Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-02-17
To the Editor of tic Alenandria Gazette.

Taxation without representation in govern
meats pretending to be civilized and free.
creature OF modern birth and radical parentage.
No branch of it's connection Is OF sufficient
ace and resi- ectabity as to date its origin IN
the eighteenth century.
And how utterly is this political anomaly to
be abh0rred, in government ostenslby and
originally formed of sovereign constituencies
each entitled to and possessing equal and the
same domestic general privileges and powers
granted, upheld and determined by the slme
organic law upon which the combined structure
is founded.
la governments, where politicians are essen
TALLY venaI, and their administration corrupt
where government, IN mockery of its genuine
import, is but huge monument of official in
tricue and political barter where no law is
obeycd, no right respected, no decorum OBJ
served, even there the price of tribute has often
been the guaranty OF protection.
Tyrannies may be founded on tribute collect,
ed from an outraged people, by blood and bay
onets; but no fanatic of ancient days ever
cssayed to establish permanent system OF
government on so bad tenure.
From the days of Magma Charta, in the thir-
ternth century, TO the time when the Repusll-
can marty assumed control of the political des-
TIMES of this country, the worlds history, as
limi,less and lich as its resources are, is impo-
tent to furnish one single example of repre-
sentative free government that imposed taxa
ton upon 40 unrepresontcd people.
Years ago Sheridan illustrated the spirit OF
his day in rcmarking that ''the tax on mile
stones was unconstitutional, because they be-
ongel to a race that couldn't meet to remOn-
Stratc.
Massachusetts, in the era of revolutionary
purity, entered into and helped to carry out to
a successful termination, gigantic struggle IN
maintenance OF the principle that unconstltu-
tional and unrightc0us taxation ought not to be
tolerated or borne by a people desiring to be
free.
1t is left for Massachusetts, in the nineteenth
century to carry out policy which, If applied
to her in the days of the first American rebel
lion, would brand the patriots whose blood tat
tened her soil in the conflicts of Lexington,
Concord and Che heights OF Charlestown, with
the stigma Of treason. Ohio in the year 1928,
through one of her abest representatives and
greatest statesmen, William Henry Harrison
declared that ito be the strongest government
which is the most free.
1t is lett for OHIO in 1869 to aid in reducing
to servitude eight millions Of white people OF
her own blood and bone, entitled to liberty by
1t has been the boast of the American histo
rians that the preeminence OF American history
consisted IN one individual and national viz
tue" A Massachusetts, writer on American
history in 1912 says: Here are no tales Of he
rcditary power aud splendor to iDhame the i'm
asinations of youth with desire for adventurous
distinction. Here are no examples OF proflgate
females, where the tTapplngs of royalty or no.
biity give to vice an elegant costume, or as
with the Queen of SCOTS where beauty and
misfortune make sin commlserated, till 1t IS
halfloved Here are no demoraizing exam
pies Of bold aud criminal ambition which have
'waded through blood to empire. The only
desire of greatness which our children can
draw from the history of our ancestors is to be
greatly good" Surely there is an ocean of
desert" between the present and the honorable
past. The day which the mighty Webster
praycd he should never see, has arrived-when
THE sun is" shining on States discordant,
belligerent, rent with civil feuds, and drenehed
with fraternal blood.
The only way in which the late Thaddeus
Stevens could justify taxation Tor Virginia,
when she was dumb III the councils OF the ma
ton. was by declaring that Virginia is dead,
and that taxing her without consent, therefore,
did not come under the constitutional prohibi-
ton; in other words was outside the Consll-
tuition. t
Never outside Of the bigoted sectarian organ
ization which that denier of States represent
ed, was such an outrage ever conceived,
and by no other party has the attempt ever
been made to perpetrate it upon the people.
Never before the installation of Radicals In
political power in the government did the sun
on this hemisphere ever shine upon a people,
ground to dust with the onus OF taxation as the
people of this heroic State are at present. and
seldom is there found in the councils OF the ma
ton spirit OF influence, sufficiently magnaLi-
nous to defy the manacles of party, and to up
hold in their original purity the genuine prin
ciplcs OF our representative government
The resolutions Of Patrick Henry, in May,
1865, the last of which declared that the colo