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Loudly preclaiming their own superior wisdom
and financial sagacity, the People misled by their
professions, or in mockery of their pretensions,
took the leaders of the Albany Regency ct their
word and again placed them in possession OF the
State Offices The chalice they had poisoned was
now commended to their own lips. Wrong besets
wrong, and the Regency State Officers, unable to
encounter embarras sments purpo=eIy created BY


themselves resorted TO the characteristic expedient
of extricating themselves from difficulties by i'm
posing new burden upon the Peope-a burden
equally unjust and uncalled for. AT the last aD-
nual session of the Legislature they laid Direct
Tax on all the taxable property of the People,
and at the same time suspended The prosecution OF
the Public Works under circumst tances which pre-
duced unexampled sacrifices OF public and private


Interests. If this even larger tax were called
for By the public exi sencies We should checrfully
bear its burdens and recommend Its continuance
as long as the necessity existed But we contend
TINT the imposition Of this tax was unnecessary
and unjust, and that it has not in fact advanced
the public interest; and we regard it as wanton
act of Party madness to reject the States share
Of the proceeds of the Public Lands and then pre-
tend that an empty treasury and pressing debts
compel resort to this unusual mode ot repien-
ishing the Public Funds. When the Tax law was
passed it is we'll known that We had the best rea-
sons to believe that the money that would accrue
to this State from the Public Land Fund, would
amount TO sum equal, at least, TO that sought 10
be raised by direct taxation. And had our oPpo-
nents SO pleased TO direct, the distribution would
now have been in full operation, and the Direct
Tax for that reason unnecessary.


This tax was uncalled for, because the Canal
fund was ample to meet all charges upon it, with


.,.,l,,, ,,,cra hall ion of 1olIors
1t was an act of bad faith to those portions of the
State least interested in the public works. because
lhey had Just grounds to expect that the moneys
expended on those works would ultimately be re-
paid, not by taxation, but by the profits of the
works themselves. Nor is there the least reason
to doubt that, bat for the suicidal course pursued
by our opponents, all these expectations would be
realized The tax was net necessary re-e.tab-
lish the credit of State at home or abroad, nor,
had such been its design, would it have coutri-
buted to that result. The public creditor would
have seen much more certain security for the
payment of his interest in the income derived
from the public works than in the proceeds Of
direct tax. BY levyng this tax. the State has vr-
tualy said to the public creditor, 3" We borrowed
your money under false pretcnces-we told you
that we had ample means, but the lansuageo OF this



our works not only unfinished, but uRproductiye-
that our revenues and ordinary resources are made
quate to meet engagements, and if you lend
US more money, you must rely the People,
swayed by the fluctuations of party and passion to
pay even the interest on your advances. This Is
the language of the tax law and its authors! Is
this the language calculated revive the credit or
promote the honor of this great State


Inudicious and unjust as the tax law OF the last
session must appear in the view thus presented,
the period of imposnsit was equally untimely and
i'll chosen. Win the people OF she State groaalns
under the unparalleled distress which pervades
the land-wth their industry unproductive-their
produce without market-Commerce languishlng
Manufactures suspended paralyzed, and
the burdens and embarrassments arising from
twelve years mal-adminislration OF the General
Government accumulated upon them, vas this the
time to send the taX-gatherer to their doors de-
nanding money for the public Golfers! Nor is this
all. Following the steps of the ax-gatberer comes
the special messenger Of the Comptroller, calling
on the borrowers Of the United States deposittund
for the payment of a quarter of their loans lhl'
fund.- set apart by the Legislature and the interest
applied various benehcent purposes are also call
ed in by ourS State inarcers, to be exhausted in all
in iqudating extra claims for damages
sustained by ayorite contractors in consequence @!
the suspension of the public works


But how are the State debtors, who (presuming
as they had every reason to do that the principal
would not be required for many years in case the
interest was promptly paid have made no pro-
vision for this unexpected call and who are unable
in consequence of the outstanding mortgages upon
their lands to raise the required by a new
loan, TO comply with the requisition! Wlll the
Comptroller, if he finds them unable to answer his
demands, treat them he has treated the Stock
holders of the Ithaca and Owego, and Cutsklii
and Canajoharie Railroads-sacrlhce their farms
fer less than the interest due upon their mortga-
ses and sink the principal of the deposit fund, be-
cause he may find some delay III collecting
small portion of the sum invested in the security


But, fellow-citizels, ataidst all the evils which
so sensibly press themselves upon our attention
and the dangers which sill threaten the ioulda-
tions of our prosperity, let US be Of good cheer
rhe trials 10 which the People and tAelr ln<t'tn-
tions have been subjected have not been without
their use The struggles through which we have
passed have lent tortitude 10 our efforts and given
facility 10 our endeavors The very treachery
which has delayed and obs,ructcd the reformation
we proposed and the relief which we promised IN
the conduc, Of our National affairs, may render that
reformation more complete and that relief more
certain and adequate in the end. The discussion
which the great measures proposed by the Wing
party in the present Congress have elected, the
opposition they have met, and their unexpected
defeat Though the unauthorized and alarming ex-
ercise of the Veto power have made the people
more familiar with their merits and with the ques-
tons on which their prosperity depends; while the
public attention has been more intensely fixed upon
the abuses that may be pracsiced by the National
Executive, and the remedies that are called tor TO
correct errors inhe. ent in the Constitution.


We have reason to congratulate our Wing tel'
low-citzens of the State on the patriotism, the