New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-21
WnshfngtOn's Experience with Bauditti.

When, recently. Lieutenant General
Philip II. Sheridan made use OF the phrase
EARNED banditti," he but repeated, uncon-
sciously, we may be sure, words used upon
somewhat similar provOcation by the first
general OF the United States army-George
Washington himself. Let US see how, even
in detail, history repeats itself. Before, in
1871, Congress. at the instance of Alexan-
der Hamilton, levied an excise duty of
from ten to twenty five cents upon every
gallon of hOme-nanufactured whisky, to-
gether with specific tax upon every still
used in its manufacture. The people of
Western Pennsylvania were largely agri-
cultural. Their lands wers prolific in &C.
reals, and to obtain market for their
port the grain over the mountains
on pack-horses. each of which could
carry no more than four bushels of rye.
This means OF transportation was SO slow,
cumbersome and expensive, that, as a
means Of relief, the community decided
upon the conversion of their surplus grain
into whisky, in which form twenty four
bushels Of grain could be transported by
the came means which was capable of but
four, in kind. Every sixth man became
distiller, and On the manufacture of '.old
Monongahela," a brand which has not vet
lost its reputation for purity, the country,
with its $1,000 souls, flourished until the
levying Of the tax mentioned. 1t was
deemed excessive aud unequal, and, as is
well known, its payment was fOrcibly re-
sisted. There was general combination of
the people in opposition to the enforcement
OF the lava powerful, secret and undis-
coverable organization making known its de.
mands through q fancifully named mouth
piece and executing its purposes by the
agency Of masked raiders. They tarred
and teathered the collectors, or, rather,
non-cOllectors of the tax, compelled distlll-
ers who were inclined to obey the law to
join their organization. were incendiaries
when it suited, and murderers when they
deemed it necessary. Tom the Tinker was
the oracle. and Tom the Tinker's boys,
shouting Equal taxation, no excisev were
always ready to execute his commands
Tom, as local lecturer said, was a new
god added to the mythology of the time,
and was appointed to preside over whisky
stills and still houses. When, in his own
Ian guage, his hammer was up and his ladle
hot, there was bloody work in the wind
All Western Pennsylvania was in tumult.
The course Of justice was obstructed, the
integrity OF the Union imperiled, the estab- |
lishment o! new empire threatened, when
the general government at Philadelphia |
took official notice OF the matter. Commits |
sioners were appointed to confer with the |
insurgents, but effected nothing. On the |
seventh OF August, l|94, President Wash |
ington issued his proclamation command. |
ing the insurgents to dispense and quietly |
return to their abodes. He alleged |
lawlessness upon the part of the combi-
nation. as .'intercepting the public officers
upon the highways, abusing, assaulting,
or otherwise ill-treating them; by going
to their houses in the night, gaining admit
lance by night, taking away their papers,
and committing other outrages. Employ
ing for their unwarrantable purposes the
agency of armed banditti, disguised in such
: manner as for the most part to escape
discovery" The insurgents did not heed
he Voice of the executive, and having
allied in using all means to conciliate, he
lcted on the Bulwer Richelieu maxim and
lsed means TO crush. On the twenty-itth
# September he launched his executive
and $4,000 of New Jersey,
Maryland and Virginia
Militia were moving upon the insurgents
Without blow or bloodshed 1.-THE ring
eaders having fed to Spanish America),
be Instruction, in the face of SO formid-
Bile menace, died OUT, and the laws were
verywhere enforced. We are not running
parallel between the Louisiana of to-day |
nd the Pennsylvania of 1894. We are
imply showing how Sheridan, to describe
ON the Tinker's boys of New Orleans,
Iumoied upon Q phrase used in the last
entury by George Washington.-CRieago | !,
lines.