New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-15

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Among what we may hope to be tn,
~ ~ much unsound doctrine viii
which this people have been, for SOM
months past, misled, We find in the peo
pPsbrgan . parting inquiry whethel
there i a limit tQ taxatiQps" The sKticll
shows The Imposition 50 long practicei
upon the Southern people in the name O
Denccrscy. n treats governments as Al
entity separate from, and above, the peo-
pie. Il teaches the doctrine which th<
barons taught the kings; which the re-
pubhcans impressed. upon Charles stuatt
At the chopping- block: u - .1-.
|. The obligation which individuals eve Il
society. or it, agent, government, can only
6e determined by refefence TO the Pa1poee
purpose 10 exclusively the protection Of
more than this, they exceed their fpropel
dutiee, violate principle. and establish dan
ger0us precedents; and just 70 far - they "a
beyond their legitimate functions, forfeit
oil claim to the allegiapce and support ol
the individual citizen. g. r,.. u '-7-i. .-
Here we have . distinct recognition Of
government, as . power separate and
apart from the people. The nearest ap-
proach to democracy which the paragraph
presents is the dim ides that government
is 'ths agent" Of society, the word people
being ssudiously avoided The article
lsbors to exonesats the taxpayer, o. other,
coming under the Obligation Of the law.
from any moral obligation TO obey the law
The Republican had silenced this doctrine
of qualification and ANARCHY. The public
had Irepudiated it It was to have been
hoped that q dogma so destructive as that
every resident bad right to determine for
himself whether an act Of government
violates principles and establishes dan
gerous precedsnts" bad been exploded aud
abandoned. It seems not We are again
taught that capital sentence ora trouble
some tax bill may be nullifed upon sim.
pie anada,it npcn the Evangelists, BY
which the aAiant declares that the gov.
eminent has, in his conscientious opinion,
gone beyond its Legitimate functions"
aud has forfeited 'tsll chim to the ale.
glance and support Of the individual citi-
This is not government ocer, but Of
the people. The power Of the law is the
power of the people. The responsibilities
Of The Law are the responsibilities Of the
people. The people. yin not, and can not.
make scapegoats Of their own agents nor
avoid their own contracts by pleading an
abuse of trust. by those agents. That
innocent purchaser, |" the world, dealing
With the signature Of Grant o. Kellogg,
looks only at the letter. of attorney, of
sech, and trusts not Grant nor Kellogg,
bpt the people who have empowered each
IF them to incur obligations in the name
ot the people. The people who appointed
.hese men, OF the Legislators i~hose acts
hey certify, are bound to obey the com.
mon expression Of the popular will The
people have deibeately, and publicly
authorized these acts Every member Of
he constituency was constructively at the
POLLS Every member delegated to men
known and named, the power to act for
him. The letter Of attorney which
Empowered these men to act for the
had one limit, and but
me. It is the constitution OF funda.
mental law which binds all these men Of |
he people. We suppose this is sound |
loctrine, It vas taught by Thomas JET.
erson. the Republican. It was translated !
y Lincoln, the Republican, when he calls |
bis . government Of the people, by the
'eople and for the people The At
empt to separate the people from their
Ct and agency known as . representa-
i've system savors Of ages when o, coun- I
ries where the government was exercised
q the name Of divine right OF dynastic
sgitimacy. To these governments the
eople were never parties. To such gov.
rnments the people never owed ale.
lance. They were. never established
y their consent. The people, therefore,
efused obedience to such governments
ightfuuy, overthrev and Limited right
lily. The present representative gov
rnment in America, to which all the
copies are flying a. bloodless remedy
y right withheld, is the result OF fright
j resistance to that God given and
.eaveu descended" authority which no
eeman will acknowledge. But observe
ow the doctrine which relieves people
ON the obligation imposed by them.
lives is stated: q 90. ...-... .-.'.-- /
The obligation TO pay m excessive tax is,
lerefOre, not strengthened because it il |
np0sed by officials duly elected, and who
ay have observed al the forms Of law in
70 perpetratiOn Of their exactions. Tho
ty government, although elected by the
eOple. in collecting an excessive tax levied, |
light be resisted equally with the kellogg
'urpation under the same circumstances.
This suggestion il greatly qualified
'ssibly by the intervention Of q more
utious pen - ., ,.,a.-.
Against this terrible Array, although TO-
stance to wrong may be we'll defined
ght sad moral Obligation Of the highest
der, yet pe do not counsel IT, -
If it be defined right and moral oh.
cation to refuse payment Of taxes, why
Il counsel, why not command it? Be-
use the people, in whose name come