The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1873-04-02

just as If his decision had never bee,
rendered. No lawyer will claim that ;
person or number of persons can b,
foooed OF their rights under the cou
stltutlon- because Of an arbitrary AM
unlawful act of the President; aud tL,
question DOW arises, are the people q
Louisiana compelled to yield obedi.
ence 10 government that all parties
admit was illegally established, be
cause the President has sanctioned i,
contrary to TIE statute which alone
gives him power tn sanction it 2 Had
he complied with the terms of the stat.
ute, ha1 he waited for the application,
OF the Legislature, which was at the
me In session, and had he issued his
I'F"eiah'ation, as required, the case
Wonid have been different; but his fail
are III these two particulars is fatal "a
MS decision 81 far as the legal claims
OF the McEnery Government are con-
cerned. WI
In such situation, then, the people
OF Louisiana should combine and re.
sist the payment OF taxes Ito the usurp-
ing government. There is more in
VOWED in their action than superficial
observer would suppose. The preser-
walton of English liberty for so long
a time has been due to this same re-
s'sfance to the payment of taxes illegal
~ imposed. The rights of Englishmen
wonid have been crushed forever, no
doubt. by Charles I, to say nothing OF
other kings, had the ship money been
Pald without murmnr. Within two
centuries after the Norman conquest,
the Honse OF Commons was organized
iiIat body may he said to have been
formed by accident. but it sprung
chiefly as a check to the money power
OF the crown. The great power of the
KING. obliged the barons to associate
me body of the yeomanry in restricting
MS pohtierous tyranny, and he was not
allowed to raise money save by the
consent of Parliament. The English
people. knew that as long as they held
the purse they could hold the king
Accordingly, it was provided that all
measures for the raising of revenue
should originate in the House of Com
mons; and it was the House of Com
mons that refused subsidies to Charles
the |, which if granted would have
been nsed to enslaye the English peo-
pie. The King attempted to get mon
Ely 10y other means. He ordered the
seaport cities to fit ont ships IF war
Not content with this mode of wiring
ing money from the people. which was
not entirely without precedent, lie
next sent writs of ship money to the
Interior counties. BuckInghamshire
was assessed at nearly five thousand
pounds. and though the share of the
tax that fell to Hampden was small,
he realized that the principle involved
was vital, refused to pay and deter
mined to fest the question. "Till this
tIme," says Clarendon, che was rather
Of reputation in his own county than
If public discourse of fame in the king |
ION bnt then lie grew the argument /
IF all tongues, every man inQuiring /
sho and what he was that burst, at his
'wn charge, support the liberty and
of the Kingdom" He, of
curse, incurred the hostility and ven
seauce OF the crown, but he remained
irm, knowing that the liberties of his /
'ountry greatly depended upon his
resolution.
The taxes imposed by the Kellogg
Government of Louisiana are no less
'rbitrary and in violation of law than
lie ship money exacted by the British
Alng. Much depends upon the firm
less ,fthe people in that afflicted State.
not quite as much as depended upon
lie fifmness IF Hampden and his fol-
overs. WHAT'S done by the hand of
hsuiping government in Louisiana can
'e done in other States.
Following the example of Great Brit
IN the trainers of our Constitution
provided that all bills for revenue pur-
"ses shall originate in the lower house
f Congress, and that appropriations
or the army shall be made only for two
ears at time. 1t will be seen from
his fact how jealonsly they guarded
he "nioney power" It will be seen
hat they appreciated the perils through
'hich the English people had passed,
nd considered this safeguard as'the
reat protection to the rights of the
ltlzen against usurpation and wrong.
We would therefore urge upon the
eople of Louisiana to remain intiexi-
lie and resolute. The principle in- {
ole 81 I.