Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-04-06
Shall We Pay the Taxes7
To the Editor of the Mesus :

pose, is to refuse to pay tazes.
This, if carried, will stop the negro
government; it exists but upon the
funds it can extort; and that measure
we can carry if we will it. In con.
test between property and power ex-
cept the government be purely despot-
ie, the party possessing the funds of a
country can dictate the terms upon
which they shall be taken. Nor is des-
| potic power itself necessarily triumph
ant. The Stuarts, in theory at least,
had arbitrary power. and were scarcely
under constitutional limitations in the
means to it's enforcement. But at eve
ry great crisis in the contest between
that house and those who held the purse
in England, the Grown was compelled
to acknowledge the sources of its sup
port, and the constitution was formed
under its concessions. The power Of
this negro government is not so arbitra-
ry or extensive; they havenot the same
agencies to enforce it. The property Of
this country is under more intelligent
direction we are able to make more
efficient use of it against this power
than the Commons Of England conld,
and it is scarcely questionable, there
fore, upon principle and experience,
that if we draw the purse-strings upon
this people, we can dictate the terms
upon which our property shall be made
tributary to the uses Of the State
Nor is it necessary to refer to princi-
pie for this conclusion. 1t is plain that
| if we refuse to pay the taxes and be
free from interference by the general
government, they cannot collect them
They can. but offer the property for
| sale, but can get no money if there be
no bidders for it. The white people
will not bid. The measureimpGes that
they are not to speculate upon the ne
cessities of each other. Capital from
abroad will not bid. That will not come
now to investment in titles that are un-
questioned. These tax titles would be
questioned. The movement implies that
the purchaser shall take that enjoyment
of them only which there may be the
legal agencies to extort. The negroes
of property in this Stateswill not bid.
I doubt if there are white men in this
State more profoundly impressed with
the evils of the present condition than
are the colored people who have any
thing at stake upon The issue. They
will be with us, and the negroes, there
fore, who are without property, who
have taken up the trade of politics, and
who run the government as a means OF
living upon the property of others, are
the only ones to bid, and there is not
enough among them, taking the cost
value of every article of property or
plumber they possess, to pay one-tenth
OF the taxes for single year. 1t would
remain, therefore, for the negro govern
ment to take to it elf the titles to the
property it could not sell, and tax titles
would be az unproductive Of money, the
thing which they want, and without
which their government would be an
expensive farce, which they even would
take no interest in enacting, as would
the tax sale.
Permitted to run the machine of tax
ation to its results, upon the one con-
dition that the white people of the
State will not voluntarily respond to
it's exactions, it comes to nothing, and
in perfect peace, therefore, we can ig-
more them, let their ship Of State run
aground, and without force or the vio-
lation of any law come to the point at
which we can stipulate the terms upon
which we will put it aaoat again, and
start upon a better voyage
But to this it may be said that the
general government will not so let this
negro government be circumvented.
There is misapprehension, think, both
as to the attitude and power of the
general government. It has not said
that the negroes OF this State shall gov
ern the white people. 1t has said that
they shall have the elective franchise
with the rights and powers that may
confer upon them, but they have hot
in terms been declared to be the instru.
ments of the general government in
administering, subjugaiion upon the
white people Of this State. Nor can ii
make that declaration. The general
government is the representative of q
Democracy, and it cannot declare that
any ope people shall govern another
the representative of a white Democ
racy, and cannot declare that negroes
shall govern white people. A Demoo
racy may be arbitrary ard despotic-
more arbitrary and despotic in thu
enforcement Of precept Of its consti
6ution than single despot will dare t.
he. And it cannot announce u princi
pie at variance with its constitution
and while, therefore, the general gov
ernment may practice on this State th'
simplest despotism, in enforcement 0
the principles of Democracy that al
are equal, the Republican party woulc
perish, upon the proposition that th'
negroes and the whites in this State ar
not equal,' and that the negroes shall
have power that their franchise car
not give them.,. -.
But if the government should inter
yene, and enforce thenegro government
it could not 1t could not make bidder
at tax sales it could not make tn
people pay the negro tax. Its onl
ground Tor intervention woul be th
preservation Of the public peace, an
that unbrokep, its office would be ended
But if it shall go further-if it shaI
undertake to administer q government
that government would be its owr