Western courier. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-06-22

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enquire, for the cause of this wide and un-
fortunate change in the condition OF the
people Of these United States; what it ls,
that has thus commenced, and is continu-
ing to elevate one small portion Of the
community, upon the necks Of all the
rest, and how, if at all, such "a calamity
may be averled. To enable US TO get a
clearer view of this point, let us edvert,
for moment to other nations, where this
species of oppression exists, in IFS most
odious form, and learn what has produced
tin them.
The modern nations of Europe, most
Of themi have arisen, within the last
fourteen hundred years, on the ruins of
the old Roman Empire. These different
nations Of modern Europe conquered and
settled different portions Of that Roman
Empire which when reduced to posses
sion were distribute among the con-
querors in the following manner. The
whole tract, which was conquered. and
made the residence Of any nation, was
laid off in large sections or divisions, which
may be compared to the counties Of our
State. These divisions were then given,
by the leader Of the nation, one by one,
to the officers, the mobiles, TO the wealthy
and wei! born," among which class all the
land was distributed. Here was estab.
lished wealthy aristocrsey. This aris-
tocracy--the owners of all the property in
the nation then rented out, each his diff
ierent allotment, to such of the great mass
of the people, who had no property, as
they pleased and on such conditions, that
is, by compelling them to pay as much
as they pleased, for the privilege. This
land, also, which was thus given, in the
outset, 10 the mobiles, descended to their
children; and generally, by what is cali
ed the law OF primogenitnre, to the eldest
son. ] his system, while the nation was
not very popuous-w while the quantity of
land was great, in proportion to the num-
Der OF inhabitants TO be supported from
its produce, might not have been very
oppressive. Each lord, as these arsto"
Gratis were often called. would only want
a sufiiciency from his o"rain to support
himself in affluence, ard lhe remainder of
its produce, would be divided among, not
a very large number, Of tenants o: labor
ing men. But as the children, grand
children. and yet more distant relatives
of these wealthy lords Increased, and also
their own extravaganza in living, they
necessarily required larger, and yet
still larger share of the income, of the
produce of their domain, to supply their
wants and exlravagancies; while on the
other hand, the poor tenants-the lobor-
ing men-were also increasing in as much
greater proportion than the mobiles, as
they exceeded them in numbers. The
children of thepoor man wele born poor,
and thus were dependent on their daily
labor, on the rich mans land. as the rich
man owned it all, for their daily subsis-
tence. We can now, see clearly what
would be the operation Of this system. ---
The insolcnt and moneycd lord, would be
continually cXacting more and more; and
he being the owner could exact what he
pleased, of the produce raised by the
poor mans labor, to satisfy the increas-
ing splendor aud pronigacy of his own
and his kindred's lives; the laboring men
among whom the little remnant might
remain to be divided. would be incrras-
ing and increasing and still increasing
and as they increased, their pittance for
living would become smaller and smaller;
til, at length, who can tell the misery and
wrotchedness that must overwhelm themi
Such system, as we said before, was es.
tab;ished in the early history Of tho press
ent kingdoms Of Europe. Such sys-
lem Is continued with mere or less rigor
to the present day. To overthrow such
system, has been the object of most Of
the revolutions which have convused, at
different periods of their history, many
Of these European kingdoms. From the
operation Of this system, arise that pow"
erty, that wrelchedness, that oppression,
which now grind to the dust the laboring
classes of community, in these European
kingdoms. 1t is the system, by which
all the p, operty is engrossed'in the hands
ofa moneyed aristocracy of monopolizing
companies; at whose mercy, of course,
the great body of the people are. This
system is called the Feudal System -
Is there my thing in progress in our
country, in these United States, anala.
gous to this system need not stop to
argue this point. Every man knows, that
for the last few years noneyed aris,o.
cracy, have been engrossing, with tre-
mendrous rapidity, every species of prop
erty, in this country. Every branch of
trade, of business. in the eastern and
older portion of our country, is controlled