Valley Spirit

Nothing could be more fortunate for the cause of the Union as involved in the current war, than the enactment of the confiscation bill now before Congress. As sent back to the Senate from the House, it seems to amount to a scheme for taking any and every man's negroes from him, who choose to fancy to be turned loose upon society. Or, in other words, to a virtual proclamation on the part of the Government that the end and aim of the war is to abolish slavery throughout the South.

So far as the hope of ending the contest speedily and at a reasonable pecuniary cost, is concerned, the enactment of such a law, will be eminently disastrous in its effect upon the Union cause. Were Congress to vote the oligarchy a hundred thousand soldiers, and raise, equip, and provision them for a year, the latter would not be as much strengthened for a prolonged contest, as by making the bill in question, law.

More than half the population of the South stand ready to side actively and earnestly against the oligarchy, so soon as the United States cripple their power by military means. Had we won the battle at Bull's Run instead of losing it, not one in ten of the people of Fairfax, Loudon, Jefferson, Frederick and Hampshire counties who failed to follow the oligarchic army, would have adhered twenty four hours afterwards to the "Southern Confederacy." With this bill a law, however, the effect will be to unite the most of the South as one man against the cause of Union, as being in reality a mere cover for a war for the extermination of slavery from the United States; and to engender throughout the North wide spread and embarrassing opposition to its prosecution with energy likely to bring it speedily to a triumphant issue.

We sustain the cause of the Government with heart and soul, as being the cause of the restoration of the Union; and there are millions on millions of the most reliable supporters of the Government's war policy, who, with us, deprecate a resort on its (the Government's) part to unmistakable revolutionary means to checkmate the oligarchy, as heartily as they deprecate the revolutionary means to which the oligarchy have resorted to compass the revolutionary ends at which they aim.

While we do not pretend to look to the Constitution and laws as they now exist, to furnish the means through which alone the Union may be restored, in the name of the millions of non-sympathizers with abolitionism now sustaining the Government with might and main, we protest earnestly against the unnecessary apparent entire change of the purpose and character of the war, that bids fair to be involved in the enactment of the bill in question, as amended in the House.

The Government may get volunteers without limit as to numbers, and money without stint, with which to fight for the restoration of the Union--but not apparently to work out the mere purposes of abolitionism.--Washington Star.

There is a strong effort being made by a few men, in this place, who had assumed the lead of the Douglas wing of the Democratic party, to keep up division in the party, and in case they cannot succeed in that to go over to the Republicans and take all they can with them. They will signally fail in both these under-hand movements. The party has only to be told of their designs to eschew both them and their treachery. The Democratic party is no longer divided and as to any portion of the sound Democracy going over to the Republicans we have no fears on that score. The Democratic party is a party of principles and not the blind follower of any particular politician. When the party unfortunately divided in the late Presidential contest neither wing gave up or changed its name. That issue being over old feuds are buried and the Democratic party is this day as firmly united in one solid phalanx as ever it was before. To be told that Democrats must join the Republican party in order to "save the Union," or be loyal to the Government, is an insult that the Government, is an insult that no Democrat with a soul in him will brook. The Democratic party has ever stood up for the WHOLE COUNTRY, its CONSTITUTION and its LAWS, and has never changed its name or its principles, and will not likely do so now to SAVE a corrupt sectional party that has brought upon the country all the ruin and disgrace under which it is suffering.

We have no apprehensions that the Douglas wing of the party will join hands with the Republicans. The men composing it are as true to Democratic principles as any other portion of the party. There are now no differences in the party, and the Republicans, much as they would desire to effect it, will not be allowed to create any. When the first Douglas Meeting was held in this place one of the resolutions adopted at that meeting read thus:--

"It is the duty of every Democratic organization to recognize the principles for which the party has BATTLED IN THE PAST and to which she is IRREVOCABLY COMMITTED FOR THE FUTURE, as the creed of the party, and that every failure to give adhesion to these principles, by individuals or organizations, places those individuals and organizations outside the Democratic Family."

