soon be materially reduced. not
merely for the benefit of few, but in
the interest of all. The revenue would
remain sufficient for the administration
of the governments. as well rs for such
Il reduction Of the public debt as would
in few years relieve the people from
millions of interest now annually drawn
from their resources. The idea that the
debt is TO become permanent should be
discouutcnanced rs involving taxation
too heavy TO be borne and the payment
of an amount of interest every sixteen
years equal to the original sum. The
gradual liquidation of the public debt
would by degrees relieve the large capt.
tai invested in coin and the Sccurieties
of the government. which. seeking re-
Enumeration in other sources of income,
would add to the wealth of the nation
upon which it is now great drain.
This immense debt. if permitted to
become permanent and increasing. must
eventually be gathered into the hands
of the few, and enable them to exert
dangerous and controlling power in the
affairs Of the government: the debtors
would become servants Of the lenders:
the creditors the masters Of the people.
1t is our boast that we have given free
dom to three million of slaves. 1t will
be then our shame that by their own
liberation OF usurpation and profligacy
forty million of people have cnslavcd
themselves. and exchanged slavehold-
ers for new taskmasters in the shape Of
bondholders and tax-gatherers. Hence
lllC lltil lSSut, W DtllltI bl1IPSS anu It's
arbitrary assumptions OF authority shall
supersedc the supreme law Of the land :;
whether in time of peace the country
shall be controlled by multitude Of
tax collectors and Il standing army. the
former almost as numerous as the latter,
and making the debt permanent bur-
den upon the productive industry of the
people: whether the Constitution. with
each and all its guarantees. shall be sa-
crcdly preserved: whether now, as in
1899 and 1916, provision shall be made
For the payment of our obligations at
as early a period as practicable, so that
the fruits of their labor may be enioved
by our citizens. rather than used to
build up and sustain money monopoly
at home and abroad. The contest is
not merely to decide who shall occupy
the principal offices in the peoples gitt
but whether the principles of the Fed
cral Constitution should be observed
and maintained in order that our liber-
ties may be preserved, and the union Of
the States restored, and that our Fede-
raj system might be unimpaired and fra
ternal feeling established and our
strength may be renewed. the expendi-
ture diminished. and taxation be light
encd and the public debt cverinorc ex-
tinguished that it may not injuriously
affect life, property and the morals of
the nation. believing that for the redress
of the great wrongs and the correction
of the many abuses under which the
country is laboring we must look to the
people and that in them is our hope.
| am very truly your friend.
ANDREW JOHNSON.
! To Gen. THos. EWING.