Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-08-01

capital, and you laborers do not re-
ceive wages sufficiently high by which
you can have "comfortabIe support
and leave fair proGts.' I will take
or rather here, by the law) take your
selyes--from the people of the United
States, as much of their money and
property as shall secure to you eigh'
per cent. on your capital, and nine
shillings day for your laborers' wa
ges. Is not this the plain language OF
this policy on the part Of government
And is it not markedly the agrarianism
Of the widest of advocates of division
and equality property by govern
ment amongst It's citizens' If this
policyis right forthe manufacturers, why
is it not right for other classes and in
terests' And if it is good for all classes
or interests, why is it not good for the
individual Yield the principle, that
this government can legislate to regu-
late the pecuniary condition of citizens
engaged in any employment, and I defy
you to stop short Of its application to
the individual. [ go further, sir. I con-
tend that its application to the indivi-
dual is far more congenial with the
spirit of our institutions, and far more
beneficial, than when applied to classes
and interests. When bestowed on manu-
facturers, you distribute to those who
may not want. You may take from
the poor many, and give to the rich
few. And when you give to the labor
er through the wealthy few, the capi-
talists, as you do by your protective
policy, how does the government know
how much the laborer will receive?-
The capitalist sells the manufactured
goods; and he receives the exactions
in the shape Of his increased prices
from the people of the United States,
both for the laborer and himself. Viii
he give his portion to live "comforta-
bic and leave fair profits" if, from Eu-
rope or any where else, he can obtain
laborers at lower rates? No,sir. The
laborer, no matter how much the CAPT
talist receives for his manufactured
goods, will only receive the lowest wa
ges the competition Of labor will de-
mand The rest will be the capitalist
whether it gives them twenty or thirty
per. cent. on their capital, as they have
been lately making in New England
No, sir; if we are to have agrananism;
Il government is to take the property
of some, to give up to others, to equal
ize the condition ofthe people living
under it-give US individual agrarian-
ism. Let us have a little democracy in
at least. Let the coniscation be gen
eral, and apply to all, for good or evil,
all over the Union. Take the really
poor all over the Union, and make
them the subjects of an eleemosynary
legislation. As the poor are every
where, all sections will at least have
the the charities Of the government ex-
pended amongst them, instead of all
being heaped up in particular Sec
ton. All property in the country will
then belong to the majority, to be ex-
pended and distributed amongst the
majority, who are always the poor
Sir, such positions maylook almost like
jesting;but I tell the gentlemen from the
North, who are endeavoring to stamp
this principle into the legislation of the
general government, it will not stop
here. Their own doctrines and legisla-
ton will soon, far sooner than they seem
to anticipate, be welded in their own
S tates against them. The principle
ola protective tariff gives every poor
man in New England right to have a
comfortable support and leave fair
profits" from his wages out of the
property of New England. Let them
look to themselves at home. Here we
do not intendto endure it; but they we'll
find that this vicious principle, once
fairly comprehended, will live to
scourge those who first preached and
practised it.
But, Mr.. Chairman, l will go one
step further down in my analysis ofthe
principle Of the protective policy. All
agrariansm, if | understand it.rests on
the principle that property is the crea-
ton Of government. Government hav
ing created, government can distribute
it. This is the principle; which if true
certainly goes very far to justify the
policy. But has the general govern
ment,i many sense, created the property
in the Union' Does any government
create property Property is the re-
suit Of individual labor; and all that
government can do is to protect it
To protect the person and the property
of the citizen, is, indeed. the sole nur