Kentucky Gazette

Political Miscellany.

FROM THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PATRIOT.

DIRECT TAXES

The anti-federal editors already begin to raise a great hue and cry on account of the Direct Taxes, which our government, to support a just and necessary war and the credit of our country, is necessitated to impose on the people. To seal in perpetual silence the mouths of these cavillers, we would refer them to the direct taxes imposed under their own favorite administration—imposed not to meet the expenses of a war into which that administration had been driven, but to feed the pampered luxury of unnecessary and expensive office-holders—to discharge the interest on money borrowed at the enormous rate of eight per cent per annum to support their expensive peace establishment. Or if they are not satisfied with that example, we would refer them to their favorite government of Great-Britain, where the people groan under a direct taxation probably more than one hundred times as extensive and more than one thousand times as oppressive, as the inconsiderable tax contemplated by Congress.

The federal papers six months since were loud in their complaints because Congress did not lay a direct tax;—their motive was then obvious—they wished to make use of it as an engine against the government; and they are now making the same use of it. But they mistake the people. The miserable few whose avarice will change their principles—the contemptible few who would sell the liberties of their country for a few dollars——already have gone over to that party.—God grant they may keep there! But the truly patriotic remain firm and inflexible. They have seen that our government has been and is ready to make every sacrifice short of our Independence for an honorable peace—they see the self-styled "peace-party" opposing every measure to bring about a peace; and they cannot be unwilling to make some sacrifices to aid in prosecuting the war to a glorious termination; they will not give up the ship of State to the management of federalism, until they see something in that party that looks like honesty and fair dealing.