Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-01-08

Il
| day prove the folly OF such extension, desire
| to see all protected In every right conferred
upon them by law. This duty, however, Is not
| moreimperAtive than the obligations TO guard
against the preparation Of frauds, such as in
come States of the Union have brought reproach
upon our elective system of government.
FEDERAL RELATION.
The relation Of the State TO the Federal gov
eminent give to our citizens an interest In the
administration Of Federal Affairs. II may not,
therefore, be inappropriate to refer to such 40
ton of the general government as touches the
interest and affects the welfare OF the people Of
this as well other States Of the Union. As
citizens of a common government, We share in
the protection which 1t secures, and are COM
PEELED to bear. In part, the burdens which II
imposes. The economical administra-
tion of the government is the matter In which
all have direct interest, and II the public ex-
penditures are greater than necessary, a1l have
right to insist npon their curtailment. The
interest upon the public debt must be paid, and
the principal ought TO be diminished by proper
gradual reduction. Beyond this, the expenditure
should not exeeedth absolute want of an econo-
micai administration of the government In my
opinion the people of the country are contribute
ing at least one hundred millions of dollars
more for the support Of their government than
they should be required to pay. The citizens Of
this State have to bear their full share Of this
unnecessary burden. They are paying, annually
into the Federal treasury, by indirect taxa
tion in the shape of duties upon imported
not much less than one million Of dollars. While
this amount may seem small, as compared with
amounts paid by larger States, it is, nevertheless
heavy dra in upon the resources Of our people
at least double the amount required for the
support of their own local government. The
business Of this State is principally agricultural
and the profits it affords, atow prices which have
prevailed for some years past for such pro-
minisbes unnecessarily those profits is
felt as an oppressive burden, because 1t
| takes from the people part OF that which
| is necessary for their support and comfort. The
duties paid npon imported goods consumed
are not only onerous but many Of them unjust.
| The tariff rates are adjusted more for the pro-
lection Of certain interests in the country than
/ to meet the wants Of the treasury and the
people of this as well as other States, are not
| only paying large amount of taxes for the sup
| port of the government, but heavy tribute to
the manufacturing interests of the country.
These exactions are rendered the more oppress-
i've from the low prices of agricultural products,
and the curtailment of accommodations from
the banking institutions Of the State. The
circulation of our State banks has been
destroyed, and their ability to accommo,
date diminished by, the National
tional banks, limited as they must necessarily be
/ in any agricultural community in the amount OF
their capital and circulation, afford less accomo-
| dations than heretofore furnished by our State
banks. The consequence has been not only to
lessenlthe ability OF our citizens to pay the ex-
/ actions Of the general government, but also
| greatly to diminish the value of real property
/ within the State. However well adapted the
/ National banking system may be to meet the
i wants of commercial communities and the mon
ey centres of the country, experience has proved
that it furnishes to the rural portions Of the
country far less advantages than the State banks
/ which it has superseded.
| Injuriously, however as the mateial interests
/ OF the people may have been effected by the ac-
tion Of the general government it is matter OF
| far less consequence than the danger to be
/ apprehended from the assumption of power by
Congress over the rights which the people have
heretofore enjoyed under their local institu-
sions, It would be folly to ignore the fact that
the States Of this Union do not now exercise
the powers reserved to them by the Constitu-
ton as framed and interpreted by the fathers
OF the republic. Gradually but not impercep-
| table, the barriers against Capitalization of
power and the safeguards Of civil liberty
have disappeared until it would be difficult to
| fix limit to the powers claimed and exercised
| by the Federal government. Within the last
few years we have seen the Acknowledgement Of a
State by Congressional action. We have wit
messed the overthrow Of State governments and
the substitution Of military authority the most
absolute and despotic-the right Of local self
government in some of the States denied, and
the liberties of the people made dependent on
the tenure OF Congressional pleasure. The quail
ifications OF electors have been determined in
sovereign states without their consent and
against their protest, and local officers held anon
able to Federal law for the manner In which they
perform the duties prescribed by State authority
and now, in time of peace the legally consti-
tuted authorities of sister State are stripped
of the robes of Office by the mandate of single
judge Of an inferior Federal court, and bogus
| government maintained over the State by the
potent influence Of Federal bayonets These
usurpations cannot long continue, il the people
would preserve their liberties and the blessings
intended to be secured by local self-goVernment.
The condition Of affairs in Louisiana to-day is a
burlesque on free institutions and a reproach to
the American name, aud if continued may be-
come precedent for further aggressions upon
the rights of other States, and lead to the per-
manent establishment Of despotism over the
land. Let u.s. however, indulge the hope that
our free institutions are not to perish, that the
madness Of the hour that seems to threaten the
liberties of the people will speedily pass away,
and renewed attachment to local self-govern-
ment be imperishably enshrined in the hearts Of
our countrymen. JAMES PONDER.
DOVER, January T. 1873.