Mississippi Democrat., 1845-01-22
From the Washington City Constitution.
THE PLUMBER PRINCIPLE.


There are aniagonizing principles and
forces throughout the whole moral as well
as material world. Falsehood is opposed
to truth-wrong 10 justice--volence and
outrage to peace and order. And in a
state Of society, there are always few,
whose objects and interest are ever op.
posed TO that Of the many. The whole
history Of our race shows that there is al
ways portion of socety--and that in.
variaby the smallest portion---who seek,
for ambitious aggrandizement or sordid
qualification, to appropriate to themselves
the results of labor, and TO WELD, for like
purposes, that power which legitimately
resides in the body of the people. The
right and the will of the many is the great
Democratic principle, as developed in
our happy political system, and is opposed
now, as il ever has been, by the selfish.
ness and sinister objects of the few
The freedom Of the human will, and
the right to its unfettered exercise. were
the object and result Of our Revolution.
That divine principle, worked out by the
exertions and sealed by, the blood of its
martyrs, was applied in all its energy, by
our foreialhers, in setting up our political
systems. Here, in the United States, OF
all the countries which the sun in his cir.
cult looks upon, can man be said TO be free
in the enjoyment Of his social, political,
and religious rights. And yet here, even
here, we see the proof and the illustra.
ton, that poirer is alipays stealing from
The many to The fen. We cannot always
trace the manner or the means, by which
1t is effected; but still, like the invisible
but unceasing law Of gravitation, the VII
cious principle is always drawing from the
circumference 10 the centre.
Wealth clans for itself peculiar privi-
leges, and enforces its demands by the in.
huence Of corrupting nature. II is diff
cult thing TO find man Of wealth, who
does not think that his influence in the so.
cial and political system ought to be in
proportion 10 his riches And he conti-
nully uses his wealth to increase his
wealth, and to advance his interests in the
State. The rich, from common instinct
and a common object, invariably unite in
a common league against the most nunier-
Gus, but poorer class Of society. The aris.
tocratic in feeling, the proud and the do
mineerlng, are always attracted TO the
rich, and together, they make up that class
which ever has been, and ever will be,
opposed to the rights Of the many. Their
whole policy and purpose is live without
Iabor-by artificial means; whilst the ma
ny live according to the command OF their
Maker-by the sweat of their brow. The
fe,r, here characterized and defined, not
only constitute class, but party. II is
immaterial, however, what party designa-
ton they may for the time take, they seek
to live and attain their purposes by policy
and plunder. Hence they are the advo-
Gates of banks, corporations with exclu-
sive privileges, protective tariffs, and in
Vulnerable other schemes, which result in
the plunder Of tho many for the benefit of
the few.
The unjust and pernicious Influences Of
these principles in their practical opera
tons, npon classes, interests, and sections
il shall be our business to show hereafter.
II is our purpose to pursue this subject
from time TO time, when matter more ur-
gent is not pressing upon our attention. -
We shall first endeayor to exhibit the ma
ked deformity Of the plunder principle,
through The operations Of high protec-
tive tariff