The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-17
Folly Getting into Quicksands.

Folly Getting into Quicizsands.
The cause which is TO he ad''s''eou y
cutting up society into classes anu s..An IS
thorn at war with ono anothef u upon It,
face and in its core bad cause
The assault has been made first upon INC
creditors Of the State. 1t was plainly to be
seen tina, the creditors IF there were snch
class) of private individuals would be next
taken in hand by the dcstructives.
First. Withregardto the State, the primer
ple Is laid down that il by any act OF TIC
State the property Of the citizen, IL "as'eo
then the State has no right to compci Lux
citizens to pay the debt Of the state. lh''
arrays the people against the State li'aAc,
them its aecusers. and invites them to charge
upon 1t either ignorant or v''ou' a's''1'''
a,,ement that they may find an excuse iol IT,
fusing to pay the taxes necessary 10 i'o''"
the credit and honor Of the State.
And yet, by singular incon'is'ei's' CAV
eophists who in this way separate the peopic
from the State in the next breath, Us II "efe'
pronounce it to be the duty Of the State 10
relssre the people from the misfortune OF
losses brought upon it by the State.
Second. Extending the line Of argument II
Is assumed by these economists that the same
public impolicy or errors which cripple the
people in their relation rs taxpayers lot Inc
support of Government also disable then II!
their relation to their private creditors, sllo
~, ,Inl i,,c.jpe vhirl cXO1C-
rates them from paying taxes also Trees the'b
morally from I'll Obligation to pay thcr pri
waite debts. OF course It could be rcauii!
seon from the beginning that to this extrem-
its the slack.twisicd sophistry of the DAY
would be brought.
Now. then, under our system, IN which
the people are the government, they cannon
bc se,sratcd from and arrayed against 1t as
enemies and accuscrs, refusing TO comply
with the laws or the Obligations of the Go
vcrnment. If wrong has been done, the peo-
rlc, through their representatives, have done
it, and they cannot morally, politically, or
legally, profit by their own wrong. If yo:'
co:lld possibly separate them and make them
distinct, it would DC M anomaly indeed
witch would present Us a Government with
out responsibilities Government that
could enter into obligations which ii had not
theneans to meet nor the power to collect the
means for that purpose, aud would therefore
T." compelled to annul its obligations whenever
ito people it is supposed to govern may
tlr,rgo il with folly or vice i'll the nlislnanas-
ins its affairs. 4 Government that is to be
tl,iNcn 10 breach Of its contracts i'll ODE
l;icnce to tic fitful cbullitions and complaints
OF an i,npassioned and impulsive public
opinion would command no respect in the
Iauiv of States. 1t may be well regarded as
inc feeble victim of the conflicts of the tami-
lies Of "BARSEYS.'
This logic Of distinctions between State AMI
people, and between classes of citizens, an
representing these as hostilities Of interc-.
amongst them, is most erroneous and dt-
moruizing. The State is the people and tie
people are the State The acts Of the Stat
;.rc .lc acts Of the people, and the state and
the people nrc bound alike for al that Go
vcgnment, controlled by the people through
ti"ir representatives, HAY do.
With regard to the citizens, they are oil
hcGni up III tho same political fate. There
i, really no creditor class separated In interest
from the debtor cLlss. The exceptions Of
men who are only creditors are so few that
they but prove the general rule that there arc
10 two classes at all. livery creditor, with
these rare exceptions, is debtor, and aIS
attempt to muster class Of persons, who are
merely creditors. TO be uSSalcd and maliSncd
nc cruel aud hcartlcss, and as deserving o.
punishment ly dcspoilins them Of their
property, il ltsed i'll grave error ana
stimulated by disposition which can
clly bring evil upon society and injury
20 the credit and honor Of the State. Sur
prsc there were such class US that OF crets!-
tols-where is the justice Of not only propo-
sng 10 rob them but TO add insult to inlur!
ny depouncing them as bad and inhuman be-
Cause they had money TO be robbed OF! l.
not this Nindictiveness characteristic OF beasts
Of prey, which never thil to become enlagcd
before they fall upon their innocent victim.
Providence so arranges it that these animals,
Which live by prey, shall become excited hy
passion. In the absence OF that passion they
would not dare to make an attack upon
beings from which they had received 10
wrong, and whose life they must take in or
der that they may subsist by drinking their
blood.
In civilized lunds wars Of classes should
never be tolerated for moment. The gen.
enll interest Of the body polite Is very easily
understood, and rs soon rs the State is d.
verted from tho purposes of the preserya
ton of that general interest, and from the
protection of all men by general and equal
laws that protect sil and enforce the con-
tacts between men, evil is engendered, bad
passions fomcntel, demagoguism encour-
aged, the public sense of honor bluntcd, and
in place Of peace and order there ensuc dis
order, discomfort, und general injury to STATE
and people.
We pray that Virginia nag be saved from
the consequences Of these errors so flaush'
with evil.
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