Douglas Democrats must not be told, with this resolution adopted at their meeting before them, that the principles for which they "battled for in the past" and to which they pledged themselves as "committed for the future" are the principles of the Chicago platform. They know better than that and can therefore, never act upon principle in joining hands with the Republicans. Whenever that "unholy alliance" takes place they must, according to their own showing, be considered "outside the Democratic Family."

The preamble to the "Douglas and Johnston club," organized at this place, set forth that--

"The success of the Democratic Party--the only true national organization--is essential to the PEACE AND PROSPERITY OF THE COUNTRY, the INTEGRITY OF THE CONSTITUTION, and the PERPETUITY OF THE UNION."

Let those who do not believe now what they professed to believe then, that this is the mission of the Democratic party, slide over to the Republicans. We want no man in our ranks who is so stupid that he can be made to believe that the only way to save the Union is to save the Republican party! If there are any such we would like to see a formal withdrawal of their names from the Constitution to the above named Club before they stand side by side with Republicans on the Chicago platform. If they have changed their opinions and no longer believe that the "success of the Democratic party is essential to the peace and prosperity of the Country, the integrity of the Constitution and the perpetuity of the Union," they should; for consistency sake, withdraw their names from the "Douglas and Johnston Club" before amalgamating with Republicans.

The burdens of taxation are increasing, and the wages of the working people are decreasing. These facts will not be denied, and the result none can foretell. They throw over the future a gloomy prospect, and provoke the enquiry as to the causes.

It will not be forgotten that our State Legislature appropriated $3,500,000 for war purposes; besides legislating out of the State Treasury many millions more for the benefit of two soulless railroad companies. Then a law was passed to increase the State taxes yearly two and one-half mills, to pay the interest on the war loan; and another law was passed to authorize the county Commissioners and Associate Judges, to increase the County taxes to pay for the support of the families of absent volunteers. This additional tax programme is not for one year only, but for many years--with the certainty of a like increase being made to the same annually as long as the war continues and corrupt legislation is tolerated for the benefit of railroad speculators. Next we see Congress pass a tax bill providing for the raising of $20,000,000 as an additional revenue for defraying the expenses of the government--Pennsylvania's quote of the tax is $1,916,719. A direct tax shall be laid on the value of all lands and lots of ground, with their improvements and dwelling houses, which several articles subject to taxation shall be enumerated and valued, by the respective assessors, at the rate each of them is worth in money on the first day of April, eighteen hundred and sixty-two. A tax of 8 per cent per annum is to be laid on all yearly incomes of over $800. Gold watches are to be taxed $1; silver watches 50 cents. Carriages are to be taxed from one to fifty dollars each, in accordance with their value. The tariff laws of the last session have also been changed, providing an indirect tax upon the consumptions of life--that is, a duty or war tax has been fixed upon sugar, coffee, teas, molasses, spices, &c., &c., which will increase their price about one third. Of these articles the laboring man consumes as much as the President of the United States or as the millionaire, consequently, under the operation of this new tariff, the laboring man who works for seventy-five cents a day must pay towards the support of the Government, on these articles, just as much as the richest man in the land, or else must deny himself the use of these articles which have become necessaries of life, and more so to the poor than to the rich. The laboring man, who, in his family, consumes 100 pounds of coffee, 200 pounds of sugar, and ten pounds of tea in a year, will, under the operation of this tariff, pay towards towards [sic] the support of the Government, on these articles alone, a tax of from twelve to fifteen dollars per year, and at the same time, his wages must be reduced in consequence of the prostration of trade and the scarcity of labor and employment. Is this the protection promised by the Republican leaders last fall? Is this the change for which so many of our laboring men were induced to vote for Curtin and Lincoln? These are Republican "good times!"--this is the way they propose to restore the country back to the primitive days of its prosperity!--this is what the "Union Savers" were such fools for trying to prevent! May Heaven protect us from the rule of Republican rulers.--Allentown Democrat