The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-15
The Wing Now and Then:

SATURDAY.. ...SEPTEMBEn To- 1871.
. The Wing Now and Then: @ !.
Everybody must know that our contem'
porary the Whig has by no means main.
tanned consistent course, We have moi
REQUIRED to its files, because we did moi
think 1t important, and we, hayc no inciina'
ton to excite ripple at this time. But
correspondent sends rs the following very
clear and decisive editorial on the PnDhe
debt clipped from the Wing OF Mareh a'l'
1876. The Wing has been blessed Zoe not,
a. It may be) with frequentrelays OF EDITORS
AMI, IL has not been rare to see one eaitof
disclaiming responsibility for what announcer
has said differing from the views OF tne gePP-
tIen,an so ciearipg himself, in his opinion,
OF responsibility. But the frank ana ioyas
.a;,ori,, below wo have listle doubt was
written BIZ the civil gentleman whe
n. ia understood now holds the rnd'
der BY which the Wing is steered.
What the paper now. says does ~ NOS
accord with this article. We, regret
that it does rot, for the Wing In March
~ last year was good leader on the sub
iect of the public debt. Che difference be,
tween the Wing and this paper was only
this: That the Wing opposed and We did
not support the funding act. We objected
10 it that it for the second time funded the
accrued interest. We, however, did not
opnose it because we thought the question
OF the propriety Of its passage so doubtful
that i, would be best left to the people
through their representatives. When, how
ever, it was passed and sustained as consfl-
tutional by the Court OF Appeals, VIC found
the Whi1 and ourselves on, the same track,
both declaring that the law demanded the
public res pect and obedience.
Then'th Wing was patriotic and vehe-
ment in its protestations against all acts and
propositions that displayed q disposition to
diminish the public respect for the Court OF
Appeals, to whose decision, said the Wing,
eve are bound as loyal citizen respect
fully to submit, however muehwe may
g have deprecated it." .-..:
The Wig Is far from talking in this man
ner now. Then that paper was ready g, TO
increase taxation rather than sec the credit
OF the State impaired by failure TO meet her
obligations. It said: " Pooras are our people,
ntfiey suffer not so much from the amount OF
ntaxes they are called upon to. pay as
"from the depreciation in the value
GOT their property, resulting from the
"faiure upon the part OF the State
"to maintain her integrity by promptly
"meeting her obligations" Very loyal,
very true-tndeed noble. How much
to be dep1ored that the same Wing now IA
yors compulsory adjustment. Certainly, so
yerv much wiser and more loyal are the sem
timents OF the editorial OF March, 1876, that
we would that this editorial were Of this
mornings date, and that the present erratic
views about adjustment should have APP
peared in 1876. We invite attention to the
editorial which our friend has sent to US:
-GFro,n the Richmond Wing. March 4, 1851
= r The Funding BiIH. 81 ~ !
We did not refer to the Dispatch In our
reference TO those who had heretofore
been recognized as the peculiar cham
pions OF the funding bill and the earn
est advocate of such an imposition OF
taxes as would meet all the demands
upon the treasury, and have, since aban-
doned their position. No; while we have.
differed with the Dispatch in the past in
relation to- sthet funding Fbiil-we: oppo-
sing when it defended that unfortunate
measure--we yet regarded the present po-
sition of our neigh5or RS almost identical
with our own-cpposed to the increase OF
the rate OF taxation, but an advocate OF a.
TAX upon the consumption OF spirits and
upon all subjects iiow exempt from which
revenue may be legitfmately and properly
derived. We, feel assured, poor as are oar
people, they suffer not so much from the
amount Of taxes they are called upon to
pau as from the depreciation in the ualue
of their property resulting from the fail
are upon the part OF the State to main
tain her. integrity by promptly meeting
he, obligations. Sympathizing most cor
daily with the original opponents OF
the funding bill, zee led the Udn in the ecar-
fare against it until the highest appellate
court knonn TO our ldrS declared it to be
a contract, the obligations of ,rhich are not
to be impaired by e1-pOSt-facto legislation.
To that decision We are bound as q loyal
citizen RESPECTFULLY to submit, ho,ceuer much
zee may haze deprecated it for il we be-
lieve with Mr.. Seward that a yet higher law
prevails-the popular scSiIthen the tenure
By ,rhich every man holds his property IS q
precdrioaS' one, not fxed and established BY,
the irreuoca6le decree of an inco77sapti6le
judiciary, but dependent upon the aoh'an
and caprice Of general assemblies that re-
fleet from time to time the euer-changiragg
sentiment of the populace. WeIhave no de.
fence or apology to make Cor the passage OF
that uuwise measure on the one band, por
are we inclined, with, each Verfhcation OF
our prediction as to its inexpedieney on tne
other, to continue crying, aloud, There, we
told you so 1--WE. are prophet, or the son
of prophet No practical good can reslH
from this, and zoe ao0tltd earnestly peg oa1r.
fr;sndsto I'm that 'they 'pts'stsh. NOT
those ,rho, for selfish p,trposes, may haus
ADVOCATED the funding 6ig, BY 1.oao attempt,
inofT inapdir Its efficiency All such have
doubtless Preserved their reward, and the
blows aimed at them but fall with damaging
forcenpou! the unfortunate State that can
I'M afford, with its dishonored credit, to bear,
their repetition. .,s,: -,"ses2 - -
The italics are our corTespsndents.!,Thet
readersWiIl hnSdly think them misplaced.
The telegram yesterday announced that
Senator MORTON stood the Presidents visit
very well. Indeed! This Is not wonder
.w~~ai 80 - 81,