New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1842-04-15
liberty.

those WHICH Inquirer speaks vi, III d IL" Gay
liberty.
What endless controversies does this word ca4llse?
and how strange that leading Politicians and
Statesmen, who enjoy the reputation of men OF
genius should not unalyze carefully the real nature
of Liberty and the means OF realizing it practically
Oh the earth.
We stated in our lust article that Liberty taken
in ,s strict scientific sense, consists in lie com
plete and integral ccciopement--MoRAL, N
rE1LEcruAL= asD PuYslcAL-ot Beings. Man
is flee when Ill his Facul,ies Talents, Capacities
and Sentiments are called out and perfected
when on unrestricted field for their Legitimate
activity il opened to them, and the profits and
honors which ~"-'i,zfron,- md due their
exercise, are secRred to him. Liberty exists III
Society when all its Institutions aid in every way
the realization sf Individual Liberty
| We will now examine the different degrees OF
I5erty which different Glasses enjoy in cur So
cie,ea in order to show how far the World is from
possessing real Liberty. We will commence with
Clnss which is below the lowest point in the scale
/ of Lberty,-lhc Slave.
The Slave possesses 10 Liberty OF any KIND, not
O.; 1isposjng Of Ais 6ody. His physical and men
tai existence and his time are attic disposal "i d
I Master, who looks upon him Us mere machine
or Implement of labor, and speculucs upon h'nl a.
such The Slave is bought and sold like an III
animate thing his intellect is sIEstiercd, ms seh
timcnts outraged, and all his rights violated
The Slave consequently possesses no Liberty what
over,-pot even the lowest, Corporcnl Liberty
The, Hired Luborer who goes day after day
through repuSnant round OF drnagcry' anu 5"'.o
has TO sell his time to Master or empower III
order to gain physical existence, but whose Dony
cannot be sold. possesses the first or lowest order
Of Liberty orporsalLDe,ty-bu nothing more
Want and Poverty restrict the higher degrees Of
Liberty and the repugnant tolto which he Is forced
to resign himself dcadcns the faculties OF his mind
and dcsrades his nature His body cannot be sold,
like that of the Slave; and in ;his respect only Is
he in most countries where there is thick p"p'i-
ation, above the Slave.
This first degree of Libcrty-corporcal-slve
the possessor, however, very great advantages
for he can emigrtc change his residence and
if he Gun succeed in a.ulnting an indepcnd-
encc, as he can. now and then, in this country, he
can escape the drudsery OF our repuSi'ant system
of Labor, the dictation of master, improve his
condition and attain the higher degrees OF Liberty
This chance is utterly cut of from, tie Slave.
The Hired Luborer is exposed to some serious
disadvantages. it is true, from which ;lc Slave is
exempt. The Hired Laborcr may be thrown out
of employment, and rc.iuccd with his family to
want and starva,io In easc of sickness he IS left
without care, and i'll old age, when lie eau toll no
longer, he i. abandoned TO his helplcssncSs The
Tailoring Glasses of Europe undergo, TO doubt, Il
seycrer drudscry and arc exposed to greater pri-
va,o..s and sutcrings than the Sluves with US
which, proves that the systoni OF Hired Labor Is
but one degree above Slavery
, Tie connecting link between No-libcr,y aud
Liberty, between the Slave and the Hired Laborcr,
is found in the Scrf Of ieudul Socetcs-of Russia
at the present duy-who though not a mere chat
tel that cux be bong and sold like beast is the
Slave. pos tie most limited bodily freedom.
The EMPLOYER, the Muster Workman the
{ ma. who has M independence possesses the next
higher degree Of Liberty. He is not forced TO
work the entirc day and year through, like the
Hired Laborcr, under the dictation OF Superior
who cen buy his toll he can dispose freely OF his
: ,imc,-and i, is this which gives him in reality
corporcal Liberty. Liberty Of which the Hired
Lubonr. although no, directly, is indirectly nearly
deprived The advantages which tho person who
car, dispose freely OF his limo possesses, are very
importsut; ne can cultivate his mind, make iniu-
ence fit himself to fill the pests of profit and honor
which Society can confer; and above all. he has
the time necessary TO plan the means OF obtaining
fortune which is SO necessary to real personal
Liberty.
These advantages out the reach OF the La
i borer He who labors with his hands does not
&C, rich; and although the Legislative Halls and
so>ts Of honor and profit are not shut out from
the Laborer by law, still to enter the one and MI
The other Ito mus, possess education, information
influence and some pecuniary means, and these ne