Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-29
i RADICAL VsEw 0E A RADICAL
CONGRESS-.

Ihe Chicago Tribune is heartily dis
gusted with Congress, and winds up a
late editorial on the SUBJECT IN the fellow
ing werdsd EsXszI 10 dmUa4a |
Almost everybody who is not prosper |
aus 10 business rlshess to Congress for re |
lief, or writes 10 his Representative that |
something ought to be done TO help him, |
Ii. is..iexpectcd that Government shall
bnild steamboats, and railways, aAd hire |
people 10 operate them, construct bridges, |
dig cut harb9rs, rivers and canals, regu-
late uhe hours Of labor, provide compul- |
sorry education, teach men mechanic arts,
give houaiies to particular industries, and
levy taxes upon other industries; prohibit
certain kinds of impcrtaiions and expor-
tations, and encourage other kinds; pre-
scribe what persons shall be admitted toh no
tells, theaters and restaurants, and gener-
ally make itself hateful and costly nui-
sance. Congress, nothing loath to find its
powers and jurisdiction enlarged, sets
forth confidently to bring in the millennium.
The only means which it has at command
is the power of tax. If railroads, steam
boats, canals, rivers, hsfbors, universities,
=
manufactures, mines, navigation, etc,
are to be promoted and 'fostered' by the
government, it can only be done by the
proceeds of taxes, for the government
does, not derive its revenue from the
players of the faithful Whatever it
gives to one it must take from another.
| SO the taxes are, imposed, and the pro-
| ceeds distributed. This is the paternal
| government of the feldai system, modi-
| fed only by religious federation. How
long we shall enjoy this single exemption
it is, perhaps, not safe to predict. "
Considering that the Tribune is the
leading Radical organ of the Northwest,
and that the Congress of which it com
plains is Overwhelmingly Radical, the
above extract is highly suggestive. We
SHOULD have been glad, however, says the
St Louis Repu6Iicdn, if our contempt
rary had told US the causes which inaugu-
rated the policy it deplores, but perhaps
this was too much 90 expect under the
circumstances of the case. Those causes
spring directly from Radical principles as
taught by the Tribune and kindred sheets
for the past dozen years. Congress, as it
now exists, with all its corruption, misgov
eminent and disregard of popular
rights, is nothing more than the
legitimate out-cropping of the ideas
WITCH came into power With Mr..
Lincoln, and have controlled the
country ever since. Previous to that
time it was held that the States were
vested with certain share Of sovereignty,
and that all authority not specially granted
to Congress and the Executive by the con-
stitution, belonged to thepeople and could
not be taken from them. Radical states
men saw treason" in this, and swept
State sovereignty and all its belongings out
of existence. The Tribune and the par
ty it represents sanctioned the outrage,
and thus paved the way for that central
lied congressional usurpation which it
now so bitterly laments. Having sowed
the wind it objects to reaping the whirl-
| wind, but there are some laws which
neither Congress nor presidents can reach
or repeal for .'the government of God
is not reconstructed